If you’re a proud owner of Apple’s one-port MacBook, up until recently you could only connect a handful of USB-C accessories without using a USB-C-to-USB adapter. But if CES is an indication, 2016 is going to be the year of USB Type-C.
Earlier today, my colleague Jeff told you about several MacBook-friendly USB Type-C monitors and I wrote about Griffin’s USB-C power cable which brings MagSafe charging to the MacBook. Samsung, too, has jumped on the USB-C bandwagon with the Portable SSD T3, basically a next-generation, USB-C-enabled version of its external solid state drive series.
The switch to USB-C connection has made possible data transfer speeds of up to 450 megabytes per second, enough to handle 4K video editing. And with compatibility across multiple operating systems and devices, the T3 works not only with your MacBook but other USB-C-enabled notebooks and desktops.
The T3 has aluminum enclosure versus the T1’s plastic body and takes advantage of Vertical NAND flash and SSD TurboWrite like Samsung’s ATA-based external SSD storage. In terms of speed, the T3 tops out at up to 450 MB/s in sequential reads and writes, which is up to four times faster than traditional external hard drives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsVHSykXB0Y
Although it weighs in at just 51 grams and is roughly the size of a business card (74mm x 58mm x 10.5mm), the T3 has a shock-resistant case and internal support frame. The drive uses optional AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption that Samsung claims doesn’t affect performance.
As a nice bonus, Samsung is throwing in a USB Type-C to Type-A cable for those who own a Mac that doesn’t have a USB-C port.
Availability
The T3 is available in 250GB/500GB/1TB/2TB capacities, with first shipments scheduled to commence in February 2016. Pricing for the new storage device is yet to be revealed.
Additional details are available over at the Samsung website.