Jiří Filip In today's review, we will look at another mobile flash drive from the SanDisk workshop, which can be used to expand the storage of an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. We are specifically talking about the Flash Drive Go model, which is a close relative of the recently reviewed iXpand Flash Drive.
Technical Specifications
Without exaggeration, the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Go can be described as a more modern offshoot of the iXpand Flash Drive model, which we recently reviewed on Jablíčkář. However, I say "more modern in design" on purpose, because the design is the only major thing that distinguishes Flash Drive Go from Flash Drive. While the latter model has an atypical design with a silicone "step" connecting the two ends of the flash drive, the Flash Drive Go model looks like a standard straight flash drive with ports on both ends and a plastic cover that can hide both ends under itself and prevent their damage. As for the port equipment, it is the same as in the previous case, USB-A in version 3.0 and Lightning. Therefore, owners of newer Macs will not find their way in this direction, as they will need to reach for a reduction because of the flash drive.
While SanDisk boasts read and write speeds for the Flash Drive model, this is not the case with the Go model. This may be because, at least according to my measurements, they are lower than Flash Drives. In particular, I measured 25 MB/s for writing and 36 MB/s for reading, which are quite adequate for normal users (and considering the nature of the product), compared to 93 MB/s for reading and 30 MB/s for writing however, in the previous model, it seems a little funny. However, I repeat that the transfer speeds of the Go model are absolutely sufficient for the use that SanDisk intends for the flash drive.
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Flash Drive Go can be described as one of the most compact mobile flash drives on the market without any worries. Its dimensions are 12 x 12,5 x 53 mm, which makes it no problem to put it in a pocket, backpack, case or a larger wallet. In this respect, he is very similar to his older brother. Drive Go can be purchased in two capacities – namely 128 GB and 256 GB, while you pay around 1699 crowns for the lower variant and 3849 crowns for the higher one. However, SanDisk often gives large discounts on its iXpands, thanks to which you can often get them for half the price.
Briefly about the processing and design of the flash. I'll admit that I like the drive a lot more than its predecessor because of its universal design, which is minimalistic and overall nice and sleek. The combination of light metal and dark plastic was a hit in this case, as it also makes the flash look quite valuable. At the same time, it can be said that it is relatively durable thanks to the relatively robust plastic cover of the ports.
Testing
It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that if you're interested in testing it, you can read more about it in last week's iXpand Flash Drive review. Because the flash drives work thanks to the fact that they use the same application, in exactly the same way. So you can use them for everything that the classic iXpand can handle. In other words, this means that they can be used to transfer files from a phone to a computer and vice versa, as well as to back up social networks, contacts, photos or calendars. Lovers of photography will be pleased to know that you can take photos on a flash drive - that is, save pictures taken via iPhone directly on it and thus not overwhelm the phone's storage. Of course, you can get the photos from the flash drive to the phone's memory in a matter of seconds via the application. In my opinion, this function is especially useful if you are taking, for example, a sequence of photos or, in general, a huge number of pictures in a short time, and then you want to choose your favorites from them.
In addition to transferring files from point A to point B, I have recently become quite fond of the ability to play movies from a flash drive on my phone. All you have to do is "stretch" them on your computer and then run them on your phone either through its native player or, for example, through the Infuse application, which plays a much larger number of formats than the native player. However, if you watch movies or videos in classic formats, the native player will definitely have no problem with them. If you were interested in the playback quality, it is absolutely problem-free. Multimedia content from the flash drive runs absolutely reliably without any jams, thanks to which you can really enjoy it to the fullest. You just have to bite through the flash sticking out of the Lightning port, which can be an annoying problem for some.
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However, in order not only to praise, I came across one negative thing after a warning from readers at the flash. This is specifically the bad support for files with diacritics in the name. This manifests itself in the fact that files sent from the iPhone to a flash drive with accents in the name are not visible at all on the Mac, which is a rather strange thing and an annoying problem. I don't know why, but I think this "malfunction" has something to do with product localization. After all, not too many countries use diacritics at a similar level as we do, so SanDisk could simply cut it out of support. Personally, this thing doesn't bother me too much, since I've been used to naming files without any diacritics for years, just for fear of compatibility problems, but people who have a different habit will definitely struggle with this thing a lot more.
Summary
SanDisk's iXpand Flash Drive Go is a very well-functioning flash drive with a minimum of flaws. If you're looking for an accessory that can help you transfer data from iPhone to computer and vice versa, is able to expand your phone's storage, and can also serve as a small movie library, you might really like the Flash Drive Go.
