A top executive at Pure Storage, Sean Rosemary, predicts a major shift in data storage after 2028: conventional hard drives could fade from mainstream markets and be replaced by less expensive solid‑state drives (SSDs). This view has appeared in industry discussions and press reports, including coverage by Blocks and Files.
The rationale behind this forecast rests on two closely linked trends. First, the cost trajectory of SSDs is trending downward faster than many anticipated, driven by ongoing process improvements and demand. Second, electricity costs are rising, and newer SSD architectures, including NAND-based options, promise higher efficiency per byte stored. The combination of cheaper SSDs and higher power costs makes SSDs increasingly attractive for both large enterprises and data centers. The specific technology mentioned includes NAND-based PLC flash, which could further reshape pricing and performance dynamics.
Rosemary cautions that this HDD decline will occur most noticeably among corporate customers, where storage needs scale rapidly and total cost of ownership is a decisive factor. Ordinary personal computers and laptops are likely to retain HDD usage for a period, given different cost structures and performance requirements in consumer markets.
Industry analysts have long debated when NAND memory pricing would bottom out, and recent forecasts point to a continued softening over the next few years. In response, the traditional HDD leaders such as Seagate and Western Digital have begun developing their own SSD lines. The aim is clear: preserve market share as the economics of storage shift away from spinning disks toward solid state media.
Earlier reports noted Samsung’s ambition to push the envelope further by introducing an ultra‑high‑capacity SSD capable of storing as much as one petabyte of data. If realized, such a device would redefine expectations for data density and could accelerate the transition timeline across sectors that require massive, reliable storage solutions while balancing performance and energy use. This trend is being watched by organizations evaluating the total cost of ownership, data center footprints, and the ongoing evolution of storage architectures. [Citation attribution]