At a look
Professional’s Ranking
Professionals
- Sturdy safety to your recordsdata
- NFC on iPhone is straightforward to make use of
- Compact, light-weight design
Cons
- No IP score
- Modest efficiency
Our Verdict
There are sooner – and extra rugged – drives obtainable for skilled customers. Nonetheless, the TouchLock’s intelligent NFC options present good safety to your essential recordsdata, together with admirable ease of use, and compatibility with a variety of computer systems and cellular units.
Worth When Reviewed
This worth will present the geolocated pricing textual content for product undefined
Greatest Pricing At this time
Worth When Reviewed
512GB $99.99 | 1TB: $159.99
Greatest Costs At this time: Lexar TouchLock Moveable SSD
$99.99
Greatest for
- iPhone customers who need easy safe storage
- Cellular photograph/video backups
- Journey storage
Not very best for
- Excessive-speed modifying workflows
- Rugged outside use
- Thunderbolt/USB4 efficiency wants
Lexar makes various moveable storage units that target smartphones and cellular units reasonably than simply Macs and PCs. The newest addition to its vary is the TouchLock Moveable SSD. At first look, the TouchLock seems to be like a reasonably typical solid-state drive, and its USB-C interface permits it to work with Macs and PCs in addition to cellular units. Nonetheless, it additionally consists of a number of further options that present additional safety, together with MagSafe compatibility for iPhone customers.
This drive is primarily aimed toward iPhone homeowners who need easy NFC-based safety and handy MagSafe mounting reasonably than most switch speeds.
There are at the moment two variations of the TouchLock obtainable. The 512GB mannequin prices $99.99/£69.99, whereas the 1TB model that we examined prices $159.99/£119.99. Lexar has additionally indicated that it plans to launch a 2TB mannequin, though it wasn’t obtainable on the time of writing.
A USB-C interface supplies compatibility with most up-to-date computer systems and cellular units.
The TouchLock is neatly designed, with a glossy silver case that measures simply 7mm thick, 53mm huge and 85mm excessive, and weighs solely 40g. It’s simple to slide right into a pocket or bag when travelling, and Lexar says the drive can stand up to drops from as much as two metres. Nonetheless, the corporate doesn’t present an IP score for water or mud resistance, so customers who want a extra rugged drive for outside use might wish to take into account alternate options similar to LaCie’s Rugged SSD vary.
The compact design additionally makes it sufficiently small to connect on to an iPhone when backing up pictures or video recordsdata. The again panel of the TouchLock features a MagSafe-compatible magnetic ring that holds it in place (and it additionally labored with the MagSafe sleeve I exploit to guard my iPhone). The drive has a typical USB-C interface, and Lexar features a USB-C cable with a USB-A adaptor within the field so it could actually hook up with current Apple units, in addition to Home windows PCs and Android units with USB-C.
Admittedly, it’s not the quickest moveable SSD obtainable. The TouchLock helps USB 3.2 (Gen 1), with Lexar quoting learn and write speeds of 450MB/s and 420MB/s respectively. These figures are modest in contrast with some newer USB4 and Thunderbolt 5 drives, however Lexar says the TouchLock can nonetheless deal with direct recording of Apple ProRes video at 4K decision and 60 frames per second (although not at 120fps). In our exams, the drive didn’t fairly attain the quoted speeds, typically delivering round 350MB/s for each learn and write efficiency. Even so, that must be greater than satisfactory for routine Time Machine backups on a Mac, in addition to backing up pictures, movies and different recordsdata from an iPhone or iPad.
How iPhone NFC locking works
The standout function of the TouchLock is its means to make use of NFC (Close to Subject Communication) in your iPhone to lock and unlock the drive. Whenever you first plug the TouchLock right into a Mac, PC or different system, it doesn’t instantly seem on the desktop like a standard USB drive. As a substitute, it’s essential to first arrange its safety features utilizing the Lexar app on an iPhone or Android cellphone.
The method is simple. Plug the TouchLock into any Mac or different system that may energy it through USB-C, then launch the Lexar app in your cellphone. The primary time you utilize the drive, the app prompts you to create a safety code. After that, it makes use of your cellphone’s NFC functionality to unlock the drive so you’ll be able to entry your recordsdata and use it like a traditional exterior drive. (The iPhone has included NFC because the iPhone 6, though NFC isn’t at the moment obtainable on Macs or iPads.)
The TouchLock is locked to guard your recordsdata, and may solely be unlocked by utilizing NFC in your private iPhone.
The way you unlock the TouchLock with an iPhone
The NFC chip in an iPhone is often positioned close to the digicam on the again of the system. To unlock the TouchLock, merely maintain that space of the cellphone towards the NFC pad on the entrance of the drive, which is marked with a small padlock icon. The Lexar app then communicates with the drive through NFC and unlocks it so you’ll be able to entry your recordsdata. As a useful contact, the app makes use of haptic suggestions to make the iPhone vibrate when the drive has been efficiently unlocked.
When the TouchLock is unplugged from a Mac or different system, it robotically locks once more and may solely be unlocked utilizing the Lexar app in your private iPhone. The recordsdata saved on the drive are additionally protected with 128-bit encryption, stopping others from accessing them with the Lexar app on their very own cellphone.
Ought to You Purchase The Lexar TouchLock Moveable SSD?
It is probably not the quickest solid-state drive obtainable, however the TouchLock Moveable SSD presents robust safety for essential recordsdata and information. It really works with a variety of computer systems and cellular units, and its NFC-based unlocking system is simpler to make use of than many password-protected drives we’ve examined. Mixed with its compact design and MagSafe compatibility, it’s an inexpensive and handy possibility for retaining essential recordsdata safe whereas travelling.
