The Elegant Samsung T7 SSD

Samsung’s T7 Portable SSD warrants many adjectives. It’s fast. It’s secure. And as the name implies, it is indeed portable. But the word I keep coming back to is elegant. That’s not a description I usually associate with storage devices, but for the T7, it fits.

Let’s start with the design. The T7 approximates the shape of a credit card and is about four times as thick. It’s wondrously compact, which is great, because that’s obviously something you’re looking for in a portable SSD, but it’s also very sleek and minimalistic. No garish text or over-the-top branding; nothing lurid about the design at all. It’s just aesthetically pleasing.

But there’s more to elegance than just aesthetics, especially when it comes to consumer tech. Functionality also plays a key role. Specifically, the manner in which a device performs its core functions—call it technical elegance.

The T7 embodies the two big pillars of technical elegance: it is highly efficient and effective. For example, despite its modest footprint, the T7 offers great storage options (up to 2TB) and excellent sequential read/write speeds that are nearly double what the previous generation offered. Check out the comparison chart below:

As you can see from the chart, what really sets the T7 apart from the previous generation are its transfer speeds, which, again, are nearly twice as fast. And once you factor in the fact that the T7 doesn’t cost all that much more than the T5, its efficiency and effectiveness become obvious.

Now, before we move on from transfer speeds, it’s important to recognize that regardless of arbitrary specs, a drive’s read/write speeds are ultimately determined by the computer to which it’s connected. In other words, the T7 might be lightning-fast on paper, but if it’s plugged into a subpar machine, those max speeds won’t be realized. That’s an important distinction to make because the T7’s biggest selling point isn’t its theoretical speed; it’s the actual speed. Without a worthy computer, you’re getting a portable SSD that’s technically elegant, but only in theory.

So, what do we need to allow the T7 to realize its potential awesomeness? For starters, the correct connectivity. As of this writing, the T7 uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface. If you’ve been following the recent (and somewhat confusing) name alterations made by the USB Implementers Forum, then you know that the USB 3.2 Gen 2 designation could change at any second. But what won’t change are the inherent specs—in this case, the T7’s 10 Gbps bandwidth and documented transfer speeds. To take advantage of those specs, you need a computer that supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. In other words, you need a computer that can handle the T7’s speed.

The second requisite has to do with your computer’s hard drive. The T7 uses non-volatile memory express (NVMe) technology to facilitate its fast transfer speeds. One of the big differences between NVMe drives and SAS/SATA drives is reduced latency. For example, the T7’s predecessor, the T5, is a SATA drive, which as we’ve discussed, is demonstrably slower. But to take advantage of the T7’s faster NVMe technology, the computer it’s connected to must also have an NVMe drive inside of it, otherwise you won’t hit those max speeds. This isn’t to say a SATA drive won’t support the T7—it absolutely will—but you’ll be leaving some power on the table.

Following the thread of connectivity and interface support, we should also talk about compatibility and usability because, for a device to be considered technically elegant, you should be able to use it without any fuss or confusion. Here, the T7 also excels. I have a wide range of computers in my apartment, multiple models from several different brands, including Mac and Windows desktops, Chromebooks, various tablets, laptops, and gaming consoles. I am happy to report that every single one of them immediately recognized the T7 once it was mounted—no problem whatsoever. Likewise, the security software installation was a breeze, and easy to manage on my Mac and Windows machine. The security app for Android was also easy to install and use, although I did notice that the app isn’t available for iOS, iPadOS, or my gaming consoles. That isn’t to say the T7 didn’t work with those systems—it did—there just isn’t any security software currently available.

Verdict

To me, a device achieves technical elegance when it accomplishes its purpose effectively, without slowdown, challenge, or compromise. In other words, it just works, and it works well. You don’t have to fuss with it or cajole it into certain performance metrics. It does what it’s supposed to do, and at a high level. That’s why I consider the T7 an elegant SSD. It’s fast. It’s secure. It’s compatible with the majority of current technologies, and it’s easy to use. It also looks really slick and is easy to carry. What more could you ask for?