Storage giant WD is today releasing faster external storage under its My Passport SSD line. Building on the models available since 2017, today's announcement introduces 500GB and 1,000GB drives equipped with faster speeds. A 2TB model is mooted for release at a later date.
Now based on internal NVMe technology, WD ups peak sequential read and write speeds to 1,050MB/s and 1,000MB/s, respectively, effectively doubling the throughput from the first generation. There's password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption, too.
2020's drives have a new look and feel. Grey will be the only available colour at the time of launch, with WD promising a trio of other colours in due course. Connecting to either PC or Mac via USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Type-C, WD includes a Type-A adapter for use in older systems and laptops.
Costing £136.99 for the 500GB and £221.99 for the range-topping 1TB capacity, with both backed by a five-year warranty, WD goes up against the Samsung T7 for top dog status in the external SSD market. Stay tuned for our review next week.
