This adorable OWC Envoy SSD even works with Apple’s iPhone 15

The recent fallout from the CrowdStrike update has been a reminder of how much we rely on our technology and the valuable data stored on it. While more and more of us now store our data in the cloud, there’s still nothing like having a local, physical backup of our most important data. I’ve gotten into the habit of backing up my work files daily with a simple routine powered by Belight Software’s Get Back Up Pro 3.

Once you get into the habit of backing up your data regularly, you’ll need a reliable and affordable place to store it. There are a ton of external SSDs on the market, from slow, cheap USB drives to ultra-fast Thunderbolt drives that can back up huge chunks of data in moments.

OWC is an American brand that produces a wide range of storage solutions, especially aimed at those of us who use Macs for work. While OWC drives work well with Windows and other systems, it’s nice to know that a company like OWC is willing to support those of us who love our Macs.

To strike a balance between speed and affordability, OWC has produced a tiny drive called the Envoy. This compact SSD is incredibly durable and is about the same size as a small matchbox. It’s small enough to fit comfortably in the ticket pocket of your jeans, and its casing is made of aircraft-grade aluminum, which provides excellent cooling properties to prevent thermal throttling.

Envoy is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities and can work with a wide range of devices thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface with a Type-C port. Envoy also works with USB 4 and Thunderbolt ports and can be mounted on Macs, iPads, PCs, or docking stations.

This little SSD comes preformatted as APFS, so it’s ready to work with most Macs. PC users can easily format the OWC drive with a different file structure for use with Windows, but it’s nice to see the drive come with APFS rather than ExFAT. Incidentally, OWC makes software called MacDrive (sold separately) that lets a Windows PC read an APFS-formatted Envoy if you want to work between the two platforms.

The Envoy SSD is aimed at consumers and is ideal for digital nomads and home-based professionals or those shooting video in the field, as it is bus-powered. The Envoy has a throughput of 10GB/s or 1250MB/s. During my testing using the Blackmagic Speed ​​​​Test, I managed a maximum write speed of 910.8MB/s, while the read speed was slightly lower at 716.5MB/s.

Recording slower actual speeds than listed is completely normal, and in everyday use the Envoy is certainly not bad. It passed speed tests for almost every function, all the way up to streaming 12K DCI 60 video.

To give you an example of how much the 1TB Envoy can hold, that’s the equivalent of storing 250,000 photos or 200 high-resolution videos. Or, to put it another way, that’s 24 PS4/Xbox games or 4.3 million MS Office documents. That’s a lot of space, and when formatted, it’s 960GB.

The OWC Envoy comes with free custom apps like OWC’s Copy That Mobile. This handy piece of software is a quick and easy way to copy photos and videos directly from your iPhone or iPad to your SSD, helping you free up valuable space on your smartphone’s internal storage while protecting your valuable data with its three-step Connect, Select, and Click backup process.

Verdict: Other SSDs on the market may be a bit cheaper, but I like that OWC thoroughly tests its storage products and that they work so well with Apple products out of the box. OWC tortures its products with serious real-world abuse during the development process, which means they offer good levels of reliability. I have yet to have an OWC drive fail me – keep up the good work. If you’re looking for a great compromise between price, speed, and reliability, the OWC Envoy is hard to beat and takes up very little space in your laptop bag. I highly recommend it.

Prices and availability: The Envoy SSD is available now from the OWC store for $119.76 for the 1TB version or $217.76 for the 2TB version.

Technical data:

• Capacity: 1TB / 2TB.
• SSD: OWC Aura Pro IV PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2242 SSD.
• Boot support: Mac only.
• Disk format: APFS for Mac and iPad
• Device Ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-C) up to 10 Gbps (1250 MB/s) – Backward compatible with USB 2.0/3.0.
• Data transfer speed (max): USB 3.2 Gen 2: up to 10 Gbps (or 1250 MB/s).
• Chipset/Controller: Jmicron JMS-583.
• Host interface: USB-C or USB-A.
• Mac OS Compatibility: macOS 10.13 – 14.x Sonoma.
• PC operating system compatibility: Windows 10 64-bit Edition, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2022, Windows 11.
• Mobile compatibility: iPadOS 13 – iPadOS 17, Android 13.x, iOS 17, iOS 16.
• Power: Bus powered.
• Security slot: No.
• Activity LED: Yes.
• Dimensions (H x L x W): 12 x 71 x 38 mm.
• Weight: 44.5 g.