With the Portable SSD T7 Touch, the South Korean company Samsung has released an innovative SSD hard drive with a built-in fingerprint sensor, which is intended to ensure maximum security. Certainly an unusual feature - but only for those who really need it. In the meantime, Samsung has also released an identical variant without the aforementioned sensor with the T7 Portable SSD. Our test report below will tell you how this performs in practice.
- External high-speed memory in compact pocket format and ...
- Thanks to USB 3.2 Gen.2 up to 9,5 times faster than external hard drives...
- Sleek and stylish: Compact and high-quality aluminumHousing, etc.
What's in the box
If you take a look at the scope of delivery of the T7 Portable SSD, Samsung has actually thought of everything. In addition to the hard drive itself, there are also two connection cables in the packaging, which you can use to easily connect the drive via USB: This is a common USB-C to USB-C cable for connecting to modern devices and to an additional USB-C to USB-A cable. The latter is used to easily connect the T7 Portable SSD to older PCs and notebooks - but then of course without the maximum possible transmission speed.
Unfortunately, the cables are quite tight and could have been a few centimeters longer. But if you want to use the SSD next to a laptop, for example, the cable length is absolutely sufficient.
The scope of delivery of the Samsung T7 Portable is rounded off by a handy manual in which you can look up the most important functions and properties of the hard drive.
processing / design
In terms of design, the Samsung T7 Portable differs only slightly from its predecessor. Since no fingerprint sensor was installed in the new variant, the imprinted Samsung logo is now perfectly centered. Samsung has once again opted for a very classic design without any major conspicuous features, which, however, knows how to impress with its simple look. We really liked that the surface is slightly roughened. This not only feels more valuable, but also contributes to the fact that no ugly fingerprints are left on the hard drive thanks to the special coating.
As with the Samsung T7 Touch, the dimensions of the SSD hard drive are also really impressive: The good piece measures just 85 x 57 x 8 mm and is therefore not particularly larger than a standard credit card - apart from the thickness, of course. The T7 Portable lives up to its name in every respect, since it can be easily transported from A to B and even finds a place in even the tightest of trouser pockets - where you hardly notice its presence thanks to its minimal weight of only 58 g.
We also liked the fact that Samsung offers the T7 Portable in different colors: In addition to the classic model in stylish Titan Gray, the compact mini hard drive is also available in Indigo Blue and Metallic Red.
Hardware
Samsung offers the T7 Portable SSD with two different storage capacities - optionally with one or two terabytes. With regard to the read and write speeds, Samsung promises values of 1.050 MB/s (read) and 1.000 MB/s (write), which are absolutely impressive. Of course, this is the manufacturer's official information, which is often a bit utopian. We therefore subjected the record to our own test and were pleasantly surprised when we were actually shown values that came quite close to the manufacturer's specifications. The T940 Portable managed to read around 7 MB/s, but only achieved around 880 MB/s when writing.
When using the hard drive, it is particularly important that you ideally use a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection, since the speed of the connections below it sometimes drops significantly: Even with a USB 3.1 connection, the write speed is only around 425 MB/s out.
Although the Samsung T7 Portable SSD does not have a fingerprint sensor on board, this does not necessarily mean that the user has to be prepared for less data security. Instead, Samsung has given the successor model powerful management software, through which the data on the hard drive can be managed encode permit. This is one Encryption after 256 bit AES, which is considered to be almost uncrackable. Of course, for this to be the case, you have to choose a password that is as secure as possible, which not only consists of five letters, but ideally consists of more than 10 characters including upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
"BOX"Practical: The software also regularly looks out for firmware updates so that any security gaps can be closed immediately. "BOX"
Specifications
| Color | Titan Gray, Indigo Blue, Metallic Red |
| Storage | 1 TB, 2 TB |
| Tender | 1.050MB/s |
| Read | 1.000MB/s |
| Connection | USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Power Supplies | No |
Test results
| write speed | 880 MB / s |
| reading speed | 940 MB / s |
Other
The multitude of possible uses for the Samsung T7 Portable SSD is particularly positive: it can be connected to a conventional Windows PC or a Mac, but it can also be used to store games on a modern games console or as a recording medium on a Smart be connected to the TV.
self on Tablet PCs and Smartphones a connection is possible without any problems, so that the Samsung T7 Portable SSD actually proves to be a multifunctional all-purpose hard drive.
Also worth noting is the fact that the external hard drive has a very robust housing, so that transport in a backpack or handbag proves to be absolutely problem-free. Samsung also promises that even falls from a height of up to two meters will not damage the hard drive. Of course, we tried this immediately and can therefore confirm that the good piece works flawlessly even after it hit the ground.
Our conclusion:
- External high-speed memory in compact pocket format and ...
- Thanks to USB 3.2 Gen.2 up to 9,5 times faster than external hard drives...
- Slim and stylish: Compact and high-quality aluminum housing,...
The Samsung T7 Portable SSD is not exactly cheap to buy, but it scores with a very good read and write speed - even if the maximum values do not quite come close to the 1.000 MB/s promised by the manufacturer. A big plus is the fact that the hard drive can be used on Windows computers, Macs, tablet PCs, smartphones, game consoles and smart TVs without any problems, which makes it a versatile storage medium.
In addition to the simple but extremely stylish design, which is available in three attractive colors, the Samsung T7 Portable also impresses with its impressive credit card-sized dimensions, which, in combination with a low weight of just 58 g, enable problem-free transport. And if the disk accidentally falls into the wrong hands, powerful 256-bit AES encryption ensures that the files stored on it cannot be viewed without the associated password.
All in all, the Samsung T7 Portable SSD is an excellent hard drive that we can heartily recommend.
