Following on from SanDisk’s reveal of the smallest 1TB USB flash drive, its sister brand Western Digital has unveiled a new wireless solid state drive (SSD).
At this year’s CES event, Western Digital unveiled an update to their previous My Passport Wireless Pro brand of portable drives. The difference with this one, however, is that the latest model utilises a solid state drive (SSD). Enter the WD My Passport Wireless SSD. Taking inspiration from other WD SSDs, this model comes with an integrated SD card slot, with read speeds of up to 65MB/s. In addition to this, it comes with a button that offers easy offloading of photos, videos and other files from the SD card. WD claim the SSD has a battery life of 10 hours when used continuously, which is plenty for the average user.
Once your files are backed up onto the device, all of the content on the SSD can be wirelessly accessed using the device’s 802.11ac WiFi connection. You can access all your files on your SSD without the need for a cable at all. Inside the casing, there’s what WD describe as a “durable, shock-resistant SSD”. Interesting, the portable SSD contains a built-in power bank that can, if needed, be used as a charger for mobile devices.
The device comes in several storage levels – 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models are going to be made available. It weighs around 0.44kg, and measures 135 x 135 mm. While this isn’t exactly super-small and lightweight, it’s still portable enough for most users. The wireless SSD is available to pre-order now, and the expected shipping date is 15/02/17. It won’t be cheap though; the 2TB model costs a massive $799.99. Expect similarly steep prices in the UK, too.
