WD My Passport Wireless SSD Review: Network Storage On The Go
Overview of the WD My Passport Wireless SSD
Western Digital is one of the world’s largest storage manufacturers with a wide array of products to meet their customer's unique needs. Its My Passport Wireless line of external drives offer more than just convenient storage. With on-board Wi-Fi, battery, and SD card readers, WD bills them as a working photographer’s best friend. That certainly sounds like a common use case for a device like this, but will this latest WD My Passport live up to its promise?
WD sent over their latest My Passport Wireless SSD for us to use and review. The SSD version is available in capacities from 250GB to a spacious 2TB. They range in price from $199.99 to $749.99 respectively. Our unit is the 500GB capacity version retailing at $289.99. WD's prices are higher in comparison to traditional external SSDs such as Samsung’s T5, but are comparable to competing options from Gnarbox and the like. Other rival products are even twice as expensive as WD"s offerings. Let’s find out if the My Passport Wireless SSD's additional tricks are worth the price of admission.
The WD My Passport Wireless SSD's square plastic enclosure feels well constructed for durability and has a substantial weight to it. This weight primarily stems, no-doubt, from the large 6,700 mAh battery inside. WD claims up to 10 hours of continuous usage on a single charge.
The My Passport Wireless SSD also has very simple controls. The top edge of the drive has two buttons - one for powering it on/off and another for initiating data transfers . It also incorporates USB-A 2.0 and micro-USB 3.0 ports. The USB-A port is intended for offloading files from thumb drives and other USB-based storage onto the My Passport Wireless SSD. The micro-USB 3.0 port is used to charge the drive and serves as the data connection to a computer. The SD 3.0 card slot is located around the corner on the left edge of the drive. SD cards pop in near-flush, which reduces the odds of them getting damage in a fall.
The top side of the drive is mostly blank, save for a small WD logo and blue status LEDs with descriptive text near the center. One light indicates Wi-Fi status, the other is for drive activity. A separate series of five LEDs in the corner serve a dual purpose. Users can tap the file import button on the edge to have these display the battery level while no SD card or USB drive is inserted. Alternatively, the LEDs indicate file transfer progress from an SD card or the USB interface. The device does ship with a sticker providing the initial Wi-Fi passcode, but this is intended to be easily removed.
The bottom side of the My Passport Wireless SSD has four rubberized feet. A sticker in the center displays relevant product information, including the model number, serial number, and MAC addresses. If desired, the drive also includes a rubberized bumper which can be fitted to provide additional protection.
We'll of course explore how the WD My Passport Wireless SSD performs in different use cases, but first let’s round out the general user experience with a dive into its software...
WD sent over their latest My Passport Wireless SSD for us to use and review. The SSD version is available in capacities from 250GB to a spacious 2TB. They range in price from $199.99 to $749.99 respectively. Our unit is the 500GB capacity version retailing at $289.99. WD's prices are higher in comparison to traditional external SSDs such as Samsung’s T5, but are comparable to competing options from Gnarbox and the like. Other rival products are even twice as expensive as WD"s offerings. Let’s find out if the My Passport Wireless SSD's additional tricks are worth the price of admission.
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| Storage Type | Solid-State |
| Storage Capacity | 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, or 2 TB |
| Interfaces | SD 3.0 Card Slot microUSB 3.0 USB-A 2.0 |
| Networking | 802.11ac/n Wi-Fi (1x1) |
| Package Contents | My Passport Wireless SSD device Drop-Protection Bumper USB Cable USB Power Adapter |
| Power Output | USB-A Port: 12W 5.1V, 2.4A |
| Weight | 1.0 lb |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 135mm x 135mm x 30mm (5.31" x 5.31" x 1.18") |
| Warranty | 2 Years Worldwide Limited |
| Battery | Up to 10 hours (6,700 mAh) |
| System Compatibility | Windows 7, 8.1, or 10 macOS v10.11, 10.12, or 10.13 iOS 9+ and Android 4.4+ DLNA/UPnP or Plex-enabled devices for streaming |
| Price | $289 as configured (500GB) |
The WD My Passport Wireless SSD's square plastic enclosure feels well constructed for durability and has a substantial weight to it. This weight primarily stems, no-doubt, from the large 6,700 mAh battery inside. WD claims up to 10 hours of continuous usage on a single charge.
The My Passport Wireless SSD also has very simple controls. The top edge of the drive has two buttons - one for powering it on/off and another for initiating data transfers . It also incorporates USB-A 2.0 and micro-USB 3.0 ports. The USB-A port is intended for offloading files from thumb drives and other USB-based storage onto the My Passport Wireless SSD. The micro-USB 3.0 port is used to charge the drive and serves as the data connection to a computer. The SD 3.0 card slot is located around the corner on the left edge of the drive. SD cards pop in near-flush, which reduces the odds of them getting damage in a fall.
The top side of the drive is mostly blank, save for a small WD logo and blue status LEDs with descriptive text near the center. One light indicates Wi-Fi status, the other is for drive activity. A separate series of five LEDs in the corner serve a dual purpose. Users can tap the file import button on the edge to have these display the battery level while no SD card or USB drive is inserted. Alternatively, the LEDs indicate file transfer progress from an SD card or the USB interface. The device does ship with a sticker providing the initial Wi-Fi passcode, but this is intended to be easily removed.
The bottom side of the My Passport Wireless SSD has four rubberized feet. A sticker in the center displays relevant product information, including the model number, serial number, and MAC addresses. If desired, the drive also includes a rubberized bumper which can be fitted to provide additional protection.
We'll of course explore how the WD My Passport Wireless SSD performs in different use cases, but first let’s round out the general user experience with a dive into its software...
