Need a portable SSD to add terabytes of capacity to your Mac or iPad? Prepare yourself for sticker shock — prices have taken quite a jump. Blame it on the severe global shortage of memory.
But you don’t have to pay more than necessary for that portable SSD. We can point you toward a few deals. Save up to 34%.
SSD deals: Why you want a portable SSD
A portable SSD is a great addition to your Mac, iPad or iPhone … or all three. It’s an easy way to add storage space without having to buy a whole new computer. Maybe your older Mac is jammed full, but its performance is good enough that you don’t feel the need to replace it. Plug in a portable SSD and add years to its useful life.
If you’re already a fan of portable SSDs, you may have noticed that prices have taken quite a jump in previous months. Blame the AI boom.
Demand for memory is surging as data centers consume vast quantities of flash storage. With chipmakers prioritizing more profitable AI products, fewer NAND chips are available for consumer-grade SSDs. The shortage is driving up prices. Way up.
Still, there are deals to be found on portable SSDs. Here are the best prices we could track down.
Get a deal on a Samsung portable SSD
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Cult of Mac’s review of the Samsung T9 shows that it’s one of the best on the market. It’s fast, rugged and portable.
- 4TB Samsung T9 —
$1144.99$797.23 (Save 30%) - 2TB Samsung T9 —
$574.99$438.67 (Save 24%) - 1TB Samsung T9 —
$287.99$249.99 (Save 13%)
Or choose a Kingston portable SSD deal
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The Kingston XS2000 is a tiny drive you can slip into your pocket. it comes from a company trusted to make quality SSDs.
- 4TB Kingston XS2000 —
$958.99$629 (Save 34%) - 2TB Kingston XS2000 —
$558.99$455.79 (Save 18%) - 1TB Kingston XS2000 —
$199.99 (Regular price)
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The Kingston XS1000 is a cheaper alternative. It’s also speedy and portable… and even more affordable. Check the Cult of Mac review for more details.
- 2TB Kingston XS1000 — $279.95 (Regular price)
- 1TB Kingston XS1000 —
$261.99$199.95 (Save 24%)
Get a deal on Sandisk Creator Phone SSD
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The Sandisk Creator Phone SSD uses MagSafe to magnetically attach to the back of an iPhone. It’s intended for people recording large amounts of 4K ProRes video with a recent iPhone Pro/Pro Max model. Don’t miss our review.
- 2TB SanDisk Creator Phone SSD — $313.50 (Regular price)
- 1TB SanDisk Creator Phone SSD — $224.99 (Regular price)
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
