Portable power and storage in a simple easy to carry package
We’ve all had those moments where we run out of storage on the go. It’s a hassle and completely inconvenient. It’s even worse when your battery dies at the same time. So what if you could carry a portable device along with you that not only provided backup storage, but also a way to recharge your mobile devices? This is where the MobileLite Wireless Pro from Kingston comes into play.
The Kingston MobileLite Pro is a mobile device that provides an additional 64GB of mobile storage along with an internal power bank that gives you a battery boost for your smartphone. The power bank is a 6,700 mAh Li-ion battery with 3.8V/2.0A maximum output. With this portable power/storage device, you can transfer photos and videos off of your smartphone wirelessly (through an app interface) and save your phone’s storage for other items. The best part of the MobileLite is that you can plug in a USB flash drive or SD card, too, so that you can offload your files, again, with the use of the mobile app. In addition to the SD Card and USB ports, there is also a Micro USB port for charging the MobileLite itself, and an Ethernet port for WLAN access.
When you open the box, you will find the MobileLite Pro, a Micro USB cable, an SD Card Adapter for Micro SD cards, and a small instruction pamphlet, if you want to call it that. The instructions are very vague so be prepared to scratch your head when reading it. The quick start guide is mainly illustrations and without the written instructions, it can be fairly difficult to figure out how to get started. I ended up having to look up the full user manual online.
Before you start, you have to make sure the MobileLite is charged. This will take some time since it has that 6,700 mAh battery inside it. After you fully charge it, press and hold the power button for 3 seconds to turn it on. You will see the battery indicator flash and then the globe icon turn solid blue. Startup takes a few moments since the device has to warm up and eventually start up its wireless network. Remember, this isn’t an internet connection, but rather as a private network for transferring data. Once the WiFi indicator light is illuminated and solid blue, you are ready to connect to it. To turn the device off, you press/hold the power button again for 3 seconds.
Now, if you simply press the power button once – a short press – you will enter charging mode. The battery indicator light will blink and if you don’t connect a charging cable within about 10 seconds, the device will shut off again. Even though the USB port is used for both charging and data transfer, you can’t charge a device and transfer data at the same time.
As I mentioned previously, there is an app that goes along with the MobileLite device. It really is the heart of the MobileLite system and it’s essential for a successful workflow. When you first get started with the app, you have to connect to the MobileLite’s WiFi network. Once you do, the app will show that it’s available in the File Explorer. You can then access it as you would any other file. You can view photos or watch videos that are stored there.
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MobileLite Pro is compatible with several different file types including:
- Audio: MP3, WAV
- Video7 m4V, mp4 (H. 264 video codec)
- Image: JPG, TIFF
- Document: PDF
I’ve been playing around with the MobileLite Pro for some time now and have found that when it comes to having a device I can wirelessly connect to via my iPhone and iPad, it is very handy. First off, because of the option to connect SD cards, I can use the MobileLite to offload photos and video from my DSLR and preview them. When I’m in the field, I don’t always take my MacBook Pro with me. After I upload my images to the MobileLite, I can then use my iPhone 7 Plus or iPad to check out the footage and determine right then and there if a reshoot is needed. This is a much better option than making a judgment call from the tiny DSLR display.
I also love having the ability to back up my DSLR media to a secondary storage device so that I can continue using my SD card. The MoblieLite gives you the option to not only be able to back up to its internal storage, but you can also transfer media from an SD card directly to a USB drive. This is useful because it allows you to keep all your media for a project on one drive. Keep in mind, that you don’t have to only use a flash drive for this type of backup. Because it’s a standard USB port, you can plug any USB connected drive into the MobileLite.
So far, the MobileLite Pro has been a strong workhorse for me and while I’m still trying to work out some kinks in my personal workflow, I’ve not seen the MobileLite or its app falter at all. The only ‘hiccup’ I had was when I was first getting started and that’s only because the Quick Start Guide was less than helpful. As soon as I figured out that the MobileLite needed to be recharged and I followed the main user manual, I didn’t have any issues. Transfer speeds do vary a bit since it’s a wireless connection, but I was able to transfer 11GB of data within about 2 seconds. So in general, it’s very peppy.
Kingston has really designed a nice product with the MobileLite Pro. They also released a second version of the device – the MobileLite G3. I’ve actually had the pleasure of working with both products. They both work in the same way, but the MobileLite G3 does not have the internal storage that the Pro does and it also only has a 5,400 mAh backup battery.
If you are a mobile user that travels a lot or a photographer that utilizes smartphones and tablets in your workflow, I would recommend picking up one of these little lifesavers. The MobileLite Pro is a great device and it can really make an impact as your mobile storage solution.
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