Samsung Debuts Its Most Durable Portable SSD to Date

Samsung’s best and fastest portable SSD is now available in an ultra-rugged form factor. Available now for $160, the Samsung T7 Shield is a durable beast, with a proper IPX rating, improved drop protection, and a durable rubberized finish.

While it’s one of our favorite portable SSDs, the original Samsung T7 is disappointingly fragile. It doesn’t have an IPX rating for dust or water resistance, and it’s only drop-resistant at up to 6.5 feet. The new T7 Shield flips the script with a proper IP65 rating, drop protection at up to 9.8 feet, and oddly enough, temperature protection between -40 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

These durability specs come with read/write speeds of 1,050/1,000MBs, which are identical to the standard T7 and the T7 Touch. As Samsung notes, the T7 lineup supports data rates about 9.5 times faster than portable HDDs, and they’re among the fastest portable SSDs on the market.

I’m honestly surprised that Samsung didn’t build this product sooner. The T7 SSD is incredibly popular and compact. A more durable option should satisfy those who need a portable SSD for photography, construction, music production, and other environments where small devices are forced to endure hell.

I suggest reading our in-depth review of the T7 Shield at our sister site, How-To Geek. The new SSD costs $160 and comes with 1TB of data. A 2TB model is also available for $290—these prices are significantly higher than what you’d pay for the standard Samsung T7, by the way.