TechLife_Australia_Issue_63_May_2017

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AFFORDABLE USB 3.0 FLASH DRIVES

SAMSUNG FIT

$20

http://www.samsung.com

CRITICAL SPECS

Capacity: 32 , 64, 128GB

Water, dust and shockproof

Dimensions: 15 x 20 x 9mm

SAMSUNG BAR
$20
http://www.samsung.com

CRITICAL SPECS
Capacity: 16 , 32, 64, 128GB
Waterproof
Dimensions: 40 x 12 x 11mm

Samsung FIT

A COMPACT SOLUTION.

A LARGER USB drive makes frequent

unplugging easy, but is not the best solution

for when needing to keep a flash drive plugged

in. As a solution, the tiny little FIT barely

sticks out beyond the USB port, and is perfect

for plugging into car radios or other slimline

uses. It measures in at 15 x 20 x 9mm, and

weighs just 2.6 grams.

The drive comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB

capacities — there is no 16GB option. We

tested the 64GB drive, which is rated for up

to 130MB/s, but in real world use, we

measured a still quite good 125MB/s read

speed and89 MB/s writing.

While the plug-in section is metal, the FIT

has an angled plastic shell on the end, which,

while a little slippery, helps provide some grip

for removing the drive. It also has a small hole

for a lanyard or keyring loop. The FIT is fully

dust, water and shockproof, and comes with

a 5-year warranty.

Samsung Bar
A SOPHISTICATED USB DRIVE.

WITH A FOCUS on higher-end flash drives,
only the Samsung Bar sneaks in under our $20
price limit. Even that requires some shopping
around (or heading to Officeworks) to squeeze
in under budget. The flash drive uses USB 3.0
(and is 2.0 compatible), and is available in
16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions. It’s all
wrapped in a very solid metal shell, with large
keyring attachment point that also makes it
easy to pull the drive back out of a USB port.
It’s quite slim too, so has no trouble plugging
in next to other USB devices or drives. It
doesn’t use a cap or sliding style cover, though,
so the open end can collect fluff fairly easily in
a pocket. We tested the 64GB model, and hit
quite impressive speeds of 134MB/s and
96MB/s reading and writing, respectively.
Despite the affordable price, the Bar is water,
dust and shockproof, and backed by a long
5-year warranty. The drive measures in at
40 x 12 x 11mm and weighs 8.9 grams.

4 4

USB 3.0 FLASH DRIVE

BUYER’S GUIDE

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING

A USB 3.0 FLASH DRIVE.

USB 3.0

Up to 10 times faster than USB 2.0, and well

worth the slight extra expense.

SLOWER CAPACITIES

Drives of 16GB of smaller often have slower

transfer speeds than larger models.

DUAL USE

Some flash drives have a secondary

microUSB end, to allow connection directly

to devices such as smartphones.

KEYRING

Many USB drives include holes for

attachment to keyrings or lanyards,

which can help avoid them being lost.

COVERS

These days, USB drives tend to do without

covers, so it’s worth checking in the end

before plugging in.

EXTRA SOFT WARE

Many manufacturers include software with

flash drives, such as making backups or

encryption data.

WATERPROOFING

While most drives can survive a short

dunk, many models offer proper water-

and dustproofing.

WARRANTY

Quality USB flash drives are backed with

5-year warranties, but some offer (limited)

lifetime guarantees.

WINNER

APPROVED

AWARD

WINNER

APPROVED

AWARD