If you haven’t already swapped out your backups for SSDs, then congratulations, it means you haven’t lost data after accidentally dropping a drive on the floor. For many reasons solid-state drives are a safer solution for digital hoarders, and with a bump to 4 TB capacities, Western Digital and SanDisk’s portable SSDs let you put your entire digital archive in your pocket.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 4 TB Portable SSD
If speed, capacity, and durability outrank your budgetary restraints, the 4 TB SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD features both read and write speeds that max out around 2,000MB/s (depending on the throughput of the devices you’re using it with) and a forged aluminum chassis that facilitates higher transfer speeds by doubling as a heatsink in addition to making the drive more physically resilient. The drive won’t be available until later this quarter but pricing is confirmed at a budget-straining $750.
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SanDisk Extreme 4 TB Portable SSD
If you don’t need quite as much durability and speed as the Pro version of this SSD offers, the 4 TB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD can only hit read speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds of 1,000 MB/s without the aluminum chassis heatsink, but it also means the drive has a slightly smaller footprint. It still promises drop protection from over six-and-a-half feet and IP55 water and dust resistance so it can shrug off splashes but you won’t want to dunk it. Availability is also later this quarter with a slightly cheaper $700 price tag.
WD_Black P50 4 TB Game Drive SSD
If you don’t need a drive that’s durable enough to survive a weekend in the wilderness backing up photos and videos, Western Digital has also bumped its WD_Black game drive to 4 TB capacities. Sticking with the shipping container motif, the drive can hit read and write capacities of up to 2,000 MB/s and when available later this quarter it will retail for $750.
Western Digital My Passport 4 TB SSD
If a need for speed isn’t your priority, you can save $70 and opt for the WD Digital My Passport which can move 4 TB of files at read speeds that top out at 1,050 MB/s and write speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s (which is still very fast). Unlike Western Digital’s other portable SSD solutions the My Passport 4TB SSD is available in four color options including gray, blue, silver, and red, and is promised to survive drops from up to six-and-a-half feet. Availability is also late first quarter of 2021 for $680.
