Jack of Too Many Trades

I have a lot of data storage media. And sometimes I get on a kick, like finding a couple of magnetically-attachable storage devices. I have three items to share with you on this post.

First, the MOVE SPEED CK20 512GB flash drive. It’s magnetic, so you can stick it to the back of your phone or tablet, attach it to a tripod, clip it to the side of your PC case (as I have done), or whatever you choose.

Second, the HAGIBIS Magnetic m.2 enclosure, which provides the magnetic attachment, flexibility to meet your needs with any NVMe 2230 m.2 drive, and oddly, pass-through charging for your phone.

And finally, the outlier, the Galileo Gear MagDrive, which is not a storage device at all. It’s a magnetically-attached bracket that holds the Samsung T5 or T7 SSD, and unlike the HAGIBIS, it does provide up to 15 watt Qi charging through the attachment.

You may have noticed that these aren’t exactly equivalent, but they are comparable. Different people have different needs, and one of these might meet yours, whether it’s recording ProRes video on your phone, carrying media for use on the road, or whatever.

The observations

MOVE SPEED ($80)

This is the most predictable of the three devices in this post. It works like a pre-integrated USB SSD (like Samsung’s T5 as we’ll mention later), with a removable USB-C cable and an odd visual design.

Since this drive is a fixed configuration, the test results should match what you’d get on similar gear. Optimal speed is 20Gbps, and it’s advertised as “Up to 2000MB/s.”

Mac OS (Macbook Pro M2 Pro, USB-C/Thunderbolt port, Blackmagic Design Speed Test @5GB): Generally approaching 400MByte/sec read and write. With the factory default ExFAT filesystem, I got 450MB/sec write, which was unexpected, but bore out in the PC test as well.

Windows 10 (Homebuilt Ryzen 5 3600, front USB 3.0 port, Crystal Diskmark 4GB 5-pass 70/30 real world mix): I saw slightly higher speeds, with 432/389/406 MB/sec on read, write, and 70/30 mix. I tried on the USB3 hub integrated into my Dell U3419W monitor, and got 414/389/404.

My one complaint about this device is that there doesn’t seem to be an activity indicator. With the seismic “crack” on the front, it would’ve been a great place to waste a few milliwatts on an LED.

HAGIBIS ($37 + NVMe drive)

This is the most configurable of the three devices we’re talking about today. You can install any m.2 2230 NVMe drive, from 128GB to 2TB, and if you outgrow a smaller drive, you can upgrade easily with the screwdrivers included and about 5 minutes.

I chose to get a Samsung PM991a (MZ-9LQ512C) 512GB drive. It’s PCIe Gen3 x4, and I paid $29.97 each including shipping. The seller I bought from is out of them now, but you can find others on eBay from $28.99 shipped. For larger sizes, I’d go to Amazon, where a new Lexar 1TB PLAY drive is $82, and a Silicon Power UD90 2TB drive is $150. These are both PCIe 4.0, and there are other more common brands available for a bit more. You can also find some brand name new items on eBay (like this Micron 2400 drive at $150) for the same price range, but shipping may not be as fast.

The quirk to this device, as mentioned before, is that you’re not getting magnetic charging for a device that looks a lot like a magnetic charging pad. However, you can use it without the power adapter if your device provides enough juice. My iPhone 15 Pro Max does.

And my complaint would be that the port labels are tiny. If you can remember that the data connection (“host”) is where the cover tab is, you’ll be fine.

Galileo Gear ($60 + T5/T7 SSD)

The MagDrive is effectively a magnetic clamp for a completely separate storage device, the Samsung T5 and T7 SSDs. To upgrade, you swap your current portable SSD for another. This one is the easiest to swap on the road, so if you wanted to sync one drive to a NAS or cloud service while shooting with the other, it’s an obvious choice.

The downside is that the T5 and T7 are somewhat dated, and may be expensive. So the strongest case for this option is that you already have T5 or T7 drives, or have a good source for them. I found the Samsung T7 1TB model on Amazon for $100, alongside a 1TB T5 for $349. However, the T7 2TB, chosen from the same link just above, is only $150 in Titan Gray (other colors are around $180).

This one does provide wireless charging, with the data path dedicated to data. It also has an adjustable clamp so you can work around devices where the default positioning may not be convenient.

What’s the summary?

We have three different niches here, with the commonality being magnetically-attached storage.

If you want a universal, compact flash drive with no options to worry about, MOVE SPEED has you covered.

Buy it at Amazon here. It’s about $80.

If you want to put your own m.2 2230 NVMe drive in, and have a more traditional look for the back of your phone, HAGIBIS is your choice.

Buy it at Amazon here and be sure to get a 2230 NVMe drive. The enclosure kit itself is $37.

If you already have, or are willing to buy, Samsung’s T5 and T7 family drives, look at Galileo Gear MagDrive.

Buy it at Amazon here. It’s $60 (down from $90 when I ordered it).

Sources Detail

These items were received at no cost to me through the Amazon Vine Voices program. Neither Amazon nor any of the device makers asked for this post (they do expect us to review items from the program on the Amazon site itself). Neither party has reviewed, endorsed, or even been made aware of this post (as far as I know). And in compliance with Vine rules, this site only links to Amazon for purchase of the product discussed.

This post contains Amazon Affiliate Program links. If you buy the product through the links above, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

All prices listed are as of the time of writing (April 6, 2024) and are obviously subject to change.