SanDisk has been in the market for a long time. Also, it has been among the first brands to create storage devices exclusively for Apple devices. Apple devices with larger storage are way too expensive and the extra storage is not worth the investment. However, the SanDisk iXpand provided a solution to the problem.
The first generation was way too big and ugly to be something other than an ugly yet needed accessory. However, times have changed and SanDisk has come up with the second generation of the iXpand Flash Drive. The 2016 version not only features an improved design, it also boasts improved capabilities.
The basic design of the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive (2016) is quite similar to the Leef iBridge. The look and feel of the 2016’s version of the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive is a bit unoriginal, but a huge improvement over the first iXpand nonetheless. The whole device is not much larger when compared to a regular thumb drive.
The only noticeable difference between the new SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive and a regular USB drive is the rubber coated base present in the former. The blue base is a little bulged out. The new design makes sure that the drive does not utilize too much area when in use.
The new version of the drive is quite flexible and portable. It can be even be used when an iPhone is simply held in a single hand. The edges of the end with the USB-port are quite sharp. However, that’s not such a big issue as the redesign has facilitated convenient use of the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive.
The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive is available in various sizes that go as low as 16GB and as high as 128GB. The minimum OS required for the drive to work is the iOS 8.2. A very big improvement in the new version of the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive is the absence of a battery.
Not only does this change facilitate a smaller physical size, it makes the whole user experience much more convenient. A battery powered storage device is just absurd. Sacrificing a portion of the iPhone’s battery is much better than remembering to charge a flash drive!
However, this flash drive cannot be used as a normal OTG flash drive. This is not SanDisk’s fault as the reason for this are the access restrictions implied by Apple. After installing SanDisk’s app from the App Store, the content of the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive can be accessed.
The app’s user interface is quite nice as it looks good and is easy to understand. Because of the usage of USB 3.0 instead of USB 2.0, the transfer speeds are great. The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive delivers an average writing speed of 53.39MBps and an average reading speed of 75.26MBps.
The only limitation is that this drive cannot function as a normal Micro-SD card. Due to the limitation implied by Apple, user won’t get extreme control of their files. However, that is acceptable given the price at which the expanded storage is available. An Apple device with storage beyond 16GB will cost more than even the 128GB variant of the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive.
Price: AED 550
