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Samsung unveils new T5 USB-C portable solid-state drives, priced from $130

From 9to5Toys:

Portable SSDs are finally starting to come down in price as competition is continuing to ramp up between manufacturers. In the spring we saw Western Digital unveil a new line of USB-C drives designed for Apple’s latest MacBooks. Fast forward to today, and Samsung is refreshing its popular external storage solutions with its new T5 offerings.

USB-C is at the forefront of these new Samsung drives but those still rocking USB-A will be able to take advantage, too. Hidden amongst today’s announcement is that the T5 lineup will be able to hit speeds up to 540MB/s, which is right on level with Samsung’s internal desktop SSDs. More details below.

Portable solid-state drives have a number of advantages over its traditional counterparts. But you’ll first have to look past the higher price tag. Samsung’s new T5 offerings start at $129.99 for the 250GB model, and soars upwards from there to $799.99 and 2TB of storage. There are also 500GB and 1TB capacities in between to ease the sticker-shock that comes with those list prices.

Going with a portable solid-state drive not only delivers faster transfer speeds as noted above, but generally each unit has a smaller footprint versus traditional 2.5-inch solutions. The T5, for example, comes in at just 51-grams and is roughly the size of a business card. That size is perfect for transferring content on-the-go.

Samsung is wrapping each unit in an aluminum casing, with two color options: Deep Black and Alluring Blue. Users can count on a drop-resistant design that is rated against drops up to 6.6-feet. Combined with the slim footprint, this drive is going to be a very attractive solution for content creators that are frequently capturing footage away from home.

Samsung has built-in AES 256-bit encryption on all models as well as including a three-year warranty with purchase. Solid-state drives are known for long lifespans are durability, but the added protection here provides additional peace of mind.

The new Samsung T5 portable solid-state drives are available for purchase today from retailers like Amazon. Shipping windows currently range from two-day delivery for Prime members on the 250GB model, while the larger capacities are backordered in some instances.

If you’re looking for a new portable drive but don’t want to pay up for these new Samsung solutions, there are a few worthwhile alternatives. For example, the popular SanDisk 500 portable SSD line starts at under $80 for 120GB of storage. Additional capacities top out at 1TB for $350. Shop the entire lineup here.

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Avatar for Trevor Daugherty Trevor Daugherty

Trevor Daugherty is the Senior Editor of 9to5Toys. Since joining in 2014, he’s specialized in product reviews, exclusive discounts and 9to5’s New Toy of the Day. Contact him direct at trevor@9to5mac.com.