Kingston Wi-Drive Review: Add Storage To iOS Devices

To some users, one of the downsides of the iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone is non-expandable memory. Of course, many users buy the higher-capacity devices and assume they'll have adequate storage. But what happens if you run out of space on your iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone and you don't want to delete any files? At first, it may appear that you are out of luck—there isn't the option to pop in a memory card and expand your storage capacity like there is on other devices. However, there is another option.

Although the iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone may not have memory expansion card slots, you can expand the storage capacity of your favorite iOS devices by connecting a Wi-Fi enabled hard drive such as the Kingston Wi-Drive. This sleek little drive comes in capacities of 16GB and 32GB. It connects to your iOS device using Wi-Fi and an app from Kingston.

Besides letting you expand the storage on your iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone, the Wi-Drive can also be accessed by additional users: In fact, up to three users can connect to the Wi-Drive simultaneously. This can be particularly useful for family members, colleagues, or students who need to share and access files from portable devices.

The drive is compatible with the Apple iPad; iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4G (3G is limited to iOS 4.2.1 or higher); and iPod Touch Gen 3 and Gen 4. You can also use the drive with computers running Mac OS X (10.5.x or higher), Windows 7, Windows Vista (SP1, SP2), Windows XP (SP2, SP3), or Linux (v.2.6+ kernel).

Although it is still another piece of hardware to tote around, Kingston helps by making the drive thin and lightweight. The Wi-Drive measures about 4.78 x 2.43 x 0.39 inches and weighs just 0.19 pounds. It uses a miniUSB port for charging as well as for connecting to your PC or Mac. According to Kingston, the Wi-Drive's built-in battery should last for up to four hours of continuous use.

The Wi-Drive is available in capacities of 16GB and 32GB for about $130 and $175, respectively. With these price points, the Wi-Drive is not more cost-effective than buying a higher capacity smartphone or tablet from the beginning. However, if you don't want to upgrade your device(s) and need additional capacity or if you're unwilling to part with any of your content, this might be a good option. With its sharing capabilities, the Wi-Drive also provides additional functionality beyond simply offering additional storage space. The video below covers some of them, but so will we on the pages ahead.