Samsung just took its portable storage to a new speed tier with its latest external SSDs. On Wednesday, the company unveiled the P9 and P7, a new generation of portable solid-state drives equipped with USB4 connectivity.
The flagship P9 is aimed at professionals who need to move huge amounts of data quickly, while the P7 offers a more affordable option for everyday storage. Both are designed to work with a broad range of devices, including the latest Macs and high-end iPads.
Samsung P9 portable SSD delivers seriously fast storage
Samsung’s P9 is the star of the new lineup. It can reach sequential read speeds of up to 4,000MBps and write speeds of up to 3,800MBps. For comparison, the Samsung T9, its previous top-of-the-line portable SSD, tops out at 2,000MBps for both sequential reads and writes.
The P9 also claims another impressive distinction: Samsung calls it the world’s first 8TB portable USB4 SSD capable of reaching 4,000MBps. The drive earned a CES 2026 Innovation Award earlier this year.
Samsung describes the P9’s sustained write performance as suitable for demanding professional workflows, including direct 12K recording. That gives photographers and videographers the ability to capture and work with enormous RAW image files and ultra-high-resolution video without relying on slower external storage.
The P9 portable SSD measures 3.5 inches by 2.6 inches by 0.3 inches, and weighs in at 0.22 pounds. Data access is via a single USB-C port.
Photo: Samsung
Samsung P7 SSD brings USB4 to more users
The Samsung P7 also uses USB4 but is positioned as a more versatile drive for everyday users. Samsung says it can be used with desktops, laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles and cameras.
It’s designed to survive the rigors of being carried around, with drop resistance from heights of up to 6.6 feet. Samsung also subjected the drive to shock and vibration durability testing.
The P7 is positioned as a useful option for people who want fast external storage without necessarily needing the extreme performance of the P9.
Like the P9, the P7 portable SSD measures 3.5 inches by 2.6 inches by 0.3 inches, and tips the scales at a mere 0.22 pounds.
Up to 8TB of portable storage
Both the Samsung P9 and P7 come in in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB capacities, although Samsung notes that availability can vary by market.
The P9 starts at $339.99 for 1TB and climbs to $2,699.99 for 8TB. The P7 starts at $289.99 for 1TB, with the 8TB model priced at $2,289.99.
These prices are undoubtedly affected by RAMageddon, a global shortage in memory chips that’s pushing up the cost of storage and RAM.
Samsung says the new P Series will begin rolling out globally on Aug. 31.
“As AI-powered content creation and ultra-high-resolution video make large amounts of data part of everyday life, users increasingly expect faster and more reliable storage experiences,” said Tommy Kwon, Vice President and Head of Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics, in a statement. “With fast file storage and backup, the P Series is designed to provide professionals and everyday users alike with the performance they need to work efficiently across a wide range of applications.”
About Macs, iPads and USB4
Although Apple emphasizes that Macs support the Thunderbolt standard, current macOS models with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 ports generally support USB4 as well, with compatible ports offering USB4 data speeds of up to 40Gbps. That includes recent MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro models.
For Mac users with USB4-equipped machines, Samsung’s new drives could offer a particularly compelling way to expand storage while taking advantage of the much faster interface. Of course, reaching Samsung’s headline speeds will depend on the host device and other hardware in the storage setup.
And even users of high-end iPad models can take full advantage of the Samsung P9 and P7. Recent iPad Pro models support USB4 at up to 40Gbps, alongside Thunderbolt 3.
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.
