SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick Pen Drive lets you transfer data over WiFi
If you are in constant need of sharing data from one device to another, a simple pen drive or flash drive won't suffice and you may need a more advanced solution to seamlessly transfer data across your devices. SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick acts as both a pen drive and wireless storage and may be exactly what you are looking for.
Any computer user of today must also be carrying a flash drive with them for data storage and file transfer from one system to another. With mobility kicking in, people nowadays also prefer working on portable handheld devices such as Tablets, Smartphones, Laptops etc. and resultantly the use of pen drives becomes inevitable for file sharing and regular data backup.
Although there are different other options for fulfilling the above purpose such as email, cloud storage, mobile file transfer through apps like Xender, Bluetooth etc., having a USB storage device has its own advantage and is traditionally more popular among the end users.
However, if we consider the practicality or usage patterns of portable flash drives at work we may have to face different problem from time to time such as incompatibility with different system ports, file system etc. For instance, if we want to copy a word document drafted in a handheld tablet and need to transfer the same to the flash drive for storage and printout from a laptop, then the biggest problem we face is that handheld devices mostly use micro USB port while only a few USB drives with dual connecting port supports the same. In such cases, OTG adapters become the only feasible way and that too, if supported by the handheld device. As such, even though a very helpful device but has certain limitations.
In order to overcome all these issues, Sandisk - a popular brand that deals with portable storage devices- has come up with a new type of Pen Drive called the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick. As the name suggests, it is a Pen Drive with wireless file transfer capability.
It is advertised to be a flash drive that has been reinvented for smartphones, tablets, and computers. And rightly so, as its features seem very interesting and modern to the new era.What is SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick Pen Drive?
The Connect Wireless Stick by SanDisk is a flash drive that works both through USB as well as wirelessly using Wireless Network Protocol 802.11n. By the look of it, you can easily identify it as a flash drive that is small in size and stylish at the same time.
The key feature of this Connect Wireless Stick is its capability to connect without any wireless or even an internet connection. It just needs to be plugged in for charging and the device can handle file transfer seamlessly over WiFi. For devices that do not offer WiFi transfers, its USB 2.0 interface comes handy and can be used just like a regular flash drive. Not only that but this next generation of storage offers some other interesting features as well such as it can be used to stream videos or audio content with up to 3 devices simultaneously within a specific vicinity, be it on a phone, tablet or a computer having WiFi connectivity.
Another impressive feature of this wireless pen drive or flash drive is that it allows automatic backup of camera photos and videos to the drive making the whole experience very convenient.Design overview of SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
Covered with a plastic body, the USB drive measures 3.08 x 0.82 x 0.48 inches in dimension and weighs a little more than 22 grams. It is available in two color variants i.e. black and white in different storage capacities. The opening mechanism of the flash drive is a Detachable Cap that is transparent and reveals the USB connecting Port of the Wireless Stick. The cap is fully detached when the flash drive is in use and there is no option of mounting it to the device. As such, one needs to be a little careful with it so as to not misplace it while being plugged in through USB.
An indicator LED is positioned in the center of the front panel that displays different colors based on its status such as when being turned on, transferring files, charging, low battery, firmware updates etc. On the right side of the device can be seen a small power button.
Overall, it looks stylish and marginally bigger than a regular flash drive. Capacity variants of SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
A good product is the one that gives the perfect features to different types of users. In case of flash drives, the capacity of the storage plays a vital role in relation to its price as people tend to buy it considering various aspects like requirement and budget.
The Connect Wireless Stick comes in 6 variants each having a different capacity of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, and 200GB. Thus there are a lot of available options for fulfilling different user requirements which are quite commendable.
All of these different storage capacities can greatly benefit from keeping our smartphones, tablets or laptops free from clutters and never to worry about being out of memory.Connectivity of SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
It has a connectivity interface of USB 2.0 which is fast in detection on both Windows computer as well as on smartphones via OTG adapter. However, USB 3.0 support should have been offered with all the other latest technologies as high-speed data transfer is normally required while transferring large files to external storage. For the rest of the devices, we have tried connecting it with WiFi provided through SD Adapter of Wireless Network Protocol 802.11n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and the pairing process seemed good enough and we did not find anything complicated while connecting. 
It is currently compatible with smartphone devices powered by iOS version 8.0 or higher and Android version 4.2 or higher. For connecting, a SanDisk Connect app is available which provides a user-friendly interface to access your content and enables you to upload, download, save and share your files effectively. Using the app, one can simultaneously connect up to 8 devices and stream video up to 3 devices at the same time which is great for sharing content with friends and colleagues.Performance of SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
Moving on to the performance of the product, it is pertinent to note that the battery life of this wireless stick is rated for 4 hours 30 minutes of continuous use which is acceptable in our opinion. It can be charged over the USB port and it may take up to 2 hours to get a full charge.
Talking about the file transfer speed, a test transfer of a 1GB file over USB 2.0 recorded speed range of over 4.3MBps to 6.7MBps write speed and 9.1MBps read speed. This is largely slow when compared to file transfer via USB 3.0 interface but does well-considering USB 2.0 alone. On wireless transfer of a 1.8GB file, it took nearly three and a half minute or so to complete the transfer. 
The Auto Backup Images feature was responsive for an average number of images but in the case of thousands of images queued up to transfer, few lags were noticed and it even froze for a while. But that is totally dependent on the device you are transferring all the data from and also the disk status of the flash drive we are talking about.Price & Availability of SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
This is a global product and available across most regions, both online and through offline stores. It is easily available on Flipkart or Amazon with various offers and No Cost EMI options too.
The price is a little on a higher side at Rs.1800/- onward for a 16GB variant with discounts and the price may go on to Rs.7100/- for 200GB variant after availing online best deals.
As compared to a regular flash drive of the same capacity, you will have to shell out more money for the SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick but given its additional features and convenience, it is a value for money product. However, we must admit that it is not for all types of users and it may not attract every end user equally, especially in India, the main factor being its high price. Warranty of SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick
There is a 1-year limited warranty in the US & Canada whereas a 2-year warranty in EMEA & APAC. Warranty shall be covered by SanDisk Customer Support and there are options for reaching out to the retail support through online chat, forums and quick assist option.
You may also register your product in its official website and request a replacement in case of any fault in the storage device that is covered by the warranty.Conclusion
To conclude, we must say that SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick does whatever it is meant for and all the hassles involved for connecting wired storage devices etc. are non-existent in case of this device. Further, transferring files from smartphones to a laptop was impressive and quite useful in regular work conditions. Our suggestion to all the valuable readers would be that if you can afford the extra bucks, go for it and you will not regret buying it on most occasions.
So, what do you think about this next generation of storage device called SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick? Do let us know by commenting below.
