OWC unveils new version of pocket-sized Envoy Pro mini SSD

AppleInsider · May 17, 2022 1:54PM

OWC has announced a new version of its pocket-sized SSD that packs full-sized performance into a form factor more akin to a standard flash or USB thumb drive.

Credit: OWC

The OWC Envoy Pro mini is a universally compatible SSD available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB configurations. It's actually a successor to a previous portable SSD, but it sports a new form factor and additional features.

It supports data access and transfer speeds of up to 946 MB/s on devices like Macs, iPads, PCs, and game consoles. The Envoy Pro mini will work with any device made in the last 15 years.

The company says that the OWC is perfect for photography or videography, game storage on consoles, and professional workflows for content creators. Users can also load and play media from the Envoy Pro mini on smart TVs -- and the device is also fully bootable.

With a dual connector design, the Envoy Pro mini works with both Thunderbolt devices via USB-C or USB-A devices. It also features a breakaway neck lanyard and an aluminum chassis for heat dissipation.

The Envoy Pro mini is currently available for preorder from OWC's website. The 250GB option retails for $79, the 500GB option runs $109, and the 1TB option costs $179.

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fred257 · May 17, 2022 4:00PM

I'd buy it but the looks are disgusting and it is way to large.

clarus · May 17, 2022 5:53PM

Fred257 said:

“I'd buy it but the looks are disgusting and it is way to large.”

That comment doesn’t make any sense for two reasons.

One, it doesn’t look like that normally. They only opened everything up to show that it has both USB-A and USB-C plugs. In normal use you would only have one end open at a time, only the one you’re using. When not in use, it would be a rectangular block…just like any other USB stick drive.

Two, “way too large” really doesn’t make any sense. You can see from the picture that it isn’t much larger than the plugs! Sure, there are very short USB flash drives out there, I have a couple of Samsungs like that. But most USB stick drives are slow, with read/write under 300MB/sec and write often below 50MB/sec. This one claims up to 946MB/sec, which is USB 3 gen 2 (10Mb/sec). It is rare, very rare, to find a USB stick drive this fast, so for that speed, this is not a large drive at all.

If you don’t have computers with both USB-A and USB-C, then of course, you buy a super compact stick drive with just one plug type. But if you have older and newer Macs like I do, and you are always looking for a USB-C adapter to make the stick drive work with a new Mac, then this looks like a good option because you don’t have to go look for the adapter, while also being significantly faster than most USB flash drives if that speed holds up in real world use.

edited May 2022

rob53 · May 17, 2022 5:57PM

Dimensions

Height: 1.1 cm (0.4 in)
Length: 8.0 cm (3.1 in)
Width: 1.7 cm (0.7 in)

Weight

26.0 g (0.06 lbs)

I don’t consider this large either. It appears the USB-A portion is an adapter and sooner or later could be permanently removed. What I would like to see is a TB version in the same size package. This version would be without the USB-A plug.

linkman · May 17, 2022 6:16PM

While we see published speeds for this device making it look good, real world speeds for small USB flash drives often don't come anywhere close to that. Try and write 200 GB to it -- you'll see thermal throttling take the speed way down from the peak advertised speed. Until vendors can significantly cut down on the heat being generated by the circuitry larger form factors are going to be much faster for heavy activity. You'll sacrifice speed for portability. The small form factors are good for low read/write activity or if you are fine with large file transfers taking a long time.

crowley · May 17, 2022 8:30PM

I think it's kinda cool looking, I like the chunky industrial aesthetic. Wouldn't buy it though, the dual connector is unnecessary.

entropys · May 17, 2022 8:59PM

Of course USB-A isn’t necessary. But it is a desirable feature in a world where one has multiple clients.

crowley · May 17, 2022 9:03PM

entropys said:

Of course USB-A isn’t necessary. But it is a desirable feature in a world where one has multiple clients.

Not for me. That's all.

ravnorodom · May 17, 2022 10:06PM

900+MB/s which I have to see it to believe it for this kind of size. Can't imagine how hot that thing will be when copying large file.

mattinoz · May 18, 2022 12:22AM

How does the thickness of the device work with a MacBook USBc port height?

Looks like it might not be insertable on the MacBookAir without the corner of the laptop hanging in the air.
Assume with the MacBookPro the device fits nicely with older generation and hangs slightly in the air with current design.

doctrsnoop · May 18, 2022 12:35AM

Ordered! I currently carry a Sandisk extreme SSD and its cable as a habit in case I feel like editing some photos or videos in my down time.

atonaldenim · May 18, 2022 5:23AM

A regular priced 10Gbps SSD the size of a flash drive sounds like a great idea. But this has got to be the worst dual-plug USB-C / A design I’ve ever seen. It looks like it practically doubles the length of the drive just to convert the port from A to C, yikes.

All Macs are basically USB-C only by now, they should have made USB-C the default port, and included a USB-A adapter as a separate removable accessory that can be left behind. I get it can be useful sometimes, but not necessary for most of their core customers.

OWC unveils new version of pocket-sized Envoy Pro mini SSD

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Dimensions

Weight