Lexar ditches USB-C to build a storage drive thinner than a playing card
Key takeaways
- Muse measures 3.8mm thick at center, tapering to 1mm—among the slimmest portable SSDs available
- Achieves extreme thinness by eliminating USB-C port and using high-density NAND stacking
- Delivers 1,050MB/s reads and 1,000MB/s writes; suitable for 4K ProRes video at 120fps
Lexar has announced the Muse, an ultra-slim portable SSD arriving later this year in 512GB and 1TB options. The drive tapers from 3.8mm at its center to just 1mm at the edges—thinner than most smartphones. Achieving this profile required ditching the standard USB-C port and relying on high-density NAND stacking plus custom ultra-thin PCB architecture, a design choice others like Xteink have already made.
Despite its minimalist form factor, the Muse delivers respectable speed: up to 1,050MB/s reads and 1,000MB/s writes. Lexar claims that's sufficient for recording 4K Apple ProRes video at 120fps, a claim that could appeal to mobile filmmakers and content creators who prioritize portability without accepting major performance compromises.
The bigger picture
The Muse reflects a broader industry pivot toward portable storage as a fashion accessory rather than a bulky necessity. Rivals like Samsung and Kingston have built reputations on traditional external SSDs with full-featured ports; Lexar's bet is that creators increasingly value thinness over legacy connectivity. Success here depends on whether the proprietary connection method irritates enough users to matter, or whether the ultra-slim profile justifies the trade-off.
We're watching how storage makers approach the thinness arms race—it's become as much about design statement as raw capacity. Lexar's move signals that manufacturers believe ultra-portable storage has crossed from niche to mainstream, and we wanted to flag this for anyone shopping for external drives later this year.
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