Friday, June 1, 2012

Aesthetics lead USB flash drive design work

Aesthetics lead USB flash drive design work

With technology already standard, there is little room for upgrades other than in form factors.

Assured of the quality and durability of their selections, South Korea suppliers of USB flash drives are directing product development toward designs. Enhancements emphasize housing aesthetics, including the use of varied materials and trims. Wood and gold-plated metal are among the nontraditional casing inputs employed. Companies targeting the upscale adopt materials that suggest sophistication.

ML Tech Corp. has a line of thumb drives with mother-of-pearl inlays, which are popular in its key export destinations. The maker focuses on the high-end segment. The upscale market is not as saturated as the low end or midrange.

Dongwoon Int'l Co. Ltd has released models embellished with crystals. “Dongwoon is the only South Korea USB flash drive supplier with a partnership with Swarovski,” spokesperson Hayne Kim said. “Most designs are sophisticated because the company caters to the high end.”

The maker signed recently an agreement with a major toy company and offers units fashioned into pendants. Versions resembling bracelet charms are also available, intended as a mobile phone accent or fashion accessory.

Dongwoon will introduce 10 new models in 1H 2012. Most will be bar-type units but capped slide-swing versions will also be offered. Jisung Inc. has a line of USB flash drives with silicone and PVC exteriors featuring various prints. R&D is geared toward models in bright colors and novelty designs.

Amid aesthetics-oriented enhancements, South Korea suppliers are also looking to boost product performance.

The latest models have a capacity upwards of 8GB and reach 120GB, with 32GB as the most common.

An insertion/extraction rate of 3,000 cycles is mainstream, but the majority of makers offer as high as 10,000. Others turn out devices suitable for both computers and car navigation systems.

Some companies offer versions with an auto-run function that allows a pop-up message to be incorporated into the memory. The text-and-graphics message, usually in SWF or MPEG format, can be customized. Such items target the promotional segment.

A handful of suppliers integrate security functions. Some USB sticks have a hardware-based encryption system that stores sensitive information in a password-protected partition.

USB 2.0 is still the most common, but many companies already have 3.0 in their catalogs. Memorette, Inc. will turn out three or four new USB 3.0 flash drives in coming months. “Storage capacity is a development priority,” trade division manager Michael Song said.

USB flash drive prices are expected to go up this year due to the rising cost of molds and materials. The adjustments, however, will be minimal.

 

Read the full report on Aesthetics lead USB flash drive design work. Global Sources is a leading B2B portal and a primary facilitator of trade with China manufacturers and India suppliers, providing essential sourcing information to volume buyers through our e-magazines and trade shows.

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