SanDisk iXpand Base

STORE THOSE PICS AWAY FROM THE APPLE CLOUD.

APPLE AND ANDROID devices come with a small allocation of free online storage for backing up photos and videos, but once you come up against that limit, you’ll need to start exploring other options.

The SanDisk iXpand Base is an alternative for iPhone users who don’t want to pay Apple more money for a monthly iCloud subscription. Its main selling point is that it can back up photos and videos (along with contacts) while charging your phone, and it does this all seamlessly. Plus, if you have a newer iPhone 8 or X, it supports faster charging, too.

We like the convenience of having an offline backup of photos and videos, but it’ll cost you. A 200GB iCloud Storage plan is only $4.49 a month, while the 128GB model we reviewed will set you back $189.95 upfront — or the equivalent of 3.5 years of iCloud storage. That said, if you don’t trust a third party with safekeeping your favourite memories, the iXpand Base is a worthy — if not pricey — set-and-forget investment.