If you need to transfer photos from your smartphone to a flash drive or external hard drive without a computer, a USB OTG cable adaptor is needed. Samsung now has a better solution: Type-C!

As modern smartphones tend to not offer microSD slots, photographers and videographers who need to transfer photos or videos to an external device need to find solutions. I was recently asked by a friend who acquired the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra if there is a solution to free capacity in the smartphone so she can keep shooting. Yes, it’s always possible to buy the 512GB or even 1TB version of the phone camera, but what if you want to transfer files, even if it’s just to make sure you’ve a backup?

Yes, I know, many people will just say: connect the smartphone to a computer. But what if you’re travelling and don’t want to carry a computer with you? Then, is there a way to transfer your photos? Well, there is, if you’ve a USB OTG cable adaptor. The acronym stands for On The Go and means the adaptor allows you to connect a full-sized USB flash drive or USB A cable to your phone or tablet through the Micro USB or USB-C charging port. It allows the transfer of data as well as connectivity to peripherals.

Now, while the solution works, in theory, for external hard drives, you may face a problem: power! Because most external HDDs are powered by the connected device, you may not be able to use an HDD to save your data. That the reason USB flash drives are a more reliable option to save and transfer content or other information to and from your phone. Now, the only thing you need is to buy a USB OTG cable adaptor or a USB OTG connector.

From smartphone to flash drive, without a computer

The solution is brilliant but there is a caveat: not all the OTG adaptors are compatible with all Android devices, so you should check if the port is suitable for your device before you buy it. If it works, the process is simple: once you connect the drive to the smartphone and the device is detected choose the “File Transfer” option in your smartphone and move or copy the files you want. As a precaution, make sure to not move both devices while copying.

Now, while the process works, it is a clever idea to test it at home, and check if the transfer is OK, before relying completely on it while travelling. Also, as noted above, it is preferable to use a flash drive instead of an external hard drive, because then you’ve no power problems. The process is similar: connect the flash drive, use file manager to copy the photos to the flash drive, using the USB OTG cable adaptor.

While the solutions above work, Samsung has introduced a new flash drive in its family lineup, and it may well be the one to consider if you want to transfer files from a smartphone to free space. The new Type-C flash drive offers, as Samsung notes, “USB-C Storage On