SamsungBAR Plus 256 GB Type-A 300 MB/s USB 3.1 Flash Drive Champagne Silver (MUF-256BE3)

UPDATED Review: New Samsung DUO PlusI purchased this after upgrading my MacBook Pro to the new 16” model, which has USB-C ports.I originally bought a similar duo drive by Kingston, but couldn’t suffer the slow speeds and constant freezing, so looked for something better.This flash drive allows you to use both USB-C and USB-A, which is convenient if you are transferring files from a laptop to the new Mac. Remember to line up the arrows when using the USB-A adapter for optimal performance.I run a speed test using the USB-C port on a MacBook Pro and the results were: 64MB/s write and 383.9MB/s read, which is very impressive.The product is well made and comes with an end cap to protect the connectors from accidental damage when not in use. Samsung advertises that the drive is shock-proof, waterproof, temperature-proof, magnet-proof and x-ray-proof, which would be ideal for travellers, photographers, etc.Ideally, I would like Samsung to offer a smaller USB-C drive like their FIT Plus, which is 2/3 smaller than this one (see photo comparison), as the smaller flash drives have less chance of breaking if caught on something. Until then, this is a great alternative.I would definitely recommend this product and would happily buy again.Original Review of the FIT Plus:I searched the internet for good USB 3.1 flash drives and was in two minds whether to get this or the SanDisk. I've always used SanDisk drives in the past, but thought I'd give Samsung a go. I have to say that I've not had any problems with this at all. It transfers data very fast and I've not experienced any warming up of device (even when large amounts GB's onto it).It's small and doesn't stick out like other flash drives. It's perfect if you want to put movies on to watch on your TV or music to play in the car.

Unfortunately my previous USB was obliterated after tripping over my laptop charging leed and it falling on the USB stick while in the port so I looked around for a well priced, small and robust USB which could handle high transfer speeds, something which was a high priority for me when looking for a large capacity drive. I ended up buying the 128GB model of this USB stick and was very happy with what I got, It looks very stylish and feels weighty which gives a very quality and sturdy feel when combined with the metal unibody. The performance was pretty good too, I measured 330MB/s read and a slightly dissapointing 66MB/s write however the random reads and writes were very good compared to all my previous drives, averaging about 3MB/s. It only gets slightly warm during long transfers which is a big improvement from my last one which had the potential to cause burns. It goes well on a keyring however only really works one way, if you flip it round so that the flat side is closest to the keys then it sticks out a good 90 degrees and refuses to go round any further. All in all, a great product and I would definitely reccomend it for the price.

I needed a solid state drive to record multitrack audio channels from a QSC Touchmix 16 digital mixing desk. QSC recommend a number of SSD drives and also a similar Samsung USB flash drive. I bought this model for its speed (USB 3.0 / 300mbps) and it’s generous capacity (128GB) as well as it’s lower cost compared to more expensive SSD drives! I have now tried it and can confirm that it does indeed work wth the QSC Touchmix Mixing desk and has successfully recorded multitrack audio files! I can’t confirm the exact read/write speeds of the device but it’s obviously quite fast to be able to record around 16 channels of audio direct to the stick. It is nowhere near as fast as an SSD drive (as expected) but fulfilled its purpose successfully! It will only deliver the higher speeds when used with a USB 3.0 compatibile device but is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 also. This device is decent value for money as it offers around 128GB of (fairly fast) storage space for a competitive price! It is also quite robust having a metal construction and is also small in size and weight! In addition it has a handy keyring loop to avoid loss and keep it safe during transportation. Recommended!

I got this to help me transfer files from my laptiop to my tablet and also for watching downloaded video on my XBOX. This Samsung USB Stick is perfect because it is plug and play, comes with nothing installed on it and has fast read write speeds. It's also got a metal casing so is very solid and robust. It's perfect for playing videos on my XBOX and I have had no issues with the media when being played directly from this Samsung Stick. I have dropped a star off because it states it's 64GB however there is only 59.7GB free space which is a little disappointing.

Great USB stick and fast.

Chunky metal construction is just what's needed for "live" use, such as when running a Linux OS. A thumb drive can get awfully warm in such circumstances, and that metal housing helps greatly with heat dissipation. The one downside is the drive's slick, tapering shape, which makes it a tad difficult to grab/pick up from a flat surface (unless of course you attach it to a lanyard or a keychain).

It obviously depends on the SD card controller your system has, but mine returned the performance you see in the attached screenshot. One of the fastest flash drives of this form factor.I had no problem formatting and readying it for my nVidia Shield TV 4K system at home. I transferred a bunch of games and emulation applications for retro gaming, along with all the ROM and ISO files and large games like Asphalt. The system is pretty fast and using it does not feel like you're using external storage.I got it for ~45 bucks Canadian after it was on a 15% discount and think that it is worth it in every way. Performance, portability and the small loop for use in your keychain and etc. In short, I made a happy and efficient purchase.

I have been using this device for over 2 years now. Still kicking. I would highly recommend.

I used it for my Roku TV. Small and out of sight. It works great.