SanDisk is reinventing the humble USB flash drive, with the launch of the new Connect Wireless Stick. This one is a small USB flash drive which doubles up as a Wi-Fi media server. The device allows you to access files stored on the drive over multiple devices by creating an ad-hoc wireless network. It also comes equipped with a built-in battery which claims to deliver four and half hours of backup.
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick comes in a very delicious looking package. The overall design and build quality are very good. Using the device is quite easy. Plug the Connect Wireless Stick into the USB port of your laptop or computer to charge it and copy media onto it.
SanDisk offers its Connect app, which is used to connect the Connect Wireless Stick to your mobile device. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices and the app lets you stream media such as video over a password-protected Wi-Fi connection.
The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick comes in storage capacities of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 200GB. We received the 32GB variant for this review. The device is also capable of streaming HD videos and music up to three devices at the same time.
While the data transfer rates from your PC to the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is nothing to write home about, the device excels in offering quality media playback wirelessly. And I believe that is all that matters since the Connect Wireless Stick was made for streaming media wirelessly.
You can also access the contents of the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick from a web browser on your PC or Mac. You have to be connected to the Stick’s WiFi network to use this feature. I used the web browser on my MacBook Pro to stream a 500MB video from the Connect Wireless Stick and it worked pretty well.
I did not come across any lags or stutters when playing full HD videos. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick is a pleasure to use. It is portable, it is intuitive to use, and solves common storage problems of each and every mobile device user. This one’s definitely a must-have accessory!
Price: 16GB version for AED 93.45; 32GB version for AED 135.45; 64GB version for AED 208.95; 128GB version for AED 376.95; 200GB version for AED 418.95; 256GB version for AED 628.95.