Apple will be announcing their new iPhones in just a few days. Two or three weeks later those of us who pre-order will be getting our shiny new iPhones delivered. After that it will be time to move files from the “old” iPhone to the “new” one. SanDisk’s iXpand Flash can ease the “moving day blues.”
Early on, the process of moving from one iPhone to another was fairly simple. You backed up the iPhone to iTunes, plugged the new one in, and told iTunes to do the rest. Times have changed and that isn’t always as easy as it was. First off, many of us never connect our iOS devices to iTunes anymore. Still, those of us in this camp do use iCloud for backups and the same approach that worked with iTunes can also be done with Apple’s cloud storage. That, however, leads to the second issue. The first iPhone came with either 4GB or 8GB of storage. Fast forward nine years and my current iPhone has 128GB of storage. (And most of it is used.) That not only means I would need a huge amount of iCloud storage but it also means the backup and transfer could take forever. That’s where the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive comes in.
The iXpand Flash Drive is a simple solution that lets you backup an iOS device, transfer files between iOS devices or computers and, of course, move from one device to another. As SanDisk explains:
“Millions wait in anticipation for Apple’s newest iPhone… and don’t mind standing in line for hours. Once they get their shiny new iPhone, many need help “moving into” their new device. Luckily, the SanDisk Moving Team is here to help. All you need is the SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive to…
–Transfer photos and videos to your new iPhone or simply move them from your old phone to store them for another time.
–Free up space or backup your phone before upgrading the OS- no need for the cloud.”
The SanDisk approach may just sound like some marketing-speak but, in my case, they are spot on. As previously mentioned, my current iPhone arrived with 128GB. Fast forward and, as of this morning, I’m pretty much maxed out. Yes, without realizing it my phone has amassed over 20,000 pictures. (Hey, don’t judge me. In the last two years I got engaged, married, went on a honeymoon to Hawaii, spent two weeks in Greece, have been in Israel twice, visited the national parks, renovated a house, and got a dog. Each of those DESERVES a lot of attention!) and then there are all the videos, the music etc. To back up my phone to iCloud and then load it from the cloud would take forever. Instead, I’m using the iXpand Flash Drive to pull my pictures, music, and videos off the phone. That will leave far less on the iPhone. After that I’ll back up what remains and use that backup to set up the new phone. It’s a time-saver AND gives me a backup of my media in the process.
The iXpand Flash Drive isn’t just for Moving Day. It’s an iOS accessory you will find yourself using regularly even after the initial excitement of the new iPhone has worn off. In addition to moving files in a flash thanks to the Lightning connector and USB 3.0 support you can store music and videos and then stream the media straight from the flash drive without having to use valuable storage on the device. It all happens thanks to the free iXpand Drive app. In fact, the first time you plug the accessory into your iOS device you will be prompted to download the app. Once loaded the app will ask for access to various media on the device. It is simple, fast, and something you will be glad to have… for Moving day or beyond.
The iXpand Flash Drive is available at BestBuy, Amazon and SanDisk.com. The 16GB version is $49.99, 32GB is $69.99, 64GB is $”89.99 and the 128GB version is $129.99. Learn more here!
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample of the SanDisk iXp[and Flash Drive.
What I Like: Small; Plentiful storage; Launches the app when plugged into an iOS device; USB 3.0 for speedy transfers to and from a computer; Intuitive; Moves and backs up media.
What Needs Improvement: This version is only for iOS devices and computers with a full USB 3.0 port.
