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Silicon Power made a 480GB waterproof portable SSD

Silicon Power made a 480GB waterproof portable SSD

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No price or release date yet, though

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Photo: Silicon Power

Accident-prone desk workers can soon breathe a small sigh of relief, because Silicon Power has announced its first portable SSD: a new puck-shaped hard drive that’s IP68 dust and water resistant. The Bolt B80 drive comes in three storage variants (120GB, 240GB, and 480GB), is made of machined aluminum, and is about the size of a makeup compact.

The B80 uses USB 3.1 via a Type-C connector, and comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable, according to AnandTech, and should be compatible with everything back to USB 2.0. File transfer speeds are a moderate 500 MB/s and 450 MB/s for reading and writing, respectively, which is just behind what you’ll find on Samsung’s own portable SSDs.

At 11.9mm thick, Silicon Power is arguing the B80 is the thinnest portable SSD on the market. Whether or not it holds onto that distinction is kind of moot; the drive is an excellent example of the physical benefits of SSDs. Beyond the lack of moving parts that can be dangerous to data, SSDs are also allowing for more portable, stylish, and durable designs when it comes to the places we store all our digital stuff.

Unfortunately, Silicon Power not talking price just yet. That’s a shame. I think the B80 would look great on my mess of a desk, a small shimmering beacon in a forest of boxes and papers which overwhelmingly disprove that I’m responsible with my things, physical or digital. But at the very least, I’d like to know how much that sniff of self-improvement would set me back.