The expert’s rating
Benefits
- Portable, robust design
- Supports Magsafe for use with iPhone
- Good performance for recording video
- Competitive prices
Disadvantages
- No Backup -Software included
- No lightning support for older iPhones or iPads
Our judgment
It’s hard to reject the creator. Its lightweight, robust design is ideal for recording photos or video on an iPhone – including Apple ProRes video of 4K. Magsafe support helps keep it safe when traveling and its USB-C interface makes it easy to transfer your files to a Mac when you get home.
Price when reviewed
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Best prices today
Price when reviewed
1TB: £ 99.99; 2TB: £ 156.99
Best prices today: SanDisk -creator phone SSD
£ 94.99
Since parting with the parent company Western Digital, SanDisk has launched a flurry of new SSD products with special emphasis on drives designed for creative users. And with its latest release, it’s home right on Apple users with the new Creator Phone SSD.
Available with either 1 TB or 2TB storage space, creator phone SSD does not look like a conventional solid-state drive, but it is because it is very designed for use with smartphones and especially iPhone. However, it is still competitive pricing that costs only $ 109.99/£ 99.99 for a model with 1 TB storage, while 2TB costs $ 169.99/£ 156.99, which is comparable to many less versatile drives designed mainly for use with Macs and PCs.
The slimline drive is determined noticeable with its sky blue silicon house, and it measures only 11 mm thick, 82.5 mm high and 68.4 mm wide. It only weighs 54g, so you can easily slip it in your pocket or a bag when you’re on the go. However, the drive also supports Apple’s Magsafe technology, which allows you to attach it directly to the back of your iPhone so you can just pick up the phone by knowing that the drive is securely fastened when you’re ready to go.
SanDisk says the drive will also work with iPhone cases that are Magsafe Compatible, and it attached to my own iPhone, which is wrapped in one of Apple’s own cases, without any problems at all. And for our Android friends, SanDisk gives a small metallic ring in the box that has an adhesive. You can connect the metal ring to a non-apple smartphone and then use the ring to connect the creator and hold it in place.
The creators’ drives can also boast of a robust IP65 rating for water and dust resistance. This means that the drive is completely sealed to prevent dust or other particles entering the lining pipe, and it can also withstand the pressure of intense jets for up to three minutes (but not complete immersion underwater).
SanDisk also claims that the Silicon case provides shock protection when it has fallen from a height of up to three meters, so it is well suited for people who need to work outdoors and in hard or wet environments.
The iPhone-friendly design will definitely appeal to many users, but the creator can also be used with Macs and other devices. The drive has a conventional USB-C interface that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2, so you can use it with any Mac, PC or mobile device that has a USB-C port. Sandisk also includes a sturdy USB-C cable for outdoor use, with a velcro strap that helps keep it safe.
The only limitation is, of course, that the drive does not work with iPhones or iPads that still have lightning plugs. There is no back-up software or other apps provided with drive but SanDisk’s website provides useful help files that explain the different formatting options you can use and how to use the file app on an iPhone to transfer files between devices.
With iPhone users in mind, SanDisk says that the Creator Drive supports speeds of up to 1000 MB/s and 950MB/s respectively for reading and writing performance. This allows you to record the Apple ProRES video with 4K resolution with 60 images per day. Second directly on the drive itself instead of recording the video on your iPhone and then energizing individual files when your iPhone’s built -in storage is full.
The performance requirements for recording ProRes video are actually quite complex, but Apple provides detailed information to different iPhone models on its website, so it’s worth seeing before buying an external drive for use with an iPhone.
Our performance test using Blackmagic Disk Test showed that the drive consistently hit 950MB/s for writing performance, which is crucial if you record large video files. The operating performance of the drive did not meet Sandisk’s claims that peaked at 875MB/s when using both Apple’s APFS format and cross-platform-Exfat format.
Still, the Creator Drive’s performance looks like the more specialized iPhone drive, such as Lexar Professional Go, making it an excellent choice for iPhone users who need a quick, portable drive that they can use for photography or video work in outdoor places.
Should you buy the SanDisk -creator phone SSD?
The robust, compact and Magsafe-compatible design of the Creator Telephone SSD will be ideal for movie manufacturers or photographers who need extra storage for their iPhone when working outdoors. It is also competitive, while its USB-C port ensures that you can quickly transfer your important files to a Mac when you get home-or even just use it as a back-up drive for your Mac as well.