SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive review: the easiest fix for a full phone
Before you pay for more cloud storage, there's a cheaper way to get your photos off your phone.
SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive, 128 GB (USB-C and USB-A)
4.5 out of 5 from nearly 120,000 ratings on Amazon.nl.
The phone storage problem
"Storage almost full" usually turns up at the worst moment: at a birthday, or halfway through a trip to Giethoorn. Paying monthly for cloud storage works, but not everyone wants another subscription.
A dual flash drive is the old-school answer. It has a USB-C plug for your phone on one end and a regular USB-A plug for a laptop on the other.
How it works
You plug it into a USB-C phone, open the SanDisk Memory Zone app or your phone's file manager, and move photos and videos across. Then plug the other end into a laptop to back them up properly.
A slider pushes out whichever connector you need, so there are no caps to lose. For a rough idea of size: 128 GB holds about 2,600 photos if each one is around 3 MB. Videos take far more space.
The downsides
This version is rated at up to 150 MB/s read speed. That's fine for photos but noticeably slower for long 4K videos, and write speeds are lower than read speeds. There is a faster "GO" model for a little more money.
It only works with USB-C phones. Older iPhones with a Lightning port need a different drive. And it's a copy, not a backup strategy: keep a second copy of anything precious.
Who it's for
Anyone with a USB-C phone who keeps running out of space, travellers, and parents handing down a phone who need to clear it first.
Good
- Works with phone and laptop
- No caps to lose
- Huge number of ratings, a known brand
Not so good
- Slower for big video files
- USB-C phones only
- Not a full backup on its own
My short video about it (also on TikTok and Instagram).
How I put this together: "Researched pick" means I haven't put it through long-term use myself. I've gone through the product specifications and a large number of buyer reviews, and I compared it with similar products. When I've used something myself, the page says so. Nobody paid for this review. More on how I earn money.