Portable SSDs are finally starting to come down in price as competition is continuing to ramp up between manufacturers. In the spring we saw Western Digital unveil a new line of USB-C drives designed for Apple’s latest MacBooks. Fast forward to today, and Samsung is refreshing its popular external storage solutions with its new T5 offerings.
USB-C is at the forefront of these new Samsung drives but those still rocking USB-A will be able to take advantage, too. Hidden amongst today’s announcement is that the T5 lineup will be able to hit speeds up to 540MB/s, which is right on level with Samsung’s internal desktop SSDs. More details below.
Portable solid-state drives have a number of advantages over its traditional counterparts. But you’ll first have to look past the higher price tag. Samsung’s new T5 offerings start at $129.99 for the 250GB model, and soars upwards from there to $799.99 and 2TB of storage. There are also 500GB and 1TB capacities in between to ease the sticker-shock that comes with those list prices.
Going with a portable solid-state drive not only delivers faster transfer speeds as noted above, but generally each unit has a smaller footprint versus traditional 2.5-inch solutions. The T5, for example, comes in at just 51-grams and is roughly the size of a business card. That size is perfect for transferring content on-the-go.
Samsung is wrapping each unit in an aluminum casing, with two color options: Deep Black and Alluring Blue. Users can count on a drop-resistant design that is rated against drops up to 6.6-feet. Combined with the slim footprint, this drive is going to be a very attractive solution for content creators that are frequently capturing footage away from home.
Samsung has built-in AES 256-bit encryption on all models as well as including a three-year warranty with purchase. Solid-state drives are known for long lifespans are durability, but the added protection here provides additional peace of mind.
The new Samsung T5 portable solid-state drives are available for purchase today from retailers like Amazon. Shipping windows currently range from two-day delivery for Prime members on the 250GB model, while the larger capacities are backordered in some instances.
If you’re looking for a new portable drive but don’t want to pay up for these new Samsung solutions, there are a few worthwhile alternatives. For example, the popular SanDisk 500 portable SSD line starts at under $80 for 120GB of storage. Additional capacities top out at 1TB for $350. Shop the entire lineup here.
FTC: 9to5Toys is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the 9to5Toys YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
