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Seagate to qualify 50TB HDDs in late 2027; strong demand for current drives through 2028
Key points
- Seagate to qualify 50TB HDDs in late 2027.
- Shipments of 50TB HDDs expected in 2028.
- Mozaic 5 platform enables 5TB+ per platter.
- Current HDD supply largely allocated through 2028.
50TB HDD Qualification Timeline
Seagate announced plans to initiate qualification shipments for its 50TB-class hard disk drives in late 2027. These drives are based on the Mozaic 5 platform, which utilizes third-generation heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology. Following qualification, volume shipments are anticipated to begin in 2028, with a significant ramp-up in 2029.
Mozaic 5 Technology
The Mozaic 5 platform is Seagate's latest iteration of HAMR technology, succeeding Mozaic 3 and Mozaic 4. This platform allows for the creation of platters with over 5TB capacity. By integrating 10 such platters, Seagate can produce HDDs exceeding 50TB, offering both conventional magnetic recording (CMR) for performance and shingled magnetic recording (SMR) for maximum storage density.
Market Demand and Allocations
The demand for high-capacity HDDs is currently strong, driven by the growth of AI and cloud computing sectors. Seagate reported that most of its nearline HDD capacity is already allocated through 2028 via long-term supply agreements. Some customers are also seeking to secure supply for 2029, indicating sustained demand for storage infrastructure.
Qualification Process
The 'qualification shipments' phase involves extensive internal validation by Seagate, including reliability, durability, shock, vibration, and longevity tests. After Seagate's internal validation, server OEMs typically take two to six months to qualify new HDDs, while hyperscale cloud service providers require six to twelve months for their qualification processes.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
Seagate plans to begin qualification shipments for its 50TB-class hard disk drives in late 2027, with general availability in 2028. This development addresses the increasing demand for storage driven by AI and cloud computing, which has already led to most of Seagate's current HDD inventory being allocated through 2028.