Western Digital claims that the capacity of storage devices is now more important than their number.

Large HDD manufacturers are shifting priorities

In their annual reports, leading hard‑drive manufacturers have stopped publishing figures on the number of units shipped. Instead, they have begun focusing on gross capacity—the total amount of data that can be stored.

Western Digital CEO Irving Tan emphasized at a Bloomberg technology conference:

> “We don’t need to increase the number of drives; it’s more important now to make each drive higher‑capacity.”

This statement confirms the growing role of artificial intelligence in their strategy. At last year’s reporting meeting, company leadership announced that all planned products for the current year are already sold out.

Stock dynamics

- Since the beginning of the year, Western Digital shares have risen 57%.
- Last year they rose almost threefold (282%).

Reasons for demand growth

Tan noted that growing interest in streaming video is boosting the storage market: “Video will become the main driver of drive sales. This gives us confidence in future demand.”

Risks and geopolitics

The CEO also mentioned current conflicts around Iran, stating that risks to WD remain low: no employee was harmed, company damage is minimal. Nevertheless, the company closely monitors developments in the region.

Thus, Western Digital is shifting its focus from quantity to quality (capacity) and sees growth prospects thanks to digital content and a stable geopolitical environment.