SanDisk debuts Type-C 'Plug and Stay' flash drive that never needs to be taken out of your laptop — get up to 1TB of extra storage for just $120, with 400MB/s transfer speeds

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No internal SD card reader? No problem.

SanDisk Plug and Stay flash drive
(Image credit: Amazon - SanDisk)

Finding methods to increase storage capacity, without going to the cloud, is becoming increasingly difficult as device manufacturers remove SD card readers from their devices and replace M.2 or SATA storage with embedded solutions that can't be upgraded. SanDisk has developed a new USB flash drive that is designed to permanently stay in your device. The new drive is available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB options starting at $26, with the 1TB flagship model going for $120 (though at the time of writing, the 512GB and 1TB variants are "temporarily" out of stock).

The drive takes advantage of a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface, boasting transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s. That might not sound fast in our age of PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs capable of speeds well over 10GB/s. But 400MB/s is more than acceptable performance from a thumb drive, approaching SATA 3 speeds. In fact, with 400MB/s, you could game on SanDisk's thumb drive without a problem (for games that don't require speedy PCIe NVMe SSDs).

SanDisk's offering is a great solution if you need an extra 128GB to 1TB of storage in a pinch. It is becoming increasingly difficult to expand storage capacity on laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other devices as manufacturers continue to prioritize embedded solutions and the removal of SD and Micro SD card readers. SanDisk mostly fixes this problem with its thumb drive, and the best part is that it is still a thumb drive at the end of the day, so you can use it as any other thumb drive or just leave it in your device forever as a secondary SSD.

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Aaron Klotz
Aaron Klotz
Contributing Writer

Aaron Klotz is a contributing writer for Tom’s Hardware, covering news related to computer hardware such as CPUs, and graphics cards.

14 Comments Comment from the forums
  • pug_s
    I wouldn't buy this, this usb dongle can be broken if you dropped your laptop or something.
    Reply
  • Moxylite
    pug_s said:
    I wouldn't buy this, this usb dongle can be broken if you dropped your laptop or something.

    Would not fit while inserted in my laptop case either, "plug & don't stay"?

    Sandisk Reinventing the wheel. Readyboost drives all over again :P

    $10 Usb-C 128gb thumb drives exist & 400MB/s is slow too, LoL.

    Real speed? Buy a 2088 MB/s Read, 1827 MB/s Write - Fanxiang 512gb drive from Amazon + Usb-C to A adapter = $80

    (* anyone wondering if USB adapters affect speed-- if the USB-A end is Blue inside, then it will likely not affect performance and you’re good to go)
    Reply
  • KennyRedSocks
    pug_s said:
    I wouldn't buy this, this usb dongle can be broken if you dropped your laptop or something.

    That's what happened to me and a SanDisk Cruzer.
    They need to make one that actually fits nearly flush with the USB port, if it's intended to be pseudo-internal.
    Reply
  • Moxylite
    KennyRedSocks said:
    That's what happened to me and a SanDisk Cruzer.
    They need to make one that actually fits nearly flush with the USB port, if it's intended to be pseudo-internal.
    Exactly! ! Slipdrive for example, they almost have the right idea, aside from a flush port like you said =)

    https://i.postimg.cc/5y76WGvw/Untitled.png
    Reply
  • FunFast
    I've had some of the USB-A Plug and Stay drives from Sandisk and they worked well for adding storage even if the speed was slow. It was great for hauling around 100s of GB of PDFs and images I needed at the time for school and work. I feel like USB-A was more robust for this purpose with the majority of the flashdrive fitting in the port itself. There was just enough sticking out to grasp the drive when needed, but not enough to break it off.

    The USB-A 1TB version today is ~$90
    SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.2 Flash Drive - 1TB
    This version for USB-C seems a bit risky. I would worry more about damaging my device than the drive. I'm sure the drive is robust enough to not break during accidental bumps. But the port on the laptop would likely not hold up to the continuous flexing that is likely to happen.

    When they can make a USB-C version that fits mostly in the port like the old USB-A version ... then we're talking a true Plug and Stay solution. Then all you have to do it keep track of it and not drop it if you decide to take it out from some reason like today's microSD cards that are near impossible to store without a case of some sort.
    Reply
  • Amdlova
    Guys test the stablebit drivepool :) I have here on the NUC a HUB with 7thumb drive of 256gb. It's slow but each pendrive acess at 100mb/s for place movies, plex etc works great.

    serching on google have link program for 15$
    Reply
  • FriarDuBacon
    Admin said:
    SanDisk has created a new flash drive designed to be permanently integrated into your device, serving as a secondary storage solution.

    SanDisk debuts Type-C 'Plug and Stay' flash drive that never needs to be taken out of your laptop — get up to 1TB of extra storage for just $120, w... : Read more
    Dumbest crap ever, 400 MB/s transfer speeds for a drive designed to permanently take up a USB port that is capable of transfer speeds 10x higher than this. It's an SD card in a fancy housing.

    It'd cheaper to buy an SD card that's 2TB with a USB adapter and use that, or you know an M.2 NVME drive with USB housing adapter.
    Reply
  • lordmogul
    It sticks out of the device and takes up a USB port, nothing new.
    Heck, I've had tiny USB 2 thumbdrives more than a decade ago that did exactly the same thing.
    I have a card reader that is barely bigger than the microSD card in it. It lives on my keys and it's more likely you lose it than lacking space to carry it.

    If SanDisk improve the size to where it looks like a dust cover for the port, yeah, then they're on to something. At that point it might even become interesting for phones for the exact same purpse.

    But right now that is just another external drive.
    Reply
  • SpyroGyro
    Wow. What garbage. Do they even test market any of these products?

    With the ever decreasing amount of usb ports total (no less type c high speed) on the average laptop this thing is just going to get in the way. It projects too much, is too wide, ugly (granted that is subjective) and will get strained when any pressure from lifting or putting the laptop in a sleeve, bag or backpack.

    Yeah I'm not buying this any more than the overpriced g-drives the proprietary Pro-blades ssds. I swear all these companies think they are Apple where they can pressure their customers into buying proprietary or restrictive hardware. You don't have a cult following Sandisk. You make boring storage solutions! Make them useful, effective and ubiquitous.
    Reply
  • derekullo
    I'd always assumed those super small flash drives were the plug and stay ones!
    https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61WStIBJmYL._AC_SL1400_.jpg
    Also 400MB/s and much less chance of snapping off!
    Reply