If you’re creating content on your iPhone, Apple’s storage pricing can make it very difficult to justify using storage-heavy workflows like ProRes. Lexar’s Go Portable SSD, however, is specially designed to be the perfect external storage pairing for iPhones and other USB-C mobile devices.
I’ve long been an advocate for keeping the base storage on Apple products and supplementing with external drives. Devices like the MacBook Pro can be amazing creative tools, but the price per gigabyte (GB) on storage upgrades can be equally astounding. The same applies to iPhones, where adding just a few hundred GB can cost $200, at a time when 1 TB can go for less than $70. As a result, for both MacBooks and iPhones, adding external storage makes much more sense, particularly because Apple equips these devices with fast ports (only recently on the iPhone, but still).
The SSD
Before I tried the Lexar Go, external SSDs as an iPhone accessory felt clunky, with a dangling cable and large physical size. It was particularly limiting if you weren’t going to be running your iPhone in a full cage-style setup. One of the first things you’ll notice about the Go is the incredibly small size. It’s just 1x1.7x0.3” and only 13 grams. The tiny SSD module feels invisible on the phone or in your pocket. Featuring a USB-C connector angled specifically for mobile device use, this SSD can be inserted right onto your phone, hanging imperceptibly off the bottom.
The SSD doesn’t sacrifice performance for its small size, either. It delivered speeds of around 1,000 MB/s reads and writes, making it well-suited for ProRes 4K60. It also allowed for reasonably fast offloads when connecting to something like a MacBook Pro. While faster external drives are available, they are nowhere near the size or cost of the Go Portable. It’s great to see USB 3.2 Gen 2 employed across these various connectors, making for fast connections and good interoperability with today's devices.
This huge expansion of available storage, beyond even what Apple offers on the phones, means you can store far more video, in heavier formats. For instance, on my base iPhone 16 Pro, 4K30 ProRes recording times jump from 30 minutes to about 5 hours when the 2 TB module is attached.
The Hub
While this SSD module is available on its own, Lexar is also offering the SSD in a kit with their Hub. The Hub, an equally compact module, connects to your phone and then breaks out into USB-C ports for the connection of both the Go Portable SSD and an additional USB-C accessory, like a mic receiver or a wired offload/charging connection. This bridges the gap between a prosumer and a pro-level tool, in my opinion, as I know videographers will be relying on that extra port for external audio.
The smart design choices also extend to the durability and weather resistance of the Go. Lexar rates it as IP65 for water and dust resistance, which translates to “dust-proofing” and resistance to low-pressure water jets (simulating rain and splashes, but not submersion in water). The drive is drop-resistant to a meter, providing good protection against the knocks and dings that come with using a mobile device in the field. Lexar provides a thin rubber sleeve for an additional layer of cosmetic protection, but I found that this interfered with the tolerances around my case just enough that I would probably skip using it.
Overall, the premise of this drive is simple and attractive: get way more storage at a cheaper price than via the original device manufacturer, with added benefits like easy offloading to devices like your laptop. Unlike some storage options, this is really a product based around the form factor, and there’s a premium when viewed on a $/TB basis because of that.
If you’re considering this product for mobile videography, I think the 2 TB model with the Hub is the best deal. The 2 TB version is better on a $/GB level compared to 1 TB, while the Hub leaves a spare USB port for connecting a mic. Compared to even 1 TB iPhones, you’re saving money while retaining additional flexibility when shooting with accessories.
If you’re not looking to shoot ProRes, but instead just want to have some supplemental or backup storage, the 1 TB model is also available. It’s a good option if you’re willing to pay a premium over other USB-C drives for the speed and formfactor convenience, and still represents a savings over Apple’s pricing. All combinations are available from B&H.
Decent specs, but the pricing is astronomically high for what it offers. The speeds are USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps. At that pricing, and size, you could go for a smaller m.2 NVMe SSD many 2TB m.2 2230 Nvme drives are in the $120 to $140 range, and many smaller m. 2 2230 enclosures are in the $15 - $20 range. And are of a similar size to the Lexar one (slightly taller).
M.2 2230 NMVe drives have been dropping in price as economies of scale and increased use got rid of their price premium. Furthermore many modern TLC based 2TB 2280 drives still use 1NAND package, all of the same components can fit on the 2230 PCB.
Only downside with the size is it makes passive cooling without a heatsink harder since you do not have an 80mm ground plane to dump heat into.