Western Digital has launched its first USB 3.0 products, and not to be outdone, Seagate followed suit with a stylish 2.5-inch unit.

WD's My Book 3.0 is a 3.5-inch drive and it will be available in 1TB and 2TB capacities. According to WD, the new drives are up to 4.7 times faster than current USB 2.0 models. However, at $179 for the 1TB, the new series is also quite a bit pricier than its predecessors. Both drives are expected to ship later this week.

Seagate on the other hand took a different approach. The BlackArmor PS110 is a 2.5-inch, 500GB drive and it also costs $179. Not cheap either, but we're used to paying a premium for compact 2.5-inch drives. Segate claims it is 3 times faster than USB 2.0 drives and you can get it here.