Not so long ago, Samsung created a bit of a shock in the SSD world with the ultra-fast Samsung T1 SSD. When I reviewed it, I was surprised to see that, over USB 3.0, it was nearly as fast as my internal SATA drive. At CES 2016, Samsung launches the Samsung T3 SSD, the next-generation T-Series SSD drive.
The key goals of the T3 SSD remain the as the T1’s: speed (450MB/s), portability (51g), and security (AES-256 encryption). However, the Samsung T3 gets a new design: a metal casing which should increase its durability to shock and pressure. We’ve been told that its specs would allow it to be dropped from 6-feet high without consequences. I don’t recall a similar claim for the T1, si it’s hard to compare, but 6-feet sounds pretty good, especially for something that is relatively light.
With a maximum Read/Write performance of 460MB/sec, the peak performance is entirely comparable to the T1. The main difference, design aside, is the higher capacity that can now reach 2TB (vs. 1TB previously). The second difference is that it comes by default with a USB-C connector, along with an adapter for the classic USB port.
As far as we know, the Samsung T3 SSD still has an AES 256-bit encryption, and we expect it to be certified to the following standards: CE, BSMI, KC, VCCI, C-tick, FCC, IC, UL, TUV, CB.
The T3 SSD should become available in March 2016, at a price that has yet to be determined, although logic would dictate that it will partially displace the T1. It will also come with a 3-year warranty.