Seagate intros mobile wireless HDD for iOS, Android devices

[Jos]

Seagate has announced an interesting new addition to its GoFlex range of external storage devices. Dubbed GoFlex Satellite, it's the first battery-powered hard drive to wirelessly connect to any Wi-Fi-enabled device, including iOS and Android tablets or smartphones. Priced at $200 for 500GB of storage it's certainly not for everyone, but Seagate believes that since most mobile devices are limited in storage, it can be a handy companion to take on the road.

The device's wireless radio supports up to three connections and lets you access any media on the drive through a web browser. There's also a dedicated GoFlex Media app for iOS that will let you transfer files between your device and the hard drive -- the Android version is said to be coming soon. Battery life will last about 5 hours of operation and about 25 hours when idle, and like other GoFlex drives, you can still hook it up to any computer via USB 2.0 or USB 3.0.

"With the GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage, we wished to create an elegant solution that provides real value to the multitude of iPad users out there by delivering a seamless connection to local storage," said Patrick Connolly, VP and general manager of Seagate's retail group. "No longer will a consumer feel as though it is a compromise to purchase a lower capacity tablet or iPad. With GoFlex Satellite, people will be able to carry their entire media library with them without the need for wires or the web at a fraction of the cost of adding 3G or purchasing or a higher capacity tablet."

The new device is basically a portable external hard drive, almost exactly the same as the GoFlex Pro or the GoFlex Ultra-portable, but with the addition of a built-in battery and Wi-Fi. Despite the additions is not too bulky for a 2.5-inch hard drive at 4.72 x 3.46 x 1.26 inches and weighing just over half a pound.

The GoFlex Satellite is available for pre-order now from Seagate.com, Amazon and BestBuy.com. It should arrive in retail stores this July, and an eventual global roll out is planned for later this summer.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/43810-seagate-intros-mobile-wireless-hdd-for-ios-android-devices.html

 

[Trillionsin]

a built in battery?

This is an interesting idea... glad to see you can still plug it in.. does this connection also charge the battery?

 

[Kibaruk]

It's the most logical thing that it does.

This looks amazing, though it's clearly aimed at a niche because the "Hey you can also plug it in" for a hundred and fifty extra dollars doesnt seem quite... attractive.

 

[Jos]

I'd think so too but it doesn't explicitly says so on the product page:

Simple 1-2-3 setup

Start by loading your media library on to your GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage device. Next, charge it with the included portable wall charger or car charger. Now you?re ready to start wirelessly streaming media to your iPad!

 

[Guest]

Can you swap out the battery to replace or upgrade the battery pack? That the question.

 

[Kibaruk]

Tried to check the data sheet but it linked me to a 404.

Would make it a little less fun to play with if you have to be tied to charging it into the wall =(

 

[Micro Watt]

Well, I'm sure Apple will not be so happy with this. If this catches on, then apple may see a decline in the number of higher capacity iPad's. One of apple's schemes is to restrict the amount of storage on each device forcing users to pay way more than they should just to get a few extra gigabytes ($100 Extra for just 16GB more).

The advertising statement seagate uses. "No longer will a consumer feel as though it is a compromise to purchase a lower capacity tablet or iPad", should be enough to put a frown on Steve Jobs face, and I won't be surprised if Apple somehow finds a way to make this method of storage less convenient. Think about it:

16GB iPad: $499
32GB iPad: $599
64GB iPad: $699

16GB iPad + Seagate HDD (Total of 516GB) : $699

It is better value for money to just buy the 16GB iPad and the Seagate HDD than buying a 64GB iPad.

ie. Loss of revenue for apple, and the sound of Steve Jobs weeping.