Some allow up to 100,000 write/erase cycles, depending on the exact type of memory chip used, and are thought to physically last between 10 and 100 years under normal circumstances ( shelf storage time ).Ĭommon uses of USB flash drives are for storage, supplementary back-ups, and transferring of computer files. As of 2018, 2 TB flash drives were the largest available in terms of storage capacity. As of March 2016, flash drives with anywhere from 8 to 256 gigabytes (GB ) were frequently sold, while 512 GB and 1 terabyte (TB ) units were less frequent. Since first appearing on the market in late 2000, as with virtually all other computer memory devices, storage capacities have risen while prices have dropped. It is typically removable, rewritable and much smaller than an optical disc. A SanDisk Cruzer USB drive from 2011, with 4 GB of storage capacity A SanDisk Ultra Flair USB drive from 2020, attached to an HP laptopĪ USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive in the US, or a memory stick in the UK & pen drive or pendrive in many countries) is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface. For the flash drive brand, see USB FlashCard. For the fictional space travel method, see Hyperspace.
