Industry Brief: Worldwide scene Backup Day isn’t the deal fest it once was

{"title": "Storage Discounts Dwindle for World Backup Day as Prices Surge", "body": ["B&H's inaugural promotion for World Backup Day features a 512GB SanDisk microSDXC card reduced from $111.99 to $109.99, amounting to a mere $2 savings."], ["This annual event, created to highlight data protection, traditionally features bargains on external storage, solid-state drives, and similar products. However, with solid-state drive costs steadily climbing and expected to rise further for the foreseeable future, B&H has omitted any SSD options, whether internal or external, from its promotional lineup. Comparable offers from other retailers are equally elusive."], ["Last year, Samsung slashed the price of its 2TB T9 external SSD by 31% to $180 during the observance. Currently, that model retails for $499.99, reflecting a $75 reduction from its $574.99 suggested retail price—equivalent to 2.78 times the amount from the previous year's promotion."], ["For this year's celebrations, incentives labeled as 'backup' specials focus primarily on traditional hard disk drives, microSD cards, and cloud options, to a limited extent."], ["The concept of World Backup Day emerged 15 years ago via a Reddit post from user 'adamjeff,' who proposed it as a prompt for individuals to safeguard precious photos, videos, and vital files in reliable locations."], ["'adamjeff' further suggested that businesses participate by securing their own information and that of clients, potentially with backup services providing date-specific reductions to boost engagement and purchases.'"], ["Following some persuasion, which involved attempts to involve rapper 50 Cent, the observance took shape. It aligns well with the 'rule of three' strategy, advocating for data redundancy across three sites: the local computer, online storage, and an offline copy. For optimal security, that offline copy should reside in a protected remote spot to guard against disasters like fires or burglaries."], ["Typically, this date sees storage vendors rolling out attractive offers and incentives."], ["On such occasions, substantial bargains often emerge, but this time, hunting for storage promotions feels more like a treasure hunt than browsing an abundance of options."], ["Among the limited solid-state drive deals extending into the event is Best Buy's offering of the 2TB Samsung T7 portable SSD for $239.99, a $100 cut from its $339.99 list price. (This promotion has now ended.) Additionally, Best Buy stocks the 2TB WD Black SN850P internal SSD, tailored for PlayStation 5 yet compatible with PCs via M.2 2280 slots, at $329.99. The retailer describes this as a $739 savings, though it actually costs just $10 above the 1TB variant, indicating notable value."], ["For alternative storage bargains from emerging brands, Newegg provides options like the 2TB KingSpec M.2 SSD at $274.99, a 31% decrease, and the 4TB KingSpec 2.5-inch internal SSD for $313.99, down 37%. KingSpec, a rising player in the SSD space, relies on YMTC, another fresh entrant in flash memory production. (Gamers Nexus explored YMTC's technology and the soaring SSD market trends in a video review.)"], ["B&H's external hard disk promotions are sparse, with minimal price cuts. Highlights include the 16TB WD easystore desktop model at $299.99, saving $80 from $379.99, the 8TB WD Elements at $224.99 ($25 below $249.99), and the 20TB WD Elements at $439.99 ($44 off $484.99). Each uses a USB 3.2 Gen 1 connection, supporting speeds up to 5Gbps."], ["B&H also discounts various memory cards, such as microSDXC and SDHC types, with more noticeable reductions. Standouts are the 128GB SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II SDXC (V60) card at $109.99, roughly one-third less than $159.99, and the 128GB version with V90 rating at $199.99, a $80 drop. Still, defining 'backup' remains flexible here. Greater storage or speed commands higher costs."], ["By way of contrast, the $199.99 SanDisk Extreme Pro (V90) achieves read and write rates near 300MB/s over 128GB, whereas the SanDisk Professional external drive delivers 250MB/s or better across 8TB—but it lists at about $489.99 on Amazon without any current deals."], ["Certain vendors are stretching the theme creatively. Western Digital advertises 25% to 35% off its My Passport external drives (1TB to 6TB) exclusively on Amazon's Indian platform. Epson, meanwhile, pushes its WorkForce ES-C320W as a backup tool, though it's actually a document scanner for desktops."], ["Regarding online storage, providers might roll out special offers for the day. In the meantime, consult our vetted cloud backup recommendations for any ongoing promotions."], ["Data from PCPartPicker.com indicates that storage prices are stabilizing somewhat, yet they remain at least twice as high as a year prior. Future directions—whether steady or upward—remain uncertain."], ["Notably absent from this analysis are costs for larger-capacity units. Reports from Asian outlets late last year highlighted potential stagnation or slight declines in available SSD sizes alongside the increases. Current reductions appear confined to 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models, bypassing higher tiers."], ["Even so, the existence of any deals offers optimism. Our guidance persists: seek hardware packages, grab available cuts, and consider secondhand options. Otherwise, expect to pay a steep markup for new gear."], ["Mark has contributed to PCWorld over the past 10 years, drawing on three decades in tech journalism. He has produced more than 3,500 pieces for the site, spanning topics like PC processors, accessories, and Windows. His work has appeared in PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science, and Electronic Buyers' News, earning a Jesse H. Neal Award for news coverage. Recently, he cleared out numerous Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs due to space constraints in his workspace."]}