Our rating
Table of Contents
Pro
- Very compact
- Very fast
- Robust housing
Against
- Doesn’t fit with iPhones with protective cover
Conclusion
Super small for a mobile SSD, extremely fast for a USB stick. The Ultra Compact SSD combines small dimensions with great performance and is perfect for mobile workers who are looking for a quick SSD memory.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Price in the test
1TB: $100 I 2TB: $180
Currently best price: Seagate Ultra Compact SSD
If you want to work with the iPhone, iPad or MacBook, you need a fast SSD memory. Drives with 10 GBIT/S-USB-C connection are the prerequisite for image clerk and video cutter with real maximum 1,000 MB/s.
So far, USB sticks have hardly fulfilled this, as our last USB stick test has proven.
We checked the Seagate Ultra Compact SSD on the MacBook Air with M3-Chip and the Aja System Test Lite-with impressive results: 943 MB/s when writing and 930 MB/s when reading. The SSD is therefore ideal as an external iPhone drive for direct video recording. Practical: Seagate delivers the Ultra Compact SSD pre-formatted in Exfat format-immediately ready for use for Windows, MacOS and iOS.
The new Seagate Ultra Compact SSD comes in the compact USB stick format and is available in two capacities: 1 TB and 2 TB. Its robust housing reliably protects against falls from up to 3 meters and is protected against dust and splash water according to IP54. A rubber cover with protective cap offers additional hold and safety. Sustainably thought: The SSD consists of at least 35 percent of recycled material.
A corresponding loop is included for attachment to a key ring.
The scope of delivery includes the “Seagate Toolkit” safety software, which enables the securing of files on a computer and the synchronization of important projects with the hard drive.
An additional six-month trial version of a Dropbox Backup subscription enables the automatic securing of a computer and an external drive. There is also a free six -month subscription for “Mylio Photos+” to organize and improve photos and videos.
Recommendation
The Ultra Compact SSD is now ahead of us, and one wonders: Is that now an SSD drive or a USB stick? According to the description, it should be a drive, the dimensions (60 × 18 × 8 millimeters), on the other hand, speak for a USB stick.
In the end, it doesn’t matter because the performance corresponds to a typical SSD drive with a 10-Gbit/s USB connection. So what is the difference now? In performance, the Ultra Compact SSD is in no way inferior to its larger relatives. The difference is only in the dimensions – and this is accompanied by the slightly higher price. If you appreciate the small form factor, you will be happy to accept this.
The compact dimensions of the Ultra Compact SSD are just as practical on the iPad and iPhone as for mobile MacBook users. However, iPhone video filmmakers should note that the USB-C connector is quite short and the SSD cannot therefore be connected directly with some protective covers. Here you either have to do without the protective cover or use a short extension.
View Seagate Ultra Compact SSD at Amazon
