Lexar unveils ultra-slim magnetic SSD at IFA 2026

Lexar marked its 30th anniversary at IFA 2026 with the Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD, a magnetic portable drive the company calls the world’s thinnest. The launch also highlighted new AI-focused storage, PC client SSDs and flash drives designed for electric vehicles.

Why it matters: - Lexar is using IFA 2026 to push beyond consumer memory cards and portable drives into AI storage, professional PCs and electric-vehicle use cases. - The Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD is built for creators who want high-speed storage without extra bulk, cables or a separate capture workflow. - Lexar’s AI storage push targets compact devices that need more local capacity, lower latency and better sustained performance.

What happened: - Lexar unveiled the Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD at IFA 2026 in Berlin. - Lexar presented the drive as the world’s thinnest portable SSD. - The company also showcased its next-generation AI storage technologies, client SSDs and EV-focused flash storage. - Lexar said the launch comes as the company marks its 30th anniversary in 2026.

The details: - The Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD uses a magnetic design, a card-like form factor and a minimalist metal unibody. - The SSD measures about 3.8 mm at its thickest point and 1 mm at the edges. - A custom ultra-thin PCB, high-density NAND stacking and an integrated internal structure are used to preserve space. - The drive connects through Lexar’s proprietary PogoPin magnetic data interface and the included SnapLink cable. - Neodymium N52 magnets in the connector and case are meant to keep alignment precise and attachment secure. - The included case can mount the SSD on the back of MagSafe-compatible iPhone models. - The Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD delivers read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s. - The drive works with iPhone, iPad, Mac and any device with USB-C. - It supports direct Apple ProRes 4K recording at up to 120 fps on compatible iPhone models. - Lexar plans to sell the drive in 512GB and 1TB capacities in Q4 2026. - Lexar’s AI Storage Core combines advanced packaging, chip-level hardware, Lexar Luma Bridge technologies and system-level optimization. - The AI storage lineup also includes Gen5 SSDs and next-generation storage drives designed for artificial intelligence workloads. - Lexar said the AI solutions can reach bandwidth up to 11 GB/s. - The Gen5 SPU controller is developed in-house by Longsys. - The SPU is built on 5 nm process technology and uses a DRAMless architecture. - Lexar said the design is intended to improve supply stability while keeping performance high for AI-related storage. - Lexar Luma Bridge uses workload scheduling, predictive preloading and optimized cache management. - The company said Luma Bridge is designed to support Mixture-of-Experts models, larger KV cache demands and input/output latency. - Lexar said the approach reduces DRAM needs by about 40%. - Lexar is also expanding in Europe and moving beyond retail sales to work more directly with local manufacturers, professional customers and partners. - For system builders and business customers, Lexar introduced client SSDs based on PCIe Gen3 and Gen4. - For electric vehicles, Lexar highlighted the Dashcam USB Flash Drive Series for continuous loop recording, multichannel video capture and Sentry-mode-style use cases. - The Dashcam series uses firmware optimized for high endurance, broad EV compatibility, a compact design and reliable operation across a wide temperature range.

Between the lines: - Lexar is signaling a broader strategy shift from a consumer storage brand to a platform vendor spanning mobile creation, AI infrastructure and automotive storage. - The emphasis on in-house R&D, DRAMless design and local European partnerships suggests the company is trying to compete on both engineering depth and supply resilience. - The creative-workflow focus of the Muse SSD fits with the rise of smartphone-based content production and direct-to-drive recording.

What's next: - The Muse Ultra-Slim Portable SSD is scheduled to reach market in Q4 2026. - Lexar is likely to keep expanding its AI storage and regional business-to-business portfolio as it builds out its European presence. - The company’s EV and professional PC storage lines appear positioned for broader commercial rollout after the IFA debut.

The bottom line: - Lexar is betting that the next growth phase in storage will come from thinner mobile devices, local AI computing and specialized use cases beyond the consumer shelf.