Offering you up to 512GB of storage space and the SecureAccess software available only for SanDisk devices, the SanDisk Ultra comes up behind many others to be the best USB flash drive out there. While these features are remarkable, it does come with a transfer speed comparable to that of a memory card, but if you go past that, you’ll find a device that is both compatible across multiple systems and even comes at a very affordable price.
Why We Like It – SanDisk Ultra
Letting you transfer an entire movie in under 40 seconds, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 is among the best choices of USB flash drives out there. It features USB 3.0 with much greater speeds than the USB 2.0 thumb drives like the SanDisk Cruzer CZ36, and paired with the SecureAccess software, it provides you with an amazing way to keep your files safe from both unwanted eyes as well as a hardware malfunction. And so, with all of that and a number of storage options packed into a simple yet elegant body, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 is a great choice for a USB flash drive.
- Wide choice of storage space.
- Affordable price
- Compatible across multiple systems
- Transfer speeds are comparatively slow for USB 3.0
Performance
Featuring read and write speeds of upto 130 MB/s, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48, although comparable to it’s microSD card alternatives, transfer files at a speed faster than most USB 2.0 devices like the SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 as well as the Cruzer Glide CZ60. To make it more detailed, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 offers you sequential read speeds of upto 100MB/s while the write speed varies to be upto 48MB/s. Now do keep in mind that the speeds vary with the respective storage sizes, and so anything other than the above 16GB will have a read and write speed which will be more than enough for you. If you want a USB Drive that can act as an additional storage for devices with USB Type-C ports, open the Silicon power C80 review.
Apart from that, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 also offers you a wide range of options when it comes to storage space. Starting from 16GB you can go all the way up to 512 GB to store all the files you’ll need. This is much greater than what the Kingston DataTraveler or the PNY Turbo USB flash drives offer. And even though its speed may not be up to par with some other thumb drives, the SanDisk Ultra also offers a good amount of system compatibility ranging from almost all versions of Windows and Mac, making sure you won’t need to buy microSD cards or even a card reader.
Moreover, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 also provides you with an added layer of security thanks to its 128-bit AES encryption and password protection. And while that will protect your files from hackers and any other unwanted eyes, the RescuePRO deluxe software also helps you out by letting you download any files that you may have lost to an accident.
Design
With a capless slider design as like many other SanDisk devices, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 protects your USB connector from any form of external damage while a hole at the back allows you to attach a key-ring, making sure you never end up losing it. Apart from that, the SanDisk Ultra may not be as durable as the Kingston DataTravelers metal build , its own plastic build stands to hold out against almost every situation for most people.
It doesn’t however come with an LED to indicate whether or not the device is connected which might be a problem for some of you.
Value
With the 16GB version starting at $7 and going upto $90 for the 512GB thumb drive, the SanDisk Ultra does come at a pretty reasonable price. It offers both security and backup measures while also giving you a pretty solid and durable design with the sliding mechanism. Its compatibility with Windows and Mac devices helps you also save money on purchasing additional file sharing accessories, like a card reader. It’s read speed and write speed are not the fastest, but they’re still pretty good and so if you’re willing to compromise a little bit of the speed for more security at an affordable price, the SanDisk Ultra is definitely worth your money. You can also check out the SanDisk Ultra memory cards which offer great performance. Featuring great sequential read and write speeds with the rating of Speed Class 10, the SanDisk Ultra memory cards are in the form of standard SD cards as well as microSD cards. If you’re after an even faster flash drive, the SanDisk Extreme Pro has impressive write and read speeds and claims to be able to transfer up to 4GB of data in under 25 seconds.
SanDisk Ultra Wrap Up
It may not be in the same speed class as the SanDisk Extreme Pro, but with a moderately good speed, a pretty solid looking design with a key-ring attaching hole and also some pretty good enough security and backup measures , the SanDisk Ultra is a great USB flash drive and one that many of you will love.
