Pricey Memory Potato: Samsung recently unveiled the latest models in its portable storage lineup. The "P" SSD series features unprecedented performance, but the high-end models come with truly eye-opening MSRPs that few users will be able to afford.
Samsung unveiled the company's new offering for portable storage enthusiasts at Gamescom 2026 in Germany. The "P" Series of external SSDs uses USB4 connectivity to raise the performance bar considerably while offering some truly spacious units for both professional and consumer use.
The P Series includes two models: the P9, which is positioned as an ideal solution for professional users, and the P7 – designed to provide "convenient" storage for everyday users. According to the official price tags, however, it isn't particularly convenient for most wallets.
The flagship P9 drive can deliver sequential read speeds of up to 4,000MBps, while sequential write speeds can reach 3,800MBps. This industry-leading performance is approximately twice as fast as the previous generation, with Samsung comparing the newer P9 with a 4TB T9 drive, which offers sequential read and write speeds of 2,000MBps over a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface.
Earlier this year, the Samsung P9 received an Innovation Award at CES. Samsung said the portable SSD can sustain "12K" real-time recording, which should be more than enough for production workflows involving video capture, RAW image files, and ultra-high-definition video storage and editing.
Meanwhile, the Samsung P7 model uses the same USB4 interface to offer a more versatile storage option. The Korean company highlights the drive's broad compatibility, noting that it can be used with desktop and laptop computers, smartphones, gaming consoles, and even USB-compatible cameras.
The P7 also offers improved durability, having successfully completed a 2-meter drop test along with additional shock and vibration tests. According to Samsung Electronics Vice President Tommy Kwon, the P Series can provide real performance benefits for "AI-powered" content creation, video production, and everything in between.
Now, here's the hardest part of Samsung's overenthusiastic announcement: the P Series of portable SSDs will cost a lot, because memory products have become a luxury that very few giant corporations in the world can afford to ransack.
The P9 will be available in four capacities (1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB), with suggested prices ranging from $340 to $2,700. Meanwhile, the "affordable" P7 drives will range from $290 for the 1TB model to $2,290 for the 8TB version. Look for them to start shipping on August 31.