Western Digital has launched a new portable USB SSD, the WD My Passport Go. The device boasts of a rubber coating and is designed to be shock resistant as well as drop resistant up to 2m. Combined with the use of solid-state flash memory with no moving parts, Western Digital is aiming this device at people who travel a lot and need to carry their data safely. The company says that the WD My Passport Go SSD is more durable as well as 2.5x faster than most portable hard drives. It also features an attached USB cable so there’s no chance of leaving the cable behind or losing it, which will be convenient for people who travel a lot.
The WD My Passport Go is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities, in Cobalt Blue and Amber trims. It is officially priced at Rs. 14,500 for 500GB and Rs. 29,500 for 1TB. It has been launched exclusively on Amazon.in on Amazon Prime Day, and the two variants are currently listed at much lower prices of Rs. 6,499 and Rs. 12,999 respectively. These are Prime Day Deal prices, so it is not currently clear how much the two variants will sell for after the promotional event is over.
Measuring 95 x 65 x 10mm and weighing 55g, the pocket-sized WD My Passport Go has a fixed USB cable with a USB Type-A port, and does not ship with a USB Type-C adapter. The underside of the device features a cutout where the cable and plug can be tucked, to make storage and carrying easier. The device was launched internationally at the CES trade show in January this year.
Western Digital includes its own backup and diagnostics software for Windows, and the drive is also fully compatible with Time Machine for backups on macOS. It can also be used with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game consoles. It is covered by a three year limited warranty. Performance is rated at 400MBps, and the drive comes formatted to the exFAT file system by default.
WD launched the My Passport SSD, featuring a more premium metal design, in India last year. The company has also recently refreshed its internal SSD offerings, across the WD Blue line for mainstream users and WD Black line for gamers and enthusiasts. The company sells internal as well as portable hard drives and SSDs, plus microSD cards, network devices, and enterprise storage solutions under its own name as well as through its SanDisk, G Technology, and HGST brands.