A good option for additional storage.
When I left smaller capacity smartphones in the past, I thought I also left my need for additional storage space behind with it. Unfortunately, since I use my iPhone 12 Pro as my photo and video camera these days, the storage space gets taken up quickly. I have an iPhone that has 128GB of storage on it and I just found out that more than 70GB has been used. I had no idea I was using that much space on my phone! Fortunately, there are options beyond deleting files for me. SanDisk has a great backup option for iPhone users – the iXpand Flash Drive Go.
DETAILS
The iXpand Flash Drive Go is a portable USB memory drive that provides an option for iPhone users to store photos, videos, and other files off of the phone itself. One end of the storage device has a Lightning connector and the other has a USB 3.0 connector. In addition to being able to automatically backup files to this flash drive, users can also use it as a shuttle between the smartphone and a computer. That way you can move files back and forth without needing to resort to cloud storage or methods like AirDrop. In order to use the flash drive, users must download the iXpand Drive app. It’s a free download and basically acts as an interface between the flash drive and the smartphone. There are three different capacities available for the iXpand Flash Drive Go – 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB.
Main Features
- Free up space on your iPhone
- Automatically back up photos and videos
- Shoot videos directly to the drive
- Quickly move content to your computer
- Password-protect your files
- Dual-purpose swivel with keyring hole
| Capacity | 128 GB |
| Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Connector | USB-A Lightning |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 2.09″ x 0.47″ x 0.49″ |
USER EXPERIENCE
The iXpand Flash Drive Go comes in a retail package that one might expect to see on a store shelf. It’s a sealed cardboard card that contains a flash drive with plastic protecting it. It’s a little difficult to open. There is a dotted line to cut along, but even after that has been cut, you have to pry the package off of the inner plastic capsule before you get to the flash drive. The outside of the packaging provides some details of the product including its main features and capacity. There are also instructions on how to use the flash drive in three easy steps:
- Plug your iXpand Flash Drive Go into your iPhone
- Download the iXpand app at the prompt
- Copy photos and videos to the iXpand Flash Drive Go
The process is simple enough and even though you can only select photos, videos, and contacts to transfer to the flash drive, you can store other documents on it by plugging it into your computer. With that in mind, this is a pretty standard flash drive. When you plug it into your computer, you can use it normally by dragging files to it for storage. The packaging indicates that the drive is formatted as exFAT and I confirmed that format by opening it in Disk Utility.
I really like the design of this flash drive. The swivel mount provides some protection for the end not being currently used and the smooth rubber finish makes it easy to use and handle. The aluminum case helps the flash drive cool down quickly after it’s warmed up with regular use. I was able to use this flash drive normally with my iPhone 12 Pro and my MacBook Pro.
I did complete two different rounds of tests with the iXpand Flash Drive Go. The first was a real-time transfer test from the iPhone to the flash drive. With this test, I moved 20.21GB of videos onto the flash drive. This process took 24 minutes and 15 seconds. That translates to a transfer rate of 0.83GB/m or 13.89MB/s. The second test was using Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, which is a utility on Mac that tests the read/write speed of a hard drive. I got a result of 16.6MB/s WRITE and 87.8MB/s READ.
CONCLUSION
The iXpand Flash Drive Go is a good investment for people who use their iPhones for more than personal use. You never know when you might need to offload photos and video to free up some space and iXpand can help with that. This little flash drive definitely makes life a little bit easier. With World Backup Day right around the corner, you should pick one of these up quick.
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