At a look
Skilled’s Score
Execs
- Moveable, rugged design
- Helps MagSafe to be used with iPhone
- Good efficiency for taking pictures video
- Competitively priced
Cons
- No backup software program included
- No Lightning assist for older iPhones or iPads
Our Verdict
It’s exhausting to fault the Creator drive. Its light-weight, rugged design is right for taking pictures images or video on an iPhone – together with Apple ProRes video at 4K. MagSafe assist helps to maintain it protected while you’re travelling, and its USB-C interface makes it simple to switch your recordsdata onto a Mac while you get residence.
Worth When Reviewed
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Greatest Pricing Right now
Greatest Costs Right now: SanDisk Creator Telephone SSD
$109.99
Because it parted methods with dad or mum firm Western Digital, SanDisk has launched a flurry of recent SSD merchandise, with a specific emphasis on drives designed for artistic customers. And, with its newest launch, it’s homing proper in on Apple customers with the brand new Creator Telephone SSD.
Out there with both 1TB or 2TB storage, the Creator Telephone SSD doesn’t appear to be a traditional solid-state drive, however that’s as a result of it’s very a lot designed to be used with smartphones – and the iPhone specifically. It’s nonetheless competitively priced although, costing simply $109.99/£99.99 for a mannequin with 1TB of storage, whereas 2TB prices $169.99/£156.99, which is akin to many much less versatile drives which might be primarily designed to be used with Macs and PCs.
The slimline drive is actually eye-catching, with its sky-blue silicon casing, and it measures simply 11mm thick, 82.5mm excessive and 68.4mm extensive. It solely weighs 54g, so you possibly can simply slip it into your pocket or a bag while you’re on the transfer. Nonetheless, the drive additionally helps Apple’s MagSafe expertise, which lets you connect it straight onto the again of your iPhone as a way to simply decide up the telephone understanding that the drive is safely connected while you’re able to go.
SanDisk states that the drive may also work with iPhone circumstances which might be MagSafe suitable, and it did connect firmly to my very own iPhone which is wrapped in certainly one of Apple’s personal circumstances, with no bother in any respect. And, for our Android pals, SanDisk supplies a small metallic ring within the field, which has an adhesive backing. You’ll be able to join the steel ring to a non-Apple smartphone, after which use the ring to attach the Creator drive and maintain it in place.
The Creator drive additionally boasts a sturdy IP65 ranking for water and dirt resistance. Because of this the drive is totally sealed to forestall mud or different particles getting contained in the casing, and it may well additionally resist the strain of intense jets of water for as much as three minutes (however not full immersion below water).
SanDisk additionally claims that the silicon case supplies shock safety when dropped from a peak of as much as three metres, so it’s properly suited to individuals who have to work outdoor and in harsh or moist environments.
The iPhone-friendly design will definitely attraction to many customers, however the Creator drive can be utilized with Macs and different units as properly. The drive has a traditional USB-C interface, which helps USB 3.2 Gen 2, so you should utilize it with any Mac, PC or cell machine that has a USB-C port. SanDisk additionally features a sturdy USB-C cable for outside use, with a Velcro strap to assist maintain it protected.

The one limitation, after all, is that the drive gained’t work with iPhones or iPads that also have Lightning connectors. There’s no back-up software program or different apps supplied with the drive, however SanDisk’s web site does present helpful Assist recordsdata explaining the completely different formatting choices that you should utilize, and learn how to use the Recordsdata app on an iPhone for transferring recordsdata between units.
With iPhone customers in thoughts, SanDisk states that the Creator drive helps speeds of as much as 1000MB/s and 950MB/s for learn and write efficiency respectively. This lets you document Apple ProRes video with 4K decision at 60 frames per second straight onto the drive itself, fairly than recording the video onto your iPhone after which laboriously transferring particular person recordsdata when your iPhone’s built-in storage is full.
The efficiency necessities for recording ProRes video are literally fairly complicated, however Apple supplies detailed data for various iPhone fashions on its web site, so it’s value having a look earlier than shopping for any exterior drive to be used with an iPhone.
Our efficiency checks utilizing the BlackMagic disk take a look at confirmed that the drive did constantly hit 950MB/s for write efficiency, which is essential should you’re recording massive video recordsdata. The drive’s learn efficiency didn’t fairly meet SanDisk’s claims, peaking at 875MB/s when utilizing each Apple’s APFS format and the cross-platform ExFat format.
Even so, the efficiency of the Creator drive is much like that of extra specialised iPhone drives, such because the Lexar Skilled Go, making it a wonderful alternative for iPhone customers who want a quick, moveable drive that they’ll use for images or video work in outside areas.
Ought to You Purchase The SanDisk Creator Telephone SSD?
The rugged, compact and MagSafe-compatible design of the Creator Telephone SSD will likely be ultimate for film-makers or photographers who want further storage for his or her iPhone when working outdoor. It’s competitively priced too, whereas its USB-C port ensures that you may rapidly switch your vital recordsdata onto a Mac while you get again residence – and even simply use it as a back-up drive to your Mac too.
