A unique way to back-up your mobile devices.
When it comes to digital storage, I’m a firm believer in always having a backup option. That couldn’t be more true than it is for my mobile devices – namely my iPhone and iPad. While all my devices have limited onboard storage, I’m particularly concerned about my mobile device storage because I’m always using them and my phone in particular is my primary camera when I’m out and about. So one of the ways I try to manage the storage on my phone and tablet is to utilize devices like the iXpand Flash Drive Luxe.
DETAILS
The iXpand Flash Drive Luxe is a standard flash drive that is specifically designed to work with mobile devices. With it, users can easily move files between an iPhone and USB Type-C Android device or iPad Pro and automatically backup their photos and videos using the iXpand app. The flash drive has two connectors – Lightning and USB-C. Not only is this a great way to move files between an iPhone, iPad, and an Android-based device, but it’s also great for moving files between a mobile device and MacBook Pro. The flash drive features USB 3.0 as a high-speed connection and users can also password-protect their files. The iXpand Flash Drive Luxe features a swivel design with an all-metal casing that helps to protect both connectors when it’s not in use.
Full Specifications
- Capacity: 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB
- Interface: USB 3.1 Gen 1
- Connector: Lightning, USB-C
- Dimensions: 1.97” x 0.61” x 0.34”
- Compatibility: iPhone, iPad, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Mac OS X v10.9 or higher.
- Warranty: 2 years
USER EXPERIENCE
The flash drive comes in a standard cardboard-backed plastic capsule package. I personally find these types of packages annoying because I can never seem to get the item out without completely destroying the package. That said, I understand why they are utilized and I actually appreciate the minimalist nature of them. Once I got the flash drive out of the package, I was surprised at how easy the swivel mechanism worked. I also really liked that SanDisk included a cap to be used to cover the end of the flash drive that wasn’t in use. Even those these caps get lost quite easily, I still like that it was included.
To use the flash drive with a mobile device, you first have to download the iXpand app. Once you do, you simply plug your flash drive into your mobile device and follow the on-screen prompts to get the drive connected. You can only select photos, videos, and contacts to transfer to the flash drive, but if you plug it into your computer, you have the option of storing other documents on it. In fact, the flash drive shows up on your computer as a standard external hard drive. The drive is formatted as exFAT according to both the packaging and Disk Utility on my computer.
When I test out external hard drives (including flash drives), I typically run a couple of different field tests. The first is a speed test using the app Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. This can only be done from my MacBook Pro. So, I plugged the flash drive into my computer and selected it as the target drive for Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. The flash drive ended up having a write speed of 33.3 MB/s and 88.1 MB/s read speed. This is actually quite a bit faster than the iXpand Flash Drive Go also from SanDisk. The next test I did was a real-time transfer test from the iPhone to the flash drive. During this test, I copied 42 video files from the phone to the flash drive. The process took 4 minutes and 30 seconds (or 270 seconds) and the total file size was 3.77 GB (or 3,770 MB). This means the transfer rate for the files was approximately 13.96 MB/s. This is just about the same transfer rate as the iXpand Flash Drive Go, which used the same port and software to copy files.
CONCLUSION
The iXpand Flash Drive Luxe is a great option for maximizing your storage space on your mobile devices. I’ve worked with several iXpand devices in the past and this just might be my favorite. It’s sleek and the swivel function is very smooth. With a retail price starting at $39.99 (64GB version – at the time of publishing), I think this is a solid investment for backup storage.
For more information, visit westerndigital.com, Facebook, and Twitter.