(Image credit: eTeknix)

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• Lexar AI-Grade Storage Stick introduces a hot-swappable AI-Grade stick for high-performance AI laptops
• Modular design promises instant storage expansion without shutting down systems
• Practical adoption remains uncertain due to unknown pricing and vendor support

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Lexar has debuted a modular AI-Grade Storage Stick designed to expand next-generation storage capacity instantly on compatible business laptops and mobile workstations.

Revealed at CES 2026, The storage stick supports hot swapping, allowing users to expand storage capacity instantly without powering down devices.

While this approach is technically appealing, pricing and adoption by device vendors remain entirely unclear, leaving questions about its practical relevance in real-world scenarios

Designed for AI Workloads

The AI-Grade Stick is engineered for high-performance computational tasks, promising blazing speeds suitable for AI-driven applications.

Its compact, modular design emphasizes portability and immediate accessibility, suggesting potential value for professionals who require flexible storage solutions on the go.

When plugged in, this device integrates directly with the host system rather than behaving like a passive external device.

Lexar says it is not an alternative for internal SSDs, but offers a new expansion tier for systems where built-in capacity is increasingly limited

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What differentiates it from conventional SSDs is its focus on AI workloads. It is built to deliver consistent and sustained performance during long-running tasks.

“First, AI-Grade Storage Stick is not a single finished product or SKU, but a new storage form factor built on Lexar’s AI Storage Core,” a spokesperson of the company told Techradar Pro.

“Because of that, final performance, capacity, and pricing will vary by implementation and target device and will be shared closer to launch.”

Without benchmark data, the practical performance under sustained workloads remains unknown.

Security features are a notable aspect of Lexar’s 2026 devices, and the stick is expected to benefit indirectly from the company’s focus on encrypted storage.

Lexar’s TouchLock portable SSD reveals that NFC dual-encryption and smartphone-based unlocking are feasible in a compact format – suggesting similar possibilities for the stick.

Alongside the stick, Lexar also launched its AI-Grade SSD, designed to handle heavy AI workloads with sustained throughput and low latency.

While the SSD supports larger capacities and traditional form factors, the modular stick aims to provide flexibility and swappability.

That said, the stick’s real-world relevance is difficult to assess because no manufacturer announcements indicate support for the device.

Compatibility, cost, and reliability will be critical factors in determining whether it becomes widely used or stays a niche experiment.

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TechRadar will be extensively covering this year’s CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI. You can also ask us a question about the show in our CES 2026 live Q&A and we’ll do our best to answer it.

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Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master’s and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking.

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