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Media on the go, that’s the continued direction that mobile devices are heading. Whether it is a smartphone, a tablet, netbook, etc…, being able to enjoy media on the go is one of the many benefits these devices provide. However, even though available storage in most mobile devices continues to increase, with the common availability of HD video these days, there just never seems to enough space for your ever growing media library. Couple that with the fact that many consumers today will elect for the cheaper model of a given device to reduce the hit to the wallet, storage capacity is the common sacrifice.
Last year we reviewed Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite, which was a great option for bridging the gap between growing media libraries and limited storage space on mobile devices. Although it wasn’t a perfect solution, the pro’s far outweighed the cons enough to garnish our Gold award…as it merely was a huge innovation step. Although it appears that Seagate has abandoned the Satellite nomenclature, today we will be taking a look at the next iteration of this product, Seagate’s Wireless Plus. So what does the new Wireless Plus bring to the table? Let’s find out.
Before getting to the hands on, let’s take a look at the “nuts and bolts” of the Wireless Plus:
- 1TB of storage capacity
- Up to 10 hours of continuous streaming
- Up to 25 hours in stand-by mode
- Includes USB 3.0 connectivity for fast data transfers (fully compatible with USB 2.0)
- Other available interfaces include, eSATA, Thunderbolt™, and FireWire® 800 (sold separately)
- Wi-Fi:
- Single-band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi (150Mbps) delivers reliable skip–free streaming
- Range up to 147 feet
- WPA security
- USM Connector or GoFlex USB 3.0/2.0 adapter; used to load media from PC or Mac® computer
- Power Button:
- Turns the device on to enable Wi-Fi connectivity.
- Internal Battery:
- Lithium-ion (non-replaceable)
- Wi-Fi LED:
- Blinking green: Wireless plus is starting up
- Solid green: Wi-Fi is on and ready to be connected to with a mobile device
- Blinking blue: your mobile device has connected to the Wireless Plus Wi-Fi network
- Power LED:
- Green: > 90% battery charge
- Red: < 20% battery charge
- Amber: Charging
- 3 – year limited warranty
- Product Dimensions:
- Length:
- 5 inches
- Width:
- 3.5 inches
- Height:
- 0.78 inches
- Weight:
- 0.56lb
- Length:
Packaging:
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The packaging of the Wireless Plus is a slightly different approach then what we saw with the GoFlex Satellite, but the end result is the same. The box is well marked with clear branding, features, and functionality highlights. The internal packaging is well constructed, easy to get into, and more than adequate for optimal protection. With the box open, here are the included contents:
- 1 x Wireless Plus™ mobile wireless storage device
- 1 x USB 3.0 USM adapter with detachable USB 3.0 cable
- 1 x Compact wall adapter with retractable pins
- 1 x USB to DC cable
- 1 x Quick start guide
Initial Impressions:
After removing the Wireless Plus and all of its included accessories, I had two immediate thoughts. First, Seagate once again has included quality accessories. Nothing flimsy, cheap, or useless. Everything included has a clear purpose and covers almost all of the use cases minus one, which leads to my second thought…the lack of an included car adapter. This isn’t a deal breaker, as many “current” cars these days have USB power ports and many of us already have some sort of USB power adapter for existing mobile devices, but it’s a small shame that this accessory wasn’t included as with past generations of the product. I suppose the double battery life of the Wireless Plus, over its predecessors, was an added variable that played in the decision to not include the car adapter.
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The Wireless Plus is just a tad smaller than the previous GoFlex Satellite, which is impressive in its own right considering you get twice the storage capacity (of the previous 500GB model) and twice the battery life. Additionally, the new plastic “metallic like” finish is a nice change, as it will do a better job (than the previous black piano finish) of hiding those inevitable scratches all mobile devices get with time.
