A TREAT IN STORE...
New device frees up phone space
One of the challenges many of us face every day as smartphone users is battery life. I need to charge mine daily, and if I don’t I can be sure that it will let me down, when I need it the most. Another growing issue for many of us is storage, or memory. It’s becoming increasingly unfeasible to rely on what’s often meagre storage when you have gigabytes of family photos and video stored on your phone that you so seldom need, but wouldn’t dare erase.
Kingston has released a new version of one of its devices, and it could be a solution to those two issues. The MobileLite G3 provides a method to access storage, USB or SD memory cards via your phone, as well as providing a handy re-charging facility that you can use on the go. Measuring 118 x 80 x 24 millimetres, the device is small enough to fit neatly in a briefcase or handbag, and weighs just over 190 grams. Packaged with a USB cable for charging, the box also contains a Micro SD adapter, enabling you to use either the larger SD memory card or the small Micro SD cards often used in Android or Windows phones for media storage.
Setting up the device was straightforward, and after charging it for half an hour, I downloaded the free MobileLite Wireless app from the iOS app store. I needed to connect my iPhone to the MobileLite’s WiFi network in my phone’s settings and then launch the device’s app. The app’s home screen gives you an overview of the device with some useful information such as the battery charge that’s available.
I started with an empty USB memory stick inserted into the MobileLite and decided to back up my entire photo library – from my phone, to the stick. After clicking the File Explorer icon on my phone, there’s a dedicated Camera Roll icon, and tapping that gives you access to pick a single photo or other selection. Once selected, the copying process is started by tapping a Copy icon.
It worked quickly and I was able to check everything worked OK, by taking the USB key out of the MobileLite and plugging it into my laptop. After this, I deleted many of my photos from my phone, freeing up gigabytes of memory, while being sure that I had stored any images of special moments safely on the MobileLite.
As useful as that feature is, the MobileLite also works well as a media storage device if you’re away from home. The app has a builtin media player, so I was able to plug in a USB key with a selection of TV shows and movies – then access them from an iPad while travelling as a car passenger.
The MobileLite also has a number of status lights, including battery level. When my device was fully charged, I was able to return my iPhone to full charge quickly, with enough power remaining to charge an additional phone and then also use the media-playing function wirelessly for a half-hour TV programme from a USB key.
The only downside to the gadget is the lack of any internal storage built into the MobileLite G3. There’s a more expensive Pro version of the device with built-in memory, but perhaps even 4GB or 8GB would be useful. That said, this is a remarkable device that opens up storage options for iPhone users and is a great stand-by battery back-up. I plan on having it in my briefcase from now on!
More details at www.kingston.com