Western Digital MyPassport SSD
This tough SSD backup device is designed to go anywhere you and your camera go. Jon Devo puts it through its paces
Jon Devo tests a tough, wireless backup device
If you’ve ever packed a laptop in your kit bag reluctantly, torn between keeping the weight of your bag down and having the convenience of being able to work on the go, Western Digital (WD) may have the perfect solution for you. One of the newest products in WD’s line of portable drives, the My Passport Wireless SSD offers an ingenious way to improve workflow speed and portability.
Essentially, the My Passport Wireless SSD is a solid-state hard drive with a built-in SD card slot and USB 2.0 (Type-A) port. But it also allows you to back up files from SD cards or external USB- connected storage devices at the touch of a button and access them wirelessly from a mobile phone or tablet. Running on the 802.11ac/n Wi- Fi protocol, this wireless SSD offers transfer speeds of up to 162.5MB/sec – without the need for a power cable or laptop.
Design
Measuring 5.3in from edge to edge, this square wireless SSD is 1.2in thick with its rubberised bumper included and only weighs 0.46kg (1.01lb). On the face side of the drive you will find a removable sticker that tells you your wireless password. Two status lights sit beside it: one indicating the wireless connection and one for the SSD. There’s also a battery-status indicator with four lights on its top-left corner. To check the status, you simply have to press the SD/ WPS/battery-indicator button. All four lights indicate a charge above 75%; three lights: 50-74%; two lights: 20- 49%; one solid light: 10-19%; and finally, a single blinking light indicates a charge of under 10% remaining.
The SD slot sits on the drive’s left side, and on the top side you will find its one-touch SD backup button, USB 2.0 input, USB 3.0 interface and power button. The design is simplistic for ease of use; its two buttons depress with a reassuringly firm click. The manufacturer states that this SSD was tested to resist damage when dropped from a height of up to one metre onto a carpeted concrete floor, while the drive was in operation. But not satisfied with taking their word for it, we dropped it on an actual concrete floor from a height of about 1.5 metres, as well as down a single flight of lino- covered stairs. Given that it’s an SSD with a tough polycarbonate plastic shell and wrapped in a thick rubber-bumper case, we would cautiously say that it could probably survive heavier punishment. Having administered some real-world durability tests with no visible or internal damage rendered, we’re satisfied with its build quality.
Our only gripe is that it lacks weathersealing. Given that it’s aimed at outdoorsy types and can operate in temperatures as low as 0°C, we would have hoped for better protection against the elements. Nonetheless, we’d still use it more confidently in adverse conditions than we would use a laptop, so as an alternative it holds its own in this regard. The rubber covering can also be removed, revealing the SSD’s more slender casing. WD offers a range of differentcoloured covers for the drive, which may be useful for colour coding different jobs.
In use
Setting up the My Passport Wireless SSD for the first time takes up to 15 minutes if you don’t already have a My Cloud account or app stored on your mobile device. It’s relatively straightforward with step-by-step instructions provided. You simply turn on the device, which takes 20-30sec to fully transmit its signal, go to your mobile device’s Wi- Fi settings screen and select the drive. The password is on the removable sticker on its face and also on the set- up instructions card that comes in the box.
Backing up your SD card can be done automatically on insertion or by holding the SD button for 2sec, depending on the settings you choose. Once the card is successfully mounted, pressing the SD button will cause the battery status lights to flash one by one, counting up to four as the data transfers. Mounting and backup times vary depending on your chosen media capabilities, but testing it with a Class 10 SanDisk Ultra SD card, we were able to mount and back up 20GB of photos and video files in about 10 minutes. The drive can also recognise which files it has previously copied and can be instructed to only back up new files.
The My Passport Wireless SSD has FTP functionality that allows photographers with compatible cameras to wirelessly connect to the drive as they shoot, so that backups can be created while they work. If concerned about security, you can create passwords to access and even lock the USB port. This means that, should your device be misplaced or stolen, no one will be able to access its contents without logging into your password-protected dashboard wirelessly and removing the lock.
One of the key benefits of this drive is the ability to preview and export raw files from your SD card for editing on your mobile device via a third-party app such as Lightroom mobile. This kind of smart and convenient functionality is especially valuable for travel, wildlife and events photographers who want to edit and share their images with clients, or for social media. But the My Passport Wireless SSD isn’t just a backup device. You can also use it as a media server, storing photos and videos for viewing and streaming content to multiple devices simultaneously, in up to 4K video quality. This makes it a perfect place to store content such as your portfolio, entertainment or showreel.
The manufacturer states that the drive should last for up to 10 hours, but in our test, using it in real-world conditions, we managed to get about seven hours out of it, which included fully charging a mobile phone with a 3,000mAh battery. Some may hope for better battery performance, but the drive wouldn’t be as light and compact as it is. It comes with an 18in USB 3.0 cable and 12W power adapter in the box, and charges from 5% to full in around three hours. It can still be used while charging, so on balance, the My Passport Wireless SSD does a decent job in the battery stakes.