2TB SSD in your pocket? Samsung's tiny T5 gets speed boost
Samsung's business-card sized T5 portable SSD is available with up to 2TB storage.
Samsung has launched the new Portable SSD T5, with high transfer speeds and up to 2TB of storage space.
Storage
The compact unit is the latest in Samsung's line of portable SSDs, and has roughly the same dimensions and weight as last year's business-card sized T3 SSD. The T5 measures 3.0 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches (74 x 57.3 x 10.5mm) and weighs 1.8oz (51g).
But the T5 features several improvements on the T3, including a full metal design and faster data transfer speeds of 540MBps, thanks to the higher capacity USB 3.1 generation two interface. Last year's T3 offered a top transfer speed of 450MBps.
The T5 SSD also has broader device compatibility with USB Type-C to A and USB Type-C to C cables, instead of the T3's sole Type-C to A cable.
The drive is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Android, with storage and encryption management from Samsung's SSD software. A separate Android app is available for the task.
Samsung says the shock-resistant internal frame can handle drops of up to 6.6ft (2m).
The T5 comes in two colors. The black 1TB and 2TB models cost $400 and $800, respectively, while the blue 250GB and 500GB models are will cost $130 and $200, respectively, according to ZDNet's sister site CNET. The T5 SSD is available globally today.
The big advantage of SSD over HDD is speed and weight, but that comes at the expense of a higher cost per GB. Still, Samsung's pricing is competitive.
It managed to cram more capacity into the T3 and T5 than SanDisk's Extreme 900 Portable SSD, which topped out at 1.92TB for $800.
The T5 SSD is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Android.
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