Samsung's new portable SSD combines 8TB capacity with 4,000 MB/s readsThe 8TB P9 offers ample storage for massive media librariesSamsung's fastest portable storage arrives with an unusually high priceSamsung's 8TB P9 portable drive has appeared on an ecommerce platform for $2,879.99, making it an unusually costly option for portable storage.B&H Photo lists the drive alongside 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB versions, priced at $2,520, $2,160, and $1,440, respectively.The pricing makes the 8TB model cheaper per terabyte than its smaller counterparts, despite its unusually high overall purchase cost.USB4 performance comes with 8 TB capacityThe P9 connects through USB-C and supports USB4 at 40 Gb/s, giving it enough bandwidth for the listed transfer speeds.Sequential read performance can reach 4,000 MB/s, while sequential writes can reach 3,800 MB/s under suitable operating conditions.Samsung says the drive is intended for professional creators handling large RAW photo collections and high-resolution video files, as the 8TB capacity can also support 12K video recording and direct capture when connected equipment supports those functions.This portable SSD draws power through the host connection, so users do not need a separate power supply for normal operation.Samsung claims the drive is protected against drops and can survive falls from up to 6.5 feet, approximately two meters.Thermal controls are also designed to manage heat during demanding workloads, while the enclosure also resists vibration.The enclosure measures 3.54 x 2.56 x 0.33 inches, making it roughly comparable in length and width to a typical smartphone.It weighs just 3.39 ounces, or 96.11 grams, so the drive adds little weight to a portable work kit.With 8TB available, the Samsung P9 can also reduce the need to carry multiple drives when handling large media files.Security and device support are added to the packageThe P9 uses AES 256-bit hardware encryption and password protection, which can help keep stored files inaccessible to people without the required credentials.Samsung Magician Software also lets users manage the drive's password protection, giving them another way to control access to stored data.The drive works with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, game consoles and tablets, so users can connect it to many types of devices.It also works with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 at 20 Gb/s and earlier USB standards, although those connections cannot deliver the drive's full USB4 speeds.Samsung says sustained write performance can support demanding tasks such as recording content directly to the SSD and editing files stored on it.That could be useful for users who need to record or work with large files without first moving them to another storage device.However, B&H currently lists the 8TB model as unavailable while offering customers the option to request an availability alert.Anyone who submits that request should receive a notification when the drive becomes available, with shipping details then provided through the retailer.