- Connects wirelessly to up to 8 devices-no Internet required
- Supports up to 3 simultaneous media streams
- Provides up to 4 hours of wireless streaming per charge
Cool idea but not much use
08/15/2013
This review is from: SanDisk Connect 32GB Wireless Flash Drive Model SDWS2-032G-E57 - Retail
Pros:
Overview:
This device is a pretty cool idea having a normal USB flash drive also accessible through the wireless 2.4GHz wi-fi connection. The flash drive itself does not have built in memory but comes with a 32GB micro SD card which you could upgrade for more memory. The device itself is not much bigger than a normal flash drive being only 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. It has 2 light indicators on it, one for data transferring and charging and the other for the wireless status. The drive is very easy to use, after you have it setup, hold down the button for 3 seconds, and connect to it like a wireless network from your phone or computer.
Ease of use:
The drive is very easy to use. The setup is very easy and there are even video tutorials that come on the drive to make it easier. After you have it setup, hold down the button for 3 seconds. Then after the wireless light starts blinking, connect to it like a wireless network from your phone or computer.
Battery:
The battery works pretty well. The initial charge only took an hour, after that, they only took about 2 hours. The battery lasts for around 4 hours per charge of continuous use. The wireless light blinks about once every 5 seconds to tell you it if it is on so you don't accidently leave it on without knowing.
Wireless:
The wireless options are fairly good. It comes with WPA2 encryption and lets you set the SSID, password, and even the wireless channel. It even allows you to "try" connecting to a wireless network so you don't loose internet functionality while you are connected to the drive (read cons).
Android app:
The app from the play store allows you to find the drive automatically. It lets you download the contents and upload files in your phone's gallery. After you close the app, it automatically disconnects you from the flash drive (may be good or bad).
List:
-Comes with how to videos
-2 light indicators (data transfer/charging and wireless status)
-Easy to use (hold button down for 3 secs to turn on and off)
-Easy to connect to
-Micro SD Card slot (comes with 32GB card)
-Fast charge (1 hour initially)
-Not much bigger than normal flash drive (1x0.5x3 inches)
-Built in WPA2 security
Cons:
Overview:
This drive has cool features but many do not work like you would want them to. It works just fine as a USB flash drive but may not be what you expect from the wireless. One problem is that there is no battery life indicator. You could be watching a video from it and get disconnected on the spot.
Wireless:
The wireless is my biggest con possibly because that is what separates this drive from other flash drives. The wireless does not let you upload anything except from the apps. The wireless signal isn't the strongest but still will be perfectly fine if it is in your pocket or close by. However, it does disconnect you randomly sometimes. In the pros I talked about how it lets you connect to a wireless network to let you access the internet, but it is not good at all. The wireless connection range to the wireless network is not good and the worst part is that you constantly get disconnected from the drive if you have that option on. Most of the time I would get disconnected immediately if I tried keeping internet connectivity on.
Interfaces:
Both the web browser and the android app interfaces are too basic and featureless. The web browser interface only lets you download files, not upload. The android app is about the same but it does let you upload files from your phone's gallery. That is probably fine for basic users but I would like to upload any file from my phone, not just pictures from my gallery.
List:
-Poor wireless strength and random disconnects
-Disconnects constantly when trying to maintain internet connection
-Only uploads files from phone's gallery
-Basic web browser interface
-No battery life indicator
Overall Review:
Overall, I would not recommend this flash drive for it's wireless features. It is a pretty good basic flash drive and is cool how you can download files wirelessly but I expected to be able to upload files wirelessly too. I just don't think that the wireless can justify making this 32GB flash drive $60. It is an interesting concept but does not have enough features to make the wireless anything special. This drive is definitely not for advanced users but because of the ease of use, it might be good for basic users.
Manufacturer Response:
Hello,
Thank you for the interest in the SanDisk Wireless Flash drive. We would like to address a few of your concerns regarding the product.
You mention in your review that there is no battery life indicator. We would like to let you know that the amber LED will start blinking when the battery life get to 10%. This will allow you to stop what you are doing and arrange a charger before you are just cut off so to speak.
You also mention that you cannot upload from any place other than the phone gallery. We actually have a few different ways you can accomplish this:
Via the device’s native browser – long press the file you’d like to upload to the drive and in the “Complete Action With” select the WFD app. OR:
Inside the WFD app go to Settings->Set Downloads Directory and select the root. From now on – the user would be able to upload files to the drive from any location on his phone.
Best regargs,
SanDisk Support
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