Toshiba is to put sub-1in hard drives into volume production by the end of the year, the company has said.

While the capacity of the 0.85in drives has yet to be decided upon - 2-3GB seems the most likely size - they will be around 80 per cent smaller than the 1.8in drives Toshiba currently produces. Apple uses the 1.8in units in its iPod range, as does Toshiba, in its own Gigabeat line of portable digital music players.

Toshiba said the smaller units will consume half the power of their larger siblings and be able to withstand impacts of more than twice the strength.

The Japanese giant announced the 0.85in drives in December 2003, with a mass production target of early 2005. The company expects to pitch the drives at the same mobile devices as the 1.8in model, along with more power and size-limited kit, such as mobile phones. ®

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