SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 Review: Reinvented to work with any devices

We got our hands on SanDisk’s storage devices and we have tested how they perform as well tried to find out whether they add value or not.

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Today, more than PC mobile devices are increasingly becoming more important to stay connected, productive as well as be entertained. However, there is one slight problem. There is just not enough space to store all your data and files. The storage is limited on the devices be it smartphones or tablets and some brands have even done away with providing extra slots for expanding the storage.

 

Rating:
4.0/5

SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick and Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 review

So what do you do in those circumstances? Well, SanDisk has the answer for you. While the company has been transforming itself to stay relevant, it has come up with innovative solutions for the consumers in the market. Take the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, or the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 or the normal SanDisk Dual Drive, for example, these products from the company instantly adds additional storage to your devices and solves all your problems.

Well, the good thing about these products is that the extra space that they provide can be used to store files of all kinds: video, music, and thousands of pictures freeing up valuable space in your device's internal storage.

Having said that, we got our hands on these storage devices and we have tested how they perform as well tried to find out whether they add value or not. So read on below to find out about the products.

SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
 

SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick

Starting with SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick, this device is a flash drive reinvented to work not just with computers but also with your phone and tablets. The stick works like any other flash drive, but also comes equipped with wireless capability. It comes in capacities from 16GB to 200GB, with prices that range from Rs. 1,990 to Rs. 6,850. However, let's get into what this product is all about.

Starting with the design, this accessory may look like any other flash drive with its rectangle 3.0 x .75 x 0.4 inches (11 x 19 x 11 mm) body and black paint. There is a full-size USB Type A connector on one end. It has a plastic build but feels quite sturdy. Further, at the front, you will notice that the Connect Wireless Stick features a slightly raised pattern of hexagons giving it a stylish look. There is a power button on the right side and we will talk about it later.

On the front, there is also a small LED light to indicate several things that Connect Wireless Stick is doing. It especially indicates whether the battery is low or not, is it charging or whether the data is being transferred or not. It also lets you know if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. The USB connector comes with a removable cover. However, if you are not careful chances are that you might lose it. But the fitting is tight and if you do lose it the functionality of this device won't be affected.

Having said that, the main highlight of the stick is that it works like any other flash drive, but also comes equipped with wireless capability. The wireless stick supports both iOS and Android, and connects to mobiles devices with the help of a dedicated SanDisk Connect Drive app. The app acts as a file manager and further lets you access the files stored.

So with the SanDisk Connect app installed on your mobile device, you can upload, download, save, share and play all your stuff from a distance, to and from the device you want to use.

You can also connect the stick to laptops and PCs using Wi-Fi. However, there is one thing you need to remember, the device has to be charged regularly. SanDisk says the Connect Wireless Stick can run for 4.5 hours of streaming video on a single charge but warns that connecting multiple tablets or phones to it will lower this figure.

During our usage, we were able to connect our smartphones via the app without facing any problems. We even tried connecting it to various devices at once and the device was able to connect up to three devices without any issues. The stick could also be used to stream media to other devices using Wi-Fi. 

All in all, there was no stuttering or lag or any other disturbance in playing any of the multimedia files be it movies or music.

Talking about the transfer speeds, well we tried first by transferring 3GB file from a laptop to the wireless stick, the transfer took almost five minutes to complete. That was longer than we expected. A maximum data transfer speed of 60 MBps was achieved. But again it might depend on the computer being used as well. We used Dell Inspiron 15. The good thing though, files could also be transferred from a tablet or phone to the device over a Wi-Fi connection.

Interestingly, SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is battery powered. The LED that we talked about above basically blinks red to warn when the charge is below 10 percent. However, you can check the level on the Connect Drive app as well. The drive gives around 4 hours of backup and it took us about two hours to charge it. The accessory can be used while it's plugged in for charge as well.

All in all, the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is built nicely with a sturdy and stylish finish. The hardware and the app are relatively easy to and quite powerful. File transfers are seamless but larger sized files may take some time to get transferred.

All device compatibility is great and we are quite pleased with this product. SanDisk Wireless Connect Stick does what it promises, and does it well. A device like this can be pretty useful. The extra space can be used to store several files and it can be easily accessed.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0

The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 is another accessory that makes it easy to transfer content between devices. With a micro-USB connector on one end and a USB 3.0 connector on the other, the drive lets you move content easily between your Android smartphone or tablet to your laptop, PC or Mac.

On using the drive it felt like it did a good job at auto-mounting on our OTG-enabled Android device. Well, talking about the data transfer, it handled all types of files well. The transfer speeds via the USB 3.0 connection averaged 75MBps, and write speeds were 47MBps. As for the micro USB connection the read speeds reached 60MBps and write speeds were around 45MBps.

Interestingly, the SanDisk Memory Zone app comes preloaded on the drive and lets you view, access, and back up all the files from your phone's memory. It can also move files from your device to your drive to automatically free up space. The app is also available via Google Play store. On testing it we found it pretty easy to use, it selects all files and bundles them into categories, and you can also easily back up your phone on to the flash drive. You can choose to back up your built-in SD or an external SD. All in all, it does make it easier to back up your Android device without having to root it.

This is a capable drive that fits a niche. SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 allows you to transfer files directly to your device on the go.

Write speeds were decent and the build quality is also okay. It is made out of plastic so you might have to be mindful of that though. The sliding mechanism sometimes feels a bit flimsy and soft but in all other instances, the drive seems superfluous. If you want storage that will handle USB 3.0 and micro USB connections then this accessory is one of the few alternatives to choose from.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 is available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128 GB variants. Prices start from Rs. 673 and goes up to Rs. 3,145 on Amazon.in.

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SanDisk Dual Drive

SanDisk Dual Drive

And finally, SanDisk Dual Drive is yet another from the company that has been designed to be compact at the same time help you move files between OTG-enabled Android smartphones and tablets and PC and Mac computers seamlessly.

With a Micro-USB connector on one end and a USB 2.0 connector on the other, this drive lets you move content easily between all your devices. The good thing about this is that it is compatible with a wide range of devices. While the features are same as the drive mentioned above, this flash drive also includes the SanDisk Memory Zone app which comes preloaded on the drive for automatic camera roll backup and easy file and media management.

SanDisk Dual Drive helps you to easily free up space on your Android smartphone or tablet and you can add more files every time. On using the drive it performed without any hiccups. The data transfer speed was decent and it handled all types of files with ease. The transfer speeds via the USB 2.0 connection averaged 65MBps, and write speeds were 42MBps. As for the micro USB connection the read speeds reached 60MBps and write speeds were around 40MBps.

To sum it up, this is a compact yet capable drive. SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive also allows you to move files between devices on the go. The build quality is okay and it is made out of hard plastic. However, you might have to be careful. Since the drive has a rather small size there is a chance of losing it.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive m3.0 is available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 128 GB variants. Prices start from Rs. 429 and goes up to Rs. 2,925 on Amazon.in.

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