Samsung has introduces a new range of portable SSD storage products. The new Samsung Portable SSD T5 drives use Samsung's latest 64-layer V-NAND technology and are claimed to provide "industry-leading transfer speeds with encrypted data security" in a compact and durable design. Transfers speeds of up to 540MB/s are claimed and the drives connect to your computer via a USB Type-C interface.
As is usual for this type of product the possible transfer speeds are compared to those that can be achieved by an HDD equipped alternative. Thanks to its Samsung V-NAND flash memory and a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, the T5 provides transfer speeds that are up to 4.9x faster than external HDDs. With the right kind of computer/device that will make backups and file transfers much faster.
Other key advantages of portable SSDs, over their HDD cousins, are the smaller form factors possible and their durability. The SSD T5 measures just 57 x 74 x 10.5mm thick and weighs 51g. As Samsung says, that's "smaller than the average business card" but much thicker, of course. Samsung's design is described as sleek and minimal and fits in a rounded metal unibody. With no moving parts SSDs are naturally more resilient to shocks. Samsung rates the T5 as being capable of surviving drops of up to 3 metres. Furthermore, for another kind of security, it can be password protected with AES 256-bit hardware encryption. Backing up its durability claims Samsung provides a 3-year limited warranty.
The new Samsung Portable SSD T5 includes a USB Type-C port. If you haven't got such a port on your computer there's no need to get your own adapter cable. Samsung provides both a USB Type-C to C cable and a USB Type-C to A cable in the box. Its backwards compatible if you have an older standard USB port. Password setting and firmware updating can be done from connected PC or Mac with Samsung's management software.
Samsung's new Portable SSD T5 is compatible not just with computers but with a wide range of smartphones, tablets and TVs. For the full list pleased check out the official product pages.
Key Specifications
Category |
Samsung Portable SSD T5 |
Capacity |
2TB/1TB (Deep Black), 500GB/250GB (Alluring Blue) |
Interface |
USB 3.1 (Gen 2, 10Gbps) backwards compatibility |
Dimensions (LxWxH) |
74 x 57.3 x 10.5 mm (3.0 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches) |
Weight |
51 grams (1.8 oz) |
Transfer Speed |
Up to 540 MB/s |
UASP Mode |
Supported |
Encryption |
AES 256-bit hardware data encryption |
Security |
Samsung Portable SSD Software |
Certifications |
CE, BSMI, KC, VCCI, C-tick, FCC, IC, UL, TUV, CB |
RoHS Compliance |
RoHS2 |
Warranty |
Three Year Limited Warranty |
The Portable SSD T5 will become available globally from today with prices starting at $129.99 for the 256GB model.