Other Flash Drives We Like

We have tested many other USB flash drives that did not make the cut. Here are a few that might be worth considering for some folks.

Photograph: Simon Hill

Kingston Dual Portable SSD (1 TB) for $229: With a snazzy metallic red body, this SSD disguised as a flash drive is very speedy, matching the stated 1,050 MB/s read and 950 MB/s write in my tests. It is USB 3.2 Gen 2 with a C jack at one end and an A jack at the other, both with removable covers. As much as I like this drive, which comes in 512-GB, 1-TB, and 2-TB models, it is on the pricey side.

Amazon Basics Flash Drive (128 GB) for $18: I like the grippy texture on the slider of this drive because it’s easy to open one-handed and locks in place securely. The loop at the top is perfect for a key ring, and it is lightweight. Performance was limited, as you might expect at this price, but it consistently exceeded the stated 130 MB/s read and 30 MB/s write speeds for larger files, though it only had 116 GB usable out of the box.

Buffalo External SSD-PUT Stick (500 GB) for $70: Another SSD in a flash drive body, this drive hit 450 MB/s in my tests and offers shock protection for falls. There’s also a sliding USB-A, and it comes with a USB-C adapter. It is pretty chunky for a flash drive, so you may find it blocks adjacent ports. You can also get reasonably priced 1- and 2-TB versions of this drive.

PNY Pro Elite V2 (256 GB) for $60: This sliding drive has a plastic cover to protect the USB-A plug, and was our compact pick for a while. It performed well (read and write speeds hovered around 415 MB/s and 425 MB/s) in my tests, and has an opening for a lanyard or keyring. I tested the 256-GB drive, but there are 512-GB and 1-terabyte models.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go (128 GB) for $29: This handy drive swivels to give you USB-C or USB-A, and comes in various sizes and some fun colors, but the lower capacity drives are slow (USB 3.1). You can get the 128 GB drive and up in USB 3.2 Gen 1 for up to 400 MB/s read and it’s a solid alternative to the PNY Duo above.

PNY Elite-X (128 GB) for $16: This super-compact, sliding drive has a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 jack and a loop on the end to fit on a keyring. It worked fine but proved unremarkable in my tests (around 200 MB/s read, and 130 MB/s write).

Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 (16 GB) for $112: If you need a secure drive, Kingston’s IronKey boasts FIPS 140-3 certification, XTS-AES 256-bit encryption, and a special epoxy on its circuitry to make it impossible to remove components. On the downside, it is expensive, the keypad is fiddly, and 10 wrong entries wipe the drive.

Samsung Bar Plus (256 GB) for $52: An elegant, one-piece, curved design makes this drive easy to withdraw and there’s a loop so you can slip it onto a keyring. Test read speeds were just shy of 400 MB/s, with write speeds just over 100 MB/s, but the smaller drives (32 GB and 64 GB) are significantly slower. The Bar Plus is also a durable option, with Samsung claiming it is waterproof, shock-proof, temperature-proof, magnet-proof, and x-ray-proof.

Avoid These Flash Drives

Photograph: Simon Hill

Silicon Power DS72 Portable SSD (1 TB): This is a reasonable price for a 1-TB drive with USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A and USB-C connectors, and it consistently hit 450 MB/s read and write speeds in my tests (it can hit 1050 MB/s and 850 MB/s with the right gear). It got quite warm to the touch, but the reason I don’t recommend this drive is the stupid plastic connector covers. You have to bend them back, and they get in the way when you’re trying to insert the drive.

Verbatim Dual (64 GB): This teeny drive is cheap and has both USB-A and USB-C plugs, but I found write speeds were variable (60 MB/s for USB-C and 90 MB/s for USB-A) and read speeds were around 150 MB/s for both. There is a cover for the USB-A and a wee strap you can attach, but this drive is almost too small, and it proved awkward to insert and remove. It also comes in 16- or 32-gigabyte options.

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A former detective who secured convictions for the murder of Stephen Lawrence has called for greater checks after social media company Instagram “memorialised” the account of a child who died in tragic circumstances, without the consent of the family.

Computer Weekly has learned that the social media company allows people to memorialise the Instagram accounts of children who have died, making their accounts inactive, without the knowledge or permission of relatives.

In one tragic case, Instagram memorialised the account of a child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after they died in distressing circumstances. Computer Weekly has learned that the company acted after someone with no connection to the family sent Instagram a link to a press report about the discovery of the child’s body.

The action caused distress to the family at a difficult time, and potentially prevented proper scrutiny of the circumstances of the death. It took the family five years to obtain access to the account, which contained the last messages sent by the child to friends.

Former detective chief inspector Clive Driscoll, the detective who secured convictions for the murder of British teenager Stephen Lawrence, said there should be greater checks on memorialising.

Driscoll told Computer Weekly: “There should be far stronger checks on anyone’s ability to memorialise an account to ensure it’s in line with the family’s wishes. If it’s against the family wishes, and if it could interfere with a police or coroner’s investigation, stronger checks should be made.”

Instagram’s memorialisation service aims to protect the privacy of people after they have died by securing their social media accounts to prevent references to the person’s profile appearing on Instagram in ways that would be upsetting.