SanDisk launches portable storage drive with built-in Lightning connector
SanDisk on Thursday announced the new iXpand Flash Drive, the company's first USB flash drive designed specifically for Apple's iPhone and iPad, featuring a dedicated Lightning connector for transferring files on the go.
The iXpand Flash Drive comes in capacities of 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes and is compatible with any iOS device with a Lightning port running iOS 7 or later. File transfers and backups are accomplished through the SanDisk iXpand Sync app available for free on the App Store.
In addition to a "unique flexible" Lightning connector that can be connected without removing the protective case, the iXpand drive also includes a traditional USB plug, allowing files to be transferred to and from a Mac or Windows PC. It features a "premium" metal exterior, and comes with a two-year limited warranty.
The new flash drive is available now at SandDisk.com starting at $59.99 for the 16-gigabyte version, $79.99 for 32 gigabytes, and $119.99 for 64 gigabytes. Best Buy will also begin carrying the 32-gigabyte model in stores starting this Sunday.
SanDisk's iXpand app will allow iPhone and iPad users to automatically sync photos and videos from their Camera Roll to the external drive. The app will also support playback of movie files, including non-native file formats like AVI and WMV.
iXpand sync also enables cross-platform encryption, giving users the ability to transfer and access sensitive files from a range of devices. Files can be password protected on the drive directly from an iPhone or iPad, and then decrypted on a Mac or PC, or vice versa.
"According to IDC, nearly three-quarters of all images are now captured on smartphones and tablets," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "With this significant increase in mobile-generated content, consumers are looking for easy ways to manage it all.
"In fact, our research shows that 82 percent of U.S. smartphone users find transferring photos, videos, music and other files to be very important to them2. We created the iXpand Flash Drive to offer consumers a quick and safe way to move their favorite content between devices so it's available when and where they want it."
The iXpand Flash Drive comes in capacities of 16, 32 and 64 gigabytes and is compatible with any iOS device with a Lightning port running iOS 7 or later. File transfers and backups are accomplished through the SanDisk iXpand Sync app available for free on the App Store.
In addition to a "unique flexible" Lightning connector that can be connected without removing the protective case, the iXpand drive also includes a traditional USB plug, allowing files to be transferred to and from a Mac or Windows PC. It features a "premium" metal exterior, and comes with a two-year limited warranty.
The new flash drive is available now at SandDisk.com starting at $59.99 for the 16-gigabyte version, $79.99 for 32 gigabytes, and $119.99 for 64 gigabytes. Best Buy will also begin carrying the 32-gigabyte model in stores starting this Sunday.
SanDisk's iXpand app will allow iPhone and iPad users to automatically sync photos and videos from their Camera Roll to the external drive. The app will also support playback of movie files, including non-native file formats like AVI and WMV.
iXpand sync also enables cross-platform encryption, giving users the ability to transfer and access sensitive files from a range of devices. Files can be password protected on the drive directly from an iPhone or iPad, and then decrypted on a Mac or PC, or vice versa.
"According to IDC, nearly three-quarters of all images are now captured on smartphones and tablets," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "With this significant increase in mobile-generated content, consumers are looking for easy ways to manage it all.
"In fact, our research shows that 82 percent of U.S. smartphone users find transferring photos, videos, music and other files to be very important to them2. We created the iXpand Flash Drive to offer consumers a quick and safe way to move their favorite content between devices so it's available when and where they want it."
Comments
Apple must have one hell of a licensing cost to use that Lightning connector.
I definitely would like to have one of those, but not at that price point. On a trip I did over the summer, I ran out of space on my iPhone from all the pictures I took. I just used Air Drop to move my pictures over to my iPad to free up space on my phone.
This does seem like a useful option when traveling overseas. Instead of lugging my MacBook Pro to offload my pics, I think this would be a lot more convenient and also spare me the hassle of finding inexpensive enough bandwidth to use AirDrop, DropBox, Box, or any of the other cloud storage options.
People used to complain about having to connect their iPhone to a computer to back it up. Now Sandisk comes up with an accessory that acts as a go-between your iPhone and computer? What?
What if you do not have a computer at all?
There are different grades of flash chips - I would hope that at $50 the overall quality of materials and perhaps even the chip type (MLC, eMLC, SLC, etc) would be higher grade than the $8 thumb drive at the check out counter of the local grocery store.
With 128GB iPhone/iPad available, and iCloud will store all my photos, I don't see needing this at all.
Come on people. With airdrop, iMessage, E Mail and Google drive or equivalent this is so 4 years ago.
Is anyone with me on this?
Is it only via the native camera app that they sync, not from third party apps?
I 'd was preparing to get excited upon reading this, but I was bit let down by the storage. Surely sandisk could up the ante with 128gb or 256gb external storage, but a paltry 64gb, I am not so sure it's worth it, when there's dropbox etc.
I am going with a 1TB USB 3.0 wifi enabled external hd (buffalo - and it doubles up as extra charge) as an offloading system although I am not sure to be honest I will be able to do so. Anyone use this scenario?
This is a great idea for families. Imagine before taking that vacation you load up a ton of content into one of these things. You can then plug it into one kid's ipod, another kid's ipad, your teenagers laptop, mom or dad's iphone, whatever. You don't have to fill up each device with a big library of movies or pictures or whatever, and you can bring more content with you in the car, on the plane, on the cruise ship, to the botanical gardens (haha) in the first place. Also a convenient way to bring along a library of home movies and photos to show to "Grandpa" on his PC or iMac.
But I'd like to see it at about half the price.
What if you do not have a computer at all?
There are different grades of flash chips - I would hope that at $50 the overall quality of materials and perhaps even the chip type (MLC, eMLC, SLC, etc) would be higher grade than the $8 thumb drive at the check out counter of the local grocery store.
If you have no computer then you could also spend that money on icloud subscription which is more versatile than having a physical device.
I don't quite see the point of this as the Sandisk wireless media drive offers far better value.
I currently use one with 64gb +128 gb sd card as music( ALAC files) & media storage across an iPhone 6+, iPad air 2 and iPad mini. It pretty much kills off the android sd card argument.
It is called "the answer to a question that no one asked." Deal with it;)
So can an iPhone via ifunbox. Also there's iCloud Drive now...
please o please do.