Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS review

Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS: 30-second review

The A20PLUS is a portable SSD that's been specially designed to work alongside an iPhone, although it will work with other phones. The drive enables you to boost the internal capacity up to 2TB but also unlocks the power of ProRes video recording. The SSD features magnetic technology, which enables it to clamp without any other type of fixture to the back of your phone and hold tight. Then, a short ribbon USB cable makes the connection between the SSD and your smartphone, allowing access to the drive's contents.

Setup and use couldn't be easier. The drive on the back of the phone, while it does add a little extra weight, actually makes the phone easier to handle, enabling better grip.

In use with your iPhone, you can unlock the ProRes video format, which can be accessed through Apple's camera app. This essentially enables you to shoot flat footage that can then be graded later for a professional, cinematic finish.

Away from iPhone use, the drive can also be used equally well with any Mac, PC, or Linux machine, with the 20Gbps interface enabling ultra-fast transfer speeds of up to 2000MB/s. There are the usual limitations, so while most PCs will enable you to reach those maximum transfer speeds using the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface if you're using a Mac, most are fitted with Thunderbolt 3 or 4, which downgrades the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface to a 10Gbps.

However, while this does limit the transfer speed on a Mac, you can still expect up to 1000MB/s, which is still exceptionally good. Overall, the relatively compact design, the stronghold to the back of your phone, and the impressive transfer speeds make this one of the best portable SSDs if you are looking to expand the capacity of your iPhone.

Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS: Price & availability

The Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS is widely available and can be purchased through online retailers like Amazon and Walmart, as well as directly from the Orico website by clicking here.

• Score: 5/5

Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS: Design & build

The design of the Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS is simple, with the large tile-like design integrating nicely with the back of your smartphone. The drive has been designed for use with Apple's iPhone range and essentially enables the expansion of internal storage. If you need to store large data files, videos, or images, these can be placed onto the drive, plugged in through the USB Type-C port on the base of the phone, and accessed. One of the big features of using this type of drive is the ability to access the ProRes video file format through the camera, which is not natively available with Apple's own iPhone internal storage.

The drive is relatively small, measuring 75 x 65.5 x 12mm, and weighs just 41g, with an additional 6g for the small cable. When you add that to the back of your smartphone, it doesn't add significant weight. Interestingly, the drive's design fits nicely with the phone's rather than adding cumbersome weight or making it difficult to handle like some other drives of this type.

While the SSD has been designed for use with an iPhone and its MagSafe technology, a metal ring with a sticky back has been included in the box. This ring can be attached to the back of a non-MagSafe case or an Android phone, allowing you to attach the drive in exactly the same way as you would to an iPhone. It's a really nice addition.

Once the drive is in place, the USB Type-C cable can be plugged in. Through testing, I found that this loop adds a good rest between your index finger and middle finger, allowing you to hold the phone steadily when recording single-handedly.

Overall, the Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS's design is extremely well thought out. The MagSafe technology for iPhone users makes it easy to attach via the USB Type-C cable. Equally, for Android users, the addition of the metal ring that can stick to the back of your phone provides access to this neat solution.

As the drive uses USB Type-C technology, it is easy enough to plug it into your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or any other device that accepts USB Type-C portable SSDs.

• Design & build: 4.5/5

Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS: Features

As a portable SSD, the feature set is relatively limited. The main USP here is MagSafe compatibility, which allows you to hold the drive onto the back of an iPhone to boost internal storage and unlock the ability to record ProRes video.

The drive can reach up to 20Gbps for transfer speeds, which is impressive, although you will need a compatible USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 device to access those speeds. For storage capacity, there are three different options, ranging from 512GB to 2TB. In this review, I've looked at the 1TB version.

One of the nice touches of this drive is that Orico has designed its own custom Type-C cable, which has been specially designed to create a small loop between the drive and whichever device it's attached to. This helps avoid getting the cable caught when in use.

Otherwise, when it comes to features, the only real standout is that you can get it in either blue or silver. Our review sample is the blue variety, which, to be honest, looks closer to grey.

