- SanDisk and ShiftCam are releasing portable SSDs that plug into your iPhone
- They expand your iPhone's storage for taking photos and videos
- Both options cost less than Apple's internal storage upgrades
The best iPhones are capable of recording incredibly high quality ProRes video footage, but this means your device's storage space often runs out quickly. Luckily, two companies have just released a few portable SSDs that could alleviate this problem.
The first comes from storage manufacturer SanDisk and consists of a tiny SSD that attaches to the back of your iPhone using MagSafe. Called the Creator Phone SSD, SanDisk's storage drive magnetically snaps onto your iPhone and connects to the USB-C port via a cable.
This blue SSD is available in 1TB and 2TB sizes and offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity. This means you get read speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 950 MB/s. And since it has a USB-C cable, you can connect it directly to your laptop and transfer your recorded files.
Since you'll be carrying it around with your iPhone, the SanDisk Creator Phone SSD needs to be durable. To that end, SanDisk says it has three-meter drop protection and IP65 water and dust resistance. Price is $109.99 (around £90 / AU$180) for the 1TB model and $169.99 (around £140 / AU$275) for the 2TB version.
The world's smallest portable SSD
The second iPhone storage device announced at CES 2025 is the ShiftCam Planck. Traditionally, ShiftCam focused on lenses and camera accessories for the iPhone, but Planck is instead an SSD that can be used to store photos, videos, and other media. Unlike the SanDisk Creator Phone SSD, ShiftCam's product is a small, rectangular storage drive that plugs directly into your phone's USB-C slot.
The PLANCK offers transfer speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and has IP65 dust and water protection. ShiftCam says the device is drop-proof, but it doesn't say how high it can fall and survive.
According to ShiftCam, the Planck is the world's smallest portable SSD and weighs just 10 grams, meaning it shouldn't get in the way when you're working on the go. It's available in 1TB and 2TB sizes and costs $189 (around £150 / AU$300) and $229 (around £190 / AU$370). However, ShiftCam is reportedly planning to launch a Kickstarter page in February, with the 1TB and 2TB models priced at $125 (around £100 / AU$200) and $199 (around AU$200), respectively .£160 / AU$320).
Whether you prefer the SanDisk or ShiftCam SSD, you now have a few more ways to expand your iPhone's capacity without paying Apple's high prices for internal storage. If you record a lot of media on your iPhone, it could be a wise investment for 2025.
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