SanDisk today introduced a 2-gigabyte (GB) microSD card to meet demand for a new generation of MP3 music phones, including the forthcoming Verizon Wireless Chocolate by LG mobile phone.

Using the SanDisk microSD card, the Verizon Wireless phone can store up to 1,000 digital songs downloaded from the company's V CAST music service. The card, which is sold with an adapter that enables it to fit into a standard-size SD slot of other devices, will debut in the U.S. exclusively at 1,900 Verizon Wireless stores for the next 60 days. Internationally, it will be sold by a variety of mobile retailers.

"The need for higher-capacity microSD cards demonstrates that MP3 phones have come of age," said Jeff Kost , SanDisk vice president, handset business. "Clearly, many consumers are embracing the convergence of digital music and mobile communications because it allows them to carry just a single device. SanDisk's removable flash memory cards represent the most convenient way for people to store, transfer and play music on their handsets, so we are delighted to work with Verizon Wireless on this new product introduction."

Apart from its retail line of mobile flash memory cards, SanDisk also announced the addition of a 2GB capacity to its OEM line of microSD cards, providing manufacturers with flash memory cards that range from 64 megabytes (MB) to 2GB. On the retail side, SanDisk offers capacities beginning at 256 MB. SanDisk's previous highest capacity was 1GB.

The microSD uses the latest advancements in flash memory technology to deliver the smallest memory card in the world. Measuring about one-fourth the size of a standard SD card, the fingernail-size microSD card provides high-performance and expanded memory capacity for mobile phones using SanDisk's TransFlash card slot or any new devices that are marked as microSD slots.

The SanDisk 2GB microSD card will be sold by Verizon Wireless for $99.99.