ADATA Urban Tapsafe SSD Review | Tapped into Convenience

The ADATA Urban Tapsafe is an external SSD designed for speed, portability and intelligent security. This will interest users looking for fast storage. More importantly, it gains NFC tap-to-unlock support. This allows you to unlock the drive with a compatible smartphone.

That is a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 drive. It can reach transfer speeds of up to 1,900 MB/s for both reading and writing. Capacity ranges from 500 Go to 2 To. It also comes with a handy clip design and magnetic covers. It's designed for those who want fast, portable storage but still want something different from a traditional external SSD. The Tech Atlantix team will see how it shapes up in design, performance, NFC security, portability and day-to-day use. We'll also discuss its strengths and drawbacks.

Now, let’s take a look at its features and specifications.

·         USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface

·         Up to 1,900 MB/s sequential read speed

·         Up to 1,900 MB/s sequential write speed

·         NFC tap-to-unlock security

·         Dedicated URBAN TAPSAFE mobile app

·         Available in 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities

·         68.68 × 36.18 × 19.18 mm dimensions

·         About 72.61 g weight

·         Built-in clip mount design

·         Magnetic decorative covers

·         Compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices

·         Five-year warranty

·         Supports sharing access with up to nine users

The Urban Tapsafe is sleek and modern, in common with the best SSDs in the market at the time of writing. Its dimensions are approximately 68.68 × 36.18 × 19.18 mm. Its weight is approximately 72.61 gm. That makes it portable enough to shove into your pocket (although heavier than a barebones portable SSD).

The integrated clip is its best design feature. You can mount it to a bag, pocket, smartphone cage or camera setup. It comes in handy, especially for creators who work on the go and need some space. In addition, the drive has magnetic decorative lids. These covers are tool-less and easy to swap out. As a result, the SSD can look more personal and up to date.

First, we saw the NFC access system in Urban Tapsafe as its biggest feature. Rather than relying on a static password, you use the app and tap your phone to the SSD to unlock it. After you disconnect it, the drive automatically locks.

This is convenient. Well, there is one very big caveat. I should note that NFC unlocking doesn't provide full hard disk encryption. Latest tests show the drive does not protect files with hardware encryption. So, users working with highly sensitive data should understand this limitation before buying it.

It can also support teamwork and coordination among workers. According to ADATA, you can add up to nine more users and set whether they can read or write. This helps keep the SSD viable for shared projects.

The Urban Tapsafe uses USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, with up to 20 Gbps of connectivity. It can deliver up to 1,900 MB/s sequential reads and writes on paper. So it is fast enough for huge files, video projects, game storage, and everyday transfers.

However, in real-world use, performance couldn't always be relied upon. Tom's Hardware got up and running with some variable read speeds. Once we securely erased and reformatted the drive, performance became more stable and was better aligned with advertised speeds.

Moreover, there is another thing about sustained writing. You can hold the drive at ~1,800-1,900 MB/s for a couple of minutes. Once its cache is full, though, write speeds can plummet. In testing, speeds veered down to around 250MB/s and eventually below 70MB/s during an extended 15-minute workload. This shouldn't be a big issue for normal file transfers. That said, anyone moving hundreds of gigabytes regularly should note it.

The Urban Tapsafe is made for the device jumper. It supports Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android (on mobile devices with OTG and external SSD support). The clip also suits mobile creators. It offers several mounting options, such as use with a camera rig or a smartphone cage. In short, photographers and videographers can keep extra storage near their setup without extra mountable gear.

The Urban Tapsafe is powered through its USB connection. The power adapter does not need a separate sleeve. This also makes it easy to connect to compatible laptops, desktops, and mobile devices.

To deliver maximum performance, the drive must connect over a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 link. Speeds will be slower if you connect to a slower USB port. So users should check their device before assuming full 1,900 MB/s performance.

Here is what it offers:

Pros

·         Fast read and write speeds up to 1,900 MB/s

·         Convenient NFC tap-to-unlock feature

·         Can share access with up to nine users

·         Useful built-in clip for mobile setups

·         Magnetic covers provide a unique design

·         Compact and portable body

·         Works across major operating systems

·         Five-year warranty

Cons

·         It is more expensive than many standard external SSDs

·         It does not provide hardware encryption for stored files

·         Sustained write performance can drop heavily after the cache is exhausted

·         Full speed requires USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 support

·         The clip opening is relatively small

The ADATA Urban Tapsafe is something a little different for an external SSD. This is not just fast storage. Instead, it pairs high speed with NFC access, user sharing, a clip-mounting system, and a very cute magnetic design.

It is a good option for photographers, videographers, mobile creators and professionals transferring files between devices. In addition, NFC enables quick drive access and sharing. Note that NFC Unlocking is not the same as hardware encryption. Lastly, extremely large transfers can see write speeds drop significantly.

In summary, the Urban Tapsafe is a compact yet creative portable SSD that offers high speeds. If you need more features than what a stock external drive offers, it is definitely worth checking out.