SanDisk is known for pushing the limits of portable
flash storage - usually capacity, but this time it went for speed. The SanDisk
Extreme Pro USB 3.1 promises SSD-like speeds in a thumb drive form factor.
Using a USB 3.1 interface, the drive offers read
speeds up to 420MB/s and write speeds up to 380MB/s. That’s fast enough to
transfer a 4K movie in just 15 seconds points out SanDisk while we’d like to
point out that these are more SATA SSD speeds (some M.2 drives get into the
gigabytes per second range).
The Extreme Pro USB 3.1 drive has an
aluminum casing and a retractable connector for improved looks and durability.
It’s safe too, SanDisk’s SecureAccess software can password protect files on
the drive with 128-bit AES encryption while RescuePro Deluxe can resurrect
files you deleted accidentally.
The drive will be available in capacities of 128GB
and 256GB and will go on sale later this month. The top model will cost US$ 180
and you can grab one from Amazon, Best Buy, Adorama, B&H and others. Note
that US$ 180 is the MSRP, stores that list this drive put it in the US$ 130-$140
range.
