Samsung may have only recently launched its T9 portable SSD, but it appears the company isn't done slinging potable storage devices this year. Information about a Samsung T5 EVO slipped out recently, which indicates the drive is aimed more capacity and value seekers rather than absolute speed. The T5 Evo reportedly will be offered in two-, four-, and eight-terabyte variants.
The source indicates the storage casing is made of plastic that is resistant to falls up to 2 meters. There's no information about the IP rating, so it is not rated to be dust and waterproof. But it has a three-year warranty.
Sleek and Pocket-Friendly for Its Capacity
Based on the leak from German site WinFuture, the two, four and eight TB storage will be priced at $189.99, $349.99 and $655.99 USD, respectively. Based on the leaked images, the T5 EVO looks a bit chunky and weighs at 102 grams. It's 17mm thick, 95mm tall including the eyelet and 40mm in width. It is provided with a Type-C to Type-C cable and compatible with Windows 7 and higher, MacOS 10.10 and above and Android 5.1 lollipop OS and above. AES 256-bit encryption is also supported.
Advertised Performance Differences Between the SSD T9 and the T5 EVO
It's clear the T5 will have a tough time competing with the best external SSDs when it comes to speed. It's rated for up to 460 MB/s sequential read and write speeds via its USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) interface. The drive connects via a Type-C USB port with a power-on LED next to it. It is not surprising to see its advertised performance below that of the Samsung T9, with its faster USB 3.1 Gen 2x2 (20 Gbps) interface. But the T9's capacity tops out at 4TB, while the T5 EVO provides up to 8TB.
We don't know the T5's launch date, but considering the product design and packaging images look like those typically seen in press releases, it's likely the drive will get an official announcement soon.
