Western Digital has refreshed their My Passport and My Book lines with a new industrial design:

The My Passport line (pictured above) features a new design and colors. Capacities now extend all the way up to 4TB. Prices:

  • 1 TB $79.99
  • 2 TB $109.99
  • 3 TB $149.99
  • 4 TB $159.99

These feature password protection and AES-256 hardware encryption. There is also a 'My Passport for Mac' model which parallels the above series but comes pre-formated for use with a Mac. Amazing that they are now fitting 4TB of capacity into a 2.5" enclosure.

Also up is a redesign of the My Book. This bookshelf style drive is now a chunkier version of the My Passport products mentioned earlier. Thanks to Helium-filled HGST HelioSeal technology recently acquired by Western Digital, capacities now extend up to 8TB on this line. Prices follow:

  • 3 TB $129.99
  • 4 TB $149.99
  • 6 TB $229.99
  • 8 TB $299.99

I like the more squared off design, especially for the My Book, as it should make them more stable and less likely to be tipped over by accidental bumps. These also support hardware encryption. All models of both the My Book and My Passport come with a 2-year limited warranty as well as backup software to help ease the process of automating your backups. 

Press blast after the break.

WESTERN DIGITAL UNVEILS NEW DESIGN LANGUAGE WITH REDESIGNED LINES OF ICONIC MY PASSPORT AND MY BOOK HARD DRIVES

IRVINE, Calif., October 11, 2016 – Western Digital Corporation (“Western Digital”) (NASDAQ: WDC), today introduced modern and innovative redesigns of its My Passport®, My Passport for Mac, and My Book® hard drive lines, which have been highly recognized leading sellers for more than a decade. In partnership with fuseproject, an award-winning industrial design and branding firm, the reimagined products were built with the customer in mind. Developed to help make a connection between the device and user, the new drives also include password protection and hardware encryption so customers will love their hard drive as much as they cherish the content stored on it.

     “As the storage landscape continues to rapidly evolve, and the bars for design and user-experience have increased, the team focused on the design and user experience to catapult My Passport and My Book to the next level,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president, Content Solutions Business Unit, Western Digital. “Through the reimagined design language, we want to engage consumers in a conversation about how storage is core to their lives and how they feel more empowered by the real benefits of capturing, protecting and enjoying life’s precious memories.”

     “The way we use data is changing; it’s becoming much more of a personal commodity, something we value,” says Yves Béhar, founder and Principal Designer at fuseproject. “Western Digital lies at the intersection of our physical life and the digital world, and we wanted to create a quality aesthetic that symbolizes this intersection.”

     As part of the reimagined design, the My Passport drives will come in six vivid colors – Black, Yellow, Red, White, Orange and Blue – while still providing reliable portable storage that perfectly complements an on-the-go lifestyle. The My Passport for Mac drive is available in a stylish Black color. The trusted desktop storage device, My Book, combines personal style with a massive amount of storage space, up to 8 TB, so users can keep their photos, videos, music, and documents. Each storage device comes with an automatic backup solution for a seamless, user-friendly process, as well as password protection to keep your precious data safe.

The new WD® products include:

  • My Passport portable hard drives – trusted and loved portable storage, in a reimagined design, that fits in the palm of your hand
    • New attractive design with textured bottom
    • Password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption
    • Automatic backup with included WD Backup™ software
    • Up to 4TB capacity
  • My Passport for Mac drives – your MacBook® computer’s best friend
    • New attractive design with textured bottom
    • Password protection with 256-bit AES hardware encryption
    • Formatted for Mac OS® X and Time Machine® ready for easy backup
    • Up to 4TB capacity
  • My Book desktop hard drive – trusted, high capacity backup for PC and Mac®
    • Password protection with hardware encryption
    • Automatic backup with included WD Backup software
    • Up to 8TB capacity

Pricing and Availability

     My Passport and My Passport for Mac portable hard drives are protected by a 2-year limited warranty and are available from wd.com and at select retailers and distributors around the world. My Passport drives have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $79.99 USD and the My Passport for Mac drive has a starting MSRP of $79.99 USD.

     My Book desktop hard drives are protected by a 2-year limited warranty and are available from the WD store at wd.com and at select retailers and distributors. My Book drives have a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $129.99 USD.