• Features: 4/5

Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS: Performance

Starting out with the Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS, the first step is to attach and connect it to your Apple iPhone. In this test, I've utilised an Apple iPhone 15 Pro, which is encased in a MOUS iPhone MagSafe case. Attaching the drive to the back of the casing was simple enough, and the connection between the drive and the case was good and strong.

Trying a non-MagSafe case with the SSD proved that the connection between the drive and the back of the phone was less secure, so it's worth noting that if you are using this with a non-MagSafe case on your iPhone then you might need to remove the case to ensure a good, secure connection.

Once the phone is in place, the custom USB Type-C to Type-C cable can be used to loop and connect the drive to the base of the phone. Once connected, the drive is ready, and you can access the files stored on the drive through the iPhone's interface.

To quickly access anything on the drive, all you need to do is go to the Files app on the iPhone, and under "Locations," you should see the Orico drive appear. When you click on it, you'll have a list of all the files stored on the drive, making it really simple to use. One of the main reasons for using a portable SSD with your iPhone is to access the ProRes format for the camera. Here, if you go to the Apple Camera app, then click on "Video," and at the top, where the ProRes logo is usually crossed out, you can tap to access the higher bit-rate video format and shoot pro-level footage on your smartphone.

When it comes to performance and use on the iPhone, everything is very well integrated, and the connection—both physically and through data—is secure, enabling fast access to files and the ability to watch back videos or music you might want to carry around for offline access.

When it comes to using the drive with an Android device, the process is equally simple. You simply plug it into the USB Type-C port on the base and again use the browser apps to enable you to access the drive's contents. I tested this with the Vivo X100, and it worked without issue. The connection speed was also fast enough to watch back high-resolution video without any problems.

One of the great things about the drive is that it utilises standard USB technology, specifically the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, which enables transfer rates of up to 20Gbps. While this does allow for ultra-fast transfer rates and the ability to use the drive as a working drive (not just for storage), there are some limitations. To maximise the transfer speed, you need a machine that also supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface. While this interface is widely available on many PCs, it isn't available on Mac systems. As a result, while the drive itself is capable of delivering 2000MB per second transfer rates on a Mac system, it will be downgraded to 10Gbps due to the interface that Apple uses.

Through testing with the Apple iPhone 15 Pro, this SSD worked exceptionally well. What I really liked, compared to many other portable SSDs designed for use with the iPhone (even those that feature MagSafe technology), was just how secure it felt when in place. The design also added something to the phone's usability and how it feels in use.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS

The Orico MagPro Portable SSD A20PLUS is a well-designed iPhone accessory that perfect for work situations wehere you can boost internal storage capacity so you can store large files while keeping the internal storage of your phone reserved for essentials.

In use, the drive is easy to understand—you simply connect it to the back of your phone, where it holds with the magnet, then plug in the USB Type-C cable. That's it. As soon as that's done, you can access the files on the drive and play them back through the iPhone. Likewise, when it comes to accessing the ProRes video format through the Apple Camera app, once the drive is connected, you can simply click the icon, and ProRes is activated, giving you access to that high-resolution, professional file format, which will see your video quality take a leap forward.

Away from iPhone use, it works equally well with Android operating systems. So, if you need to boost the internal storage of your Android smartphone, you can use this drive equally well. Although you'd probably just use a microSD card, which is a far more integrated solution, you still have the option if you really want. More usefully, because of the USB Type-C port, you can connect it to tablets and other devices, including laptops, to be used as a more standard portable SSD. Here again, because of its small size and solid build, it works phenomenally well.

With devices that support the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, you can get very close to the 20Gbps transfer rate, which is impressive. The design also dissipates heat well, enabling you to maintain those transfer rates even when the drive is used for a sustained period of time. Where performance does falter is when used with Mac systems, where the transfer rate drops from 20Gbps down to 10Gbps. However, this is not the fault of the drive but rather the technology that Apple incorporates, such as the Thunderbolt 3 and 4 rather than the USB option.

Through testing, the drive performed exceptionally well, with the 1TB capacity being more than enough for most video and large data files. The transfer rates on the iPhone proved more than sufficient for transferring work documents, images, and video at speed. Likewise, when connecting to a laptop—both Mac and PC systems—the transfer bit rates were exceptionally good, making it a great solution for use with both mobile devices and laptops.

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