Samsung, the manufacturer known for SSDs, is once again using a different form of flash memory after a long time: the USB stick. Newcomers, called USB flash drives Type-C because of the modern plug, offer 256GB of storage space in a chic, blue housing, 400MB/s when reading and 110MB/s when writing.
mid-range performance
With these performance data, USB sticks are not particularly fast, for example, Patriot and TeamGroup have products up to 600MB/s; Kingston’s DataTraveller Max also reaches 1,000MB/s.
According to Samsung, the maximum performance of 400 MB/s is only achieved by the 128 GB and 256 GB models. In the “smallest” version with 64GB, it should be up to 300MB/s when reading. When writing 110MB/s obviously applies to all models.
Small, light and with some protection
Including the removable protective cap, the USB sticks measure a compact 33.7 × 15.9 × 6.4 mm (W × H × D) and weigh just 3.4 g. The low weight suggests plastic as the housing material, but this is yet to be confirmed. Even so, the sticks should be shockproof up to 1,500 G of acceleration.
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Samsung USB Flash Drive Type-C (MUF-256DA/APC) (Image: Samsung)
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In addition, they must survive up to 72 hours in salt water one meter deep and provide a certain resistance to magnetic and X-ray radiation. However, they are not true external storage units and, for example, are not intended for operation at temperatures below freezing.
USB-C is set
Samsung doesn’t do half the job when it comes to connector types and relies on an entirely new USB-C connection for this series. Compared to a USB-A plug, it offers the advantage that it cannot be attached to the socket incorrectly, as it also fits the other side. USB-C is also often found in modern mobile devices such as notebooks and younger generation smartphones. In the classic PC segment, however, USB-A predominates, which is why an adapter may be required, but it is not included in the delivery scope.
When it comes to the USB protocol, Samsung speaks of USB 3.1, but states that USB 3.2 Gen 1 means the same interface under the new name. Basically, this means it’s still USB 3.0 with a bit rate of 5 Gbit/s (gross), in practice around 450 MB/s would be possible, which a USB stick doesn’t fully exploit.
Samsung is yet to reveal what the USB stick that comes with a 5-year guarantee will cost. The editors are in touch with the producer to find out more.
