The new SSDs arrive just a week after Toshiba unveiled the first samples of next-gen 4-bits-per-cell 96-layer flash chips. That shows that there can be around a year of time lag between the launch of bleeding-edge flash tech and the release of products you can actually buy. Toshiba VP Jeremy Werner notes that SSDs, with their complex controller designs, "pose the most formidable flash design challenge."

Toshiba hasn't revealed pricing for the drives yet, but says it's targeting "client PC, high-performance mobile, embedded, and gaming segments," along with data centers, so you can expect to pay a premium. The M.2 3x4 SSDs are available in 256, 512 and 1,024 GB sizes and are now sampling to "select OEM customers." There's no word yet on when you'll find one on Amazon, though.