There’s a specific kind of panic that sets in when you’re in the middle of a perfect shot—the light is golden, the action is unfolding flawlessly—and a notification pops up on your screen: “iPhone Storage Full.” I’ve been there. We were filming a time-sensitive interview for a client, using the incredible camera on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. We had chosen to shoot in 4K ProRes for maximum quality, not realizing just how quickly those massive files would devour the phone’s internal memory. The flow was broken, precious minutes were lost frantically deleting old apps and photos, and the momentum was gone. This isn’t just an inconvenience; for content creators, videographers, and even avid photographers, it’s a workflow catastrophe. In today’s world of high-resolution media, internal storage is no longer a luxury but a limitation. The need for a fast, reliable, and portable external storage solution isn’t just a want; it’s an absolute necessity for anyone serious about creating high-quality content on the move.
- Strong Magnetic: attach your cell phone with magnetic attraction, don't worry about falling off. The package includes a magnetic attraction ring, which can easily attach any devices you want
- Instant Expansion: This external solid state drive could plug and play for devices, it can solve your insufficient memory problem in a moment, ORICO portable SSD is the ideal choice for photography...
Before You Click ‘Buy’: A Guide to Choosing the Right External SSD
An External Solid State Drive is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for breaking free from the digital confines of your devices. It’s a speed booster for your workflow, a vault for your precious memories, and a bridge between your creative vision and the final product. For videographers, it means the ability to shoot demanding formats like 4K ProRes directly from their phone. For photographers, it’s an instant field backup for a day’s worth of RAW photos. For the everyday user, it’s a simple, lightning-fast way to offload photos and videos to free up critical phone space without relying on slow cloud uploads. The core benefits are speed, portability, and capacity, a trifecta that can fundamentally change how you manage your digital life.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone deeply embedded in the modern content creation ecosystem, particularly iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max users who want to leverage external recording capabilities. Mobile journalists, vloggers, and independent filmmakers who need a compact, lightweight rig will find immense value here. However, it might not be suitable for those who only need to store Word documents or small files; a more affordable USB flash drive would suffice. Likewise, users with older Lightning-based iPhones (iPhone 14 and below) will not be able to use this drive, as it relies on the high-speed data and power delivery of the USB-C port. For those users, cloud storage or Wi-Fi transfer devices remain the primary options.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Portability: When your SSD is attached to your phone or living in your camera bag, every gram and millimeter counts. Look for a device that is not only small but also lightweight. Features like the magnetic attachment on the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD are designed specifically for this mobile use case, aiming to create a seamless unit with your phone rather than having a separate drive dangling precariously.
- Capacity & Performance: Don’t be swayed by peak speed numbers alone. While a 2000MB/s rating is impressive, the crucial metric for video recording is *sustained* write speed. Drives use a small amount of ultra-fast SLC cache for initial bursts, but once that’s full, speeds can drop dramatically. For large file transfers and especially high-bitrate video, understanding a drive’s sustained performance is far more important than its flashy peak speed.
- Materials & Durability: Your external drive will likely face bumps, drops, and the general chaos of a gear bag. Many premium SSDs use aluminum enclosures for superior heat dissipation and durability. The Orico A20PLUS opts for a plastic build to achieve its incredible lightness, which presents a trade-off between weight and perceived ruggedness. Always check for claims of dust and drop resistance.
- Ease of Use & Connectivity: A great external drive should be plug-and-play. The USB-C standard has made connectivity much simpler, but ensure your host device (laptop, phone) has a port that can take full advantage of the drive’s speed. For iPhone users, this means an iPhone 15 Pro or newer is required for direct recording. Also consider the included cables; a short, high-quality cable is a small but significant part of a good user experience.
While the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD is an excellent choice for a specific niche, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
Our Comprehensive Breakdown of the Best Budget External SSDs
- Get NVMe solid state performance with up to 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive(1) (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device...
- Transfers files nearly 9.5x faster than external hard disk drive (HDD)
- High-speed Performance: Designed for casual gamers and everyday use, this external SSD with up to 1050MB/s accelerates large file transfers, media editing, and backup processes outperforming...
Unboxing the Orico A20PLUS: Featherlight Design Meets Magnetic Promise
Pulling the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD from its packaging, my first reaction was one of genuine surprise. It is astonishingly light. As one user aptly put it, it feels almost like an “empty plastic box.” In a world where tech gear often feels dense and heavy, this featherlight quality is its most defining physical characteristic. Weighing in at under 100 grams, it immediately signals that this device is built for portability. The enclosure is a matte grey plastic that, while not feeling as premium as the aluminum shells of competitors like the Samsung T7, is pleasant to the touch and resistant to fingerprints.
Inside the box, the essentials are covered. Orico includes a short, flat, dual-head USB-C cable that is the perfect length for connecting the drive to a phone it’s magnetically attached to—no messy, dangling wires. They also thoughtfully include a self-adhesive magnetic ring for phones or cases that don’t have built-in MagSafe. Snapping the drive onto the back of our iPhone 15 Pro Max was deeply satisfying. The magnetic connection is strong and secure, grabbing onto the phone with a confident “thunk.” It feels like a single, cohesive unit, a promise of a streamlined, cable-managed mobile shooting rig that many creators have been dreaming of.
Key Benefits
- Incredibly lightweight and compact design enhances portability.
- Strong magnetic attachment creates a seamless rig with MagSafe-compatible phones.
- True plug-and-play functionality for instant file access and recording.
- Excellent peak speeds for general file transfers and backups.
Limitations
- Sustained write speeds are insufficient for long-duration 4K 60fps ProRes recording.
- Plastic construction feels less durable than aluminum-bodied competitors.
Performance Under Pressure: A Deep Dive into the A20PLUS
A product can have a brilliant design, but it lives or dies on its performance. For the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD, the core promises are twofold: a revolutionary magnetic workflow for mobile creators and blistering 2000MB/s transfer speeds. We put both of these claims to the test in a series of real-world and benchmark scenarios to see where it excels and, more importantly, where it falters. The results paint a picture of a highly specialized tool that is brilliant for some tasks and a potential liability for others.
The Magnetic Workflow: A Game-Changer for Mobile Rigs?
Let’s start with the feature that truly sets this drive apart: its magnetic attachment. This is not a gimmick; it is a genuinely transformative design choice for anyone who has ever tried to build a mobile video rig. In the past, connecting an external SSD meant using a cage, clamps, or simply letting the drive dangle. It was clumsy, insecure, and added complexity. The A20PLUS changes that entirely. Attaching it to our MagSafe case was effortless, and the connection felt incredibly secure. We could shake the phone vigorously without any fear of the drive falling off. This is a sentiment echoed by users who praise the “solid” magnet and how it “sticks like a barnacle.”
In a practical shooting scenario, the benefit is immediate. We were able to go from a pocketed phone to a fully rigged external recording setup in seconds. Attach the drive, plug in the short, included USB-C cable, and you’re ready to roll. There are no long cables to snag or manage. The drive’s shocking lightness means it adds negligible weight or bulk to the phone, maintaining a comfortable hand-held experience. For run-and-gun shooting, vlogging, or any situation where speed and minimalism are key, this magnetic system is a massive success. It simplifies the entire process, removing a major point of friction for mobile filmmakers. The convenience offered by this magnetic feature cannot be overstated and is, for many, the primary reason to consider this drive.
Speed Claims vs. Real-World Reality: The 2000MB/s Question
Orico advertises “ultra-speed stable transmission up to 2000MB/s.” This number requires some context. First, achieving such speeds necessitates a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port, which is found on some high-end PC motherboards but is not standard on most laptops or any current smartphone. The iPhone 15 Pro, for instance, has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, which maxes out at 10Gbps (theoretically 1250MB/s). When we connected the A20PLUS to our test bench PC with a compatible port, we did see impressive peak read speeds approaching the 2000MB/s mark in synthetic benchmarks like CrystalDiskMark. Write speeds were also very strong initially, confirming the drive has a fast controller and flash memory.
However, real-world performance is what truly matters. We transferred a 120GB folder containing mixed media files—videos, RAW photos, and documents. The transfer started at a blistering pace, well over 1000MB/s, but after about 30-40GB of data was written, the speed dropped significantly. This is typical behavior when an SSD’s fast SLC cache is exhausted and data begins writing directly to the slower TLC or QLC NAND flash. For everyday users just looking to back up their photo library or transfer a few videos, this is a non-issue. As one satisfied user noted, it’s user-friendly and great for transferring pictures and videos to save phone space. In these common use cases, the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD performs admirably and feels exceptionally fast.
The ProRes Gauntlet: Can It Handle Professional Video Recording?
This is the make-or-break test. The product is marketed specifically for “4K ProRes HDR Record and Store,” targeting iPhone 15 Pro videographers. Apple’s ProRes codec is fantastic for post-production flexibility, but it generates enormous files at a consistently high bitrate. This requires a storage device that can sustain very high write speeds for long periods without faltering. Unfortunately, this is where the A20PLUS hits a hard wall.
We configured an iPhone 15 Pro Max to record 4K at 60fps in Apple ProRes LOG directly to the drive. For the first 15-20 minutes, everything worked flawlessly. The phone recognized the drive instantly, and recording began without a hitch. However, as our test mirrored the findings of a critical user review, the drive’s performance fell off a cliff once its SLC cache was saturated. At around the 20-minute mark (approximately 270GB of data written), the dreaded “Slow Media” warning appeared in the Blackmagic Camera app, followed by dropped frames and a forced stop to the recording. We repeated the test with the native camera app and experienced the same result, with the recording halting after about 35 minutes in one instance.
This is a critical failure for its primary marketing claim. While the file recorded up to that point was safe and accessible, the inability to reliably record until the drive is full makes it unsuitable for long-form content like interviews, event coverage, or continuous takes. To be fair, some users have had success recording 4K 60fps, which suggests it might handle shorter clips without issue. For a 5-minute take, it works perfectly. But for professionals who need a drive that can absorb an hour of continuous ProRes footage, the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD introduces an unacceptable level of risk into the workflow.
What Other Users Are Saying
Sifting through feedback from other buyers reveals a clear divide based on use case. On one side, you have users who are thrilled with the product. One individual, using it with their iPhone, called it a “product of great quality,” praising its instant recognition and “very fast” transfer of photos and videos. Another couldn’t be happier, stating, “I can’t leave it! Very light to carry. Great size. Transfer speed doing well. Magsafe works pretty well!” These users are primarily focused on the drive’s portability, magnetic convenience, and its performance for general file management, for which it excels.
On the other side of the spectrum are the power users who pushed the drive to its advertised limits. The most damning report comes from a videographer who stated bluntly, “Writes speeds too slow for 4k60 Prores. SLC cache runs out after ~270 GB written (20 mins recording). Drops frames.” This technical, specific feedback perfectly matched our own findings and highlights the drive’s critical weakness. Another user noted that while recording ProRes on their iPhone, a warning appeared stating the “SSD is slow.” There’s also understandable confusion from owners of older iPhones with Lightning ports who, despite using adapters, found the drive wouldn’t work, reinforcing that this is strictly a modern USB-C device.
How Does the Orico A20PLUS Stack Up? A Look at the Competition
The Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD occupies a unique space due to its magnetic feature, but it faces stiff competition from established players in the portable SSD market. Understanding the alternatives is key to making the right choice for your specific needs.
1. Samsung T5 1TB Portable SSD
- Superfast read write speeds: SSD with V-NAND offers ultra-fast data transfer speeds of up to 540MB s (up to 4.9x faster than external HDDs); Ideal for transferring large-sized data including 4K...
- Compact and portable design: Top to bottom shock resistant metal design fits in the palm of your hand and easily slides in your pocket or purse to take work and entertainment on the go
The Samsung T5 is a legend in the portable storage world. While its USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface limits it to speeds around 540MB/s, its reputation is built on unwavering reliability and a tough-as-nails aluminum unibody construction. It’s significantly slower than the Orico A20PLUS and certainly not suitable for direct 4K 60fps ProRes recording. However, for photographers needing a rugged field backup drive or users who prioritize durability and proven performance for general storage over raw speed and magnetic convenience, the T5 remains a gold standard. It’s the dependable workhorse of the industry.
2. Asus ROG STRIX Arion M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure
- USB Type-C 3 2 Gen 2 for transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps
- Supports M 2 PCIe NVM Express SSDs with 2230/2242/2260/2280 form factor M 2 NVMe SSD not included
The Asus ROG STRIX Arion represents a completely different approach. This is not a drive, but a high-performance enclosure that allows you to install your own M.2 NVMe SSD. This offers ultimate flexibility and control. You can pair it with a top-of-the-line NVMe drive known for exceptional sustained write performance (like a Samsung 980 Pro or WD Black SN850X) to build a storage solution that will never falter during ProRes recording. It features a robust aluminum alloy case for heat dissipation and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) interface. This path is for the tech-savvy user who wants to guarantee performance and is willing to assemble their own solution.
3. Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB
- Transfers files nearly 9.5x faster than external hard disk drive (HDD)
- Reads up to 1,050 megabyte per second and Writes up to 1,000 megabyte per second
The Samsung T7 is arguably the most direct competitor to the Orico A20PLUS in the mainstream market. It offers read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 2. While its peak speed is half that advertised by Orico, the T7 is renowned for its excellent sustained performance and thermal management, making it a much more reliable choice for demanding tasks like video editing and recording. It features a sleek, shock-resistant aluminum body and is a favorite among creative professionals. If guaranteed, stable performance is more important to you than the magnetic attachment, the Samsung T7 is the safer, more professional option.
Our Final Verdict: Is the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD Right for You?
After extensive testing, the Orico A20PLUS 512GB Magnetic External SSD emerges as a product of brilliant innovation with a significant caveat. Its magnetic design and featherlight construction are genuinely game-changing for mobile content creators, offering a level of convenience and integration that no competitor can match. For vloggers, journalists, and photographers who need a quick and easy way to offload files or record shorter video clips on the go, this drive is a fantastic and elegant solution.
However, its marketing as a robust solution for high-end 4K ProRes recording proves to be its Achilles’ heel. The drive’s inability to sustain the required write speeds for long-duration recording makes it a risky proposition for professionals working on critical projects like interviews or event coverage. It is a specialist tool that excels in portability and convenience but falls short on the pro-grade performance it promises. If your workflow consists of short takes and general file backups, and you value the magnetic ecosystem above all, this drive is a compelling choice. For those needing guaranteed, mission-critical recording performance for long-form video, we recommend looking at more established alternatives. If you understand its limitations and your needs align with its strengths, you can find the latest price and check availability here.
Last update on 2025-11-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API