This Tiny USB-C Device Is An SSD For Mobile Devices

Solid State Drives, or SSDs, are generally the way to go if you want fast data transfer speeds and loads of storage, but you won’t really find them much for phones, that is until the arrival of the Planck USB-C SSD. This tiny little device is a full-on NVMe SSD that was designed as a phone-first data storage device. It’s incredibly small and for that reason alone, it caught our attention.

When it comes to additional phone storage, many people may not even think about it these days. After all, many phones now come with a baseline of 128GB. And it’s possible to get phones with up to 1TB of storage internally. However, what if you want a solution that doesn’t rely on files stored on your device locally? That’s what Planck is for. It’s the “world’s smallest phone-first SSD” according to the company.

Providing fast transfer speeds as well as storage amounts up to 2TB. The Planck will be available in 1TB and 2TB sizes. If it does well in the market, then there could even be a chance for larger capacities. That being said, the company hasn’t mentioned anything about higher storage capacity options just yet. So we’re just speculating. In terms of performance, it has transfer speeds of up to 1,050 MBps. It also uses USB-C and plugs directly into your phone’s USB-C port. Making it super easy to remove it when you’re ready to transfer that data to a different drive.

The Planck SSD works with other USB-C devices, like gaming handhelds

Planck’s creators say it was designed with the intention of being used for content creation, but it works perfectly fine with handheld gaming devices, too. This means you could use it with devices like the Nintendo Switch, or even the ASUS ROG Ally X.

When asked about the battery drain on the Ally X, the company says it hasn’t tested the SSD with the ROG Ally X specifically. However, it did offer some insight into the power output and battery drain when used with PCs and phones. According to the company, when plugged into the PC during a test transfer of 150GB, power consumption registered at 400mA, 5.1V, and 2.05W. Many conventional SSDs can draw up to 900mA, the company says.

It also noted that when used with phones, the battery drain appeared to be pretty minimal and that it expects the battery drain would be similar when used with a gaming handheld. So there shouldn’t be too much worry about using a device like this and having it chew through your battery. This is especially important for devices like the ROG Ally X and Steam Deck. As battery life on those devices can already be questionable depending on the game.

It’s small enough to fit in your pocket

Tiny storage devices are nothing new but it’s not often you see a very small NVMe SSD in this kind of package. The Planck fits in your pocket because of how small it is, making it super portable. The size, of course, potentially presents another worry for users.

What happens if you drop it? Will it get damaged? The Planck USB-C SSD is drop-resistant and water-resistant. So if you drop it while removing it from your phone, it should be fine. As long as the drop is from a reasonable height and not something like 50+ feet.

A splash of water probably isn’t going to hurt it either. Though, we’d advise against getting it wet if at all possible just like with all other electronics. In terms of support, it can “transfer files in seconds” and even supports Apple ProRes 4K/120 footage. That means it should be plenty fast for game installs, load times, and other file downloads or uploads.

This device is currently available on Kickstarter but the company says that shipping is expected to begin in May of this year. As for cost, super early bird pricing for the 1GB is set at $125, but you’re looking at $189 at full price. The 2TB will end up going for $258, or $168 if you get the super early bird pricing.