Able to store more than 2 million 3.5-megabyte (MB) photos, 1.8 million 4MB music files, or 3,500 2-gigabyte (GB) videos, the new Samsung T5 EVO Portable SSD is here!

Samsung Electronics America unveiled the T5 EVO, a light-weight and portable Solid State Drive (SSD) that provides up to 8 terabytes (TB) of capacity, the largest capacity currently available on the USB portable SSD market. The drive, which expands the T lineup of portable drives from Samsung, is perfect for anyone looking to shift from hard disk drives (HDDs) to SSDs. Along with its capacity, the T5 EVO delivers solid speeds in a compact and durable design, making it ideal for those looking to store and access files, photos, videos and more.

The T5 EVO joins the award-winning Samsung portable SSD portfolio, providing another great option for high-capacity storage alongside the T7 Shield, for adventurers seeking extreme durability, and the T9, for professional use. The T5 EVO has the largest storage capacity of any Samsung portable SSD and improves the external HDD experience by offering improved speed and reliability. Based on USB 3.2 Gen 1, the T5 EVO can transfer data up to 3.8 times faster than external HDDs, making it even easier for you to transfer large files.

“It’s reported that over 1 trillion photos are taken worldwide every year” said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung, adding “that means more people than ever need increased storage capacity options to preserve their favorite memories, videos, and content”. “The T5 EVO provides the perfect solution – with an even higher capacity of 8TB, which helps ensure you no longer need to erase old pictures from your device to save new ones. Plus, the drive’s portable design helps you take your data anywhere with you, instead of being tethered to your desk setup.”

92.5% of photos are taken with smartphones

The number of photos captured each year, based on a report from Photutorial, is in fact even more impressive: 1.81 trillion photos are taken worldwide every year, which equals 57,000 per second, or 5.0 billion per day. By 2030, around 2.3 trillion photos will be taken every year. According to Photutorial data, 1.2 trillion were taken worldwide in 2021 and 1.72 trillion in 2022. And for something even more interesting in a long list of surprising revelations from the report, 92.5% of photos are taken with smartphones, and only 7% with cameras.

So, there is a real need for ways to save all those memories, and do it wherever you are. External HDDs have been the solution for a long time, but products like the Samsung T5 EVO Portable SSD offer enhanced portability and ergonomic design. Furthermore, traditionally, external HDDs may often encounter slow transfer speeds and are at higher risk of data loss due to mechanical problems. With the help of Samsung V-NAND flash technology and electronic parts, the T5 EVO shows faster file access speeds, eliminates noise and heat concerns, and even allows large-capacity file editing directly from the device.

While the T5 EVO maintains the compact features of the Samsung portable SSD portfolio, it sports a new slender rectangle body, deviating from the business card design for the first time. Weighing just 3.6 ounces and measuring 3.74 inches in length and 1.57 inches in width, the drive can be held in the palm of your hand. Plus, it can fit the same amount of capacity with faster speeds when compared to an external HDD.

Storage capacities up to 8TB

Even with its small footprint, the T5 EVO can hold the largest amount of data in the Samsung portable SSD portfolio. With storage capacities of up to 8TB, the T5 EVO can accommodate large files, videos, photos and games, making it suitable for work and play. An 8TB T5 EVO can store more than 2 million 3.5-megabyte (MB) photos, 1.8 million 4MB music files, or 3,500 2-gigabyte (GB) videos.

When it’s time to transfer files from one device to the T5 EVO or vice versa, the drive delivers sequential read and write speeds of up to 460 megabytes per second (MB/s) and sustained performance twice as fast as competing SATA-based portable SSDs.

The T5 EVO is compatible with a range of operating systems such as macOS and Windows, and host devices, such as smartphones, PCs, tablets, and gaming consoles. The T5 EVO also features Samsung Magician software, which provides a comprehensive set of drive management features, including real-time drive health checks, genuine authentication checks, performance benchmarks and firmware updates.

Samsung Dynamic Thermal Guard technology safeguards against overheating and maintains optimal operating temperatures. Moreover, the portable SSD supports Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256-bit hardware data encryption, giving you confidence in how your data is stored.

Extra protection against drops

The T5 EVO comes in black with a titan gray metal ring so it can be easily fastened to any bag or piece of luggage. Furthermore, its metal body and rubberized surface provide extra protection against drops of up to six and a half feet so your files are much more likely to survive a few bumps and bruises as you go about your life.

The T5 EVO is available at Samsung.com and select retailers with the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) of $189.99 for the 2TB, $349.99 for the 4TB and $649.99 for the 8TB. The T5 EVO comes with a USB Type-C-to-C cable and includes a three-year limited warranty. For more information, visit https://samsung.com/portable-ssd.