Sony Announces the SL-E USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C External SSD

Highly Portable External SSD

Sony is launching their new SL-E series of external solid state drives. These compact storage units use the USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C interface for fast connectivity and wide compatibility. The device is barely the size of a credit card at 80 x 47 x 11mm, and weighs in at only 50g. However, it is capable of data transfer rates up to 540MB/s read and 520MB/s write.

Despite the small size, the SL-E is durable and resists finger prints. Thanks to its brushed aluminium wave-surface finish. Which also makes it easy to grip without using rubberized materials which attracts dust and prints. There is a small indicator LED at the back near the connector port which also lets users know when it is active. Besides that, it draws its power directly from the USB bus and needs no other cables.

The drive inside is pre-formatted using the exFAT file system. Which means it is compatible for use with both OS X 10.9 or later, as well as Windows 7 or later device. It is also compatible with some Android devices, the list of which is available on Sony’s website.

How Much is the Sony SL-E Series SSD?

Sony has not revealed the pricing yet. Although it will be available in three models of varying sizes. The SL-EG2 is the 240GB model, while the SL-EG5 has a 480GB capacity. The SL-E1 on the other hand provides the largest storage at 960GB.

Each package will include a 45.7cm USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C to Standard Type-A cable, as well as another 45.7cm USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable. It will also come with the ENC DataVault lite, as well as the FAT32 Formatter software.