LAS VEGAS – Smartphone users looking to hang on to photos, videos and other data without using up their device memory have a friend in SanDisk.
At CES this week, the company unveiled an upgraded version of its Wi-Fi-enabled SanDisk Connect wireless storage device that now allows users to store up to 200GB of data without an SSD card.
The expanded memory USB – which presents as a slim white stick no bigger than your palm – is a step forward from previous iterations of the Connect.
Launched last year, the Connect was initially offered in a black stick version with memory levels of 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB.
As a Wi-Fi-enabled device, the Connect allows users to transfer photos, videos, music, apps, documents and other data directly to the USB drive without plugging it in. The Connect also serves as a Wi-Fi hotspot that can support up to three different devices streaming video or up to eight devices browsing photos at the same time.
A SanDisk representative said Thursday the idea behind the Connect is to add storage to devices that don’t have SSD upgrade options.
The Connect may particularly come in handy for iPhone users who have quickly eaten up the storage space on their 16GB model devices.
During the iPhone 6s launch in September, many Apple fanatics were disappointed to learn that the company was keeping a 16GB memory level as the base model option – especially in light of the new photo features available on the device.
Apple or Android users looking for relief from storage limits can snag the 200GB SanDisk Connect for $119.