At CES last week,
The 3D XPoint cache offers faster speeds than traditional 3D NAND storage, but due to its high cost, is mostly used as a cache to work alongside other forms of storage such as 3D NAND SSD storage or even a hard disk. Optane-only SSDs can be paired with other devices by using the former in a vacant M.2 slot, for example on a PC motherboard. However, this means buying a separate device in addition to your existing storage and this hasn't proved particularly popular.
There's also an issue with mobile devices, which often only have one M.2 slot and at the high-end this is usually filled with a PCI-E NVMe SSD, especially where the device is too small to house a 2.5in hard disk. By combining its Optane memory and 3D NAND storage on a single device, you're not only getting the benefits of the speedy caching technology, but in conjunction with 3D NAND, you're creating a super-fast SSD that Intel's own testing has shown beats the likes of Samsung's 970 Pro SSD. This could help to make Optane memory more mainstream and accessible.
Intel told me at the event that the SSD has two separate controllers - one for the 3D NAND storage and one for the Optane memory, but that the two sets of storage appear as one volume in Windows. This requires a fair amount of tinkering behind the scenes with RST drivers and system BIOS and for this reason, the Optane Memory H10, which will be available in Q2 this year, will only be available pre-installed in mobile devices for the time being - not as a discrete retail product.
However, there's clearly scope for the latter existing, especially as M.2 ports are now commonplace on modern PC motherboards and the Optane Memory H10 could be a worthwhile upgrade for laptop owners too. The Optane Memory H10 will be available in 16GB/256GB, 32GB/512GB, and 32GB/1TB Optane memory/3D NAND storage capacities.