Although cloud based storage services is a reality for millions of users, physical storage solutions are still important, especially when it comes to moving large amounts of data. SanDisk, a veteran in this area, has renewed its catalog of solutions for tablets and phones with the new SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0, the protagonist of our review today.
Under the guise of standard pen drive, the SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive 3.0 integrates a flash drive (of up to 64 GB capacity) which offers two types of connectors, a USB 3.0 for PC or Mac and a micro USB 2.0, the standard in the industry of Android-based devices. Thanks to an ingenious and effective mechanism, you can switch from one connector to the other, depending on your needs.
In terms of performance, the unit meets our expectations: it took us less than two minutes to copy eight HD movies from a PC with USB 3.0 (around 15.9 gigabytes), reaching an excellent average transfer rate of 127 MB/s. With smaller files, such as a collection of MP3 songs, the performance decreases (it happens almost with any storage device), but it is difficult to see it down 10 megabytes per second.
Things change when connected to a tablet (in our case, a Galaxy Tab of the previous generation) and the limitations of the USB 2.0 come to light: it takes about 3 minutes to copy a gigabyte of information, a value within expected. An interesting detail: the speed is more than enough to play directly from the pen drive without stoppages or breaks, so it’s not necessary to go to the internal memory of the device to enjoy them.
For whom is this device?
This device is aimed at users of smartphones and tablets that need to move large amounts of data between their device and a PC, as they will make the most of it. It is convenient when you want to take a good collection of movies or music to play them anytime in our smartphone or tablet without the need for Internet access, and a commitment to the standard ensures that it works with any Android device, which will detect it automatically.
It’s not an expensive device, it works well and the manufacturer offers a 5-year warranty. From our point of view, the reliability of SanDisk is well worth the few extra euros, especially if you save important data on the device. If we’re talking about numbers, the cost is similar to a microSD card of similar capacity and certain quality, with the added value of double connection.
The manufacturers policy (as Apple has years doing so) is to remove the possibility of expanding memory devices using microSD cards, by shielding the interior of the devices and offering different capacities of the same model. Thus, solutions such as the one SanDisk proposes will become increasingly popular among those who need to combine mobility and plenty of storage capacity. An interesting and recommended purchase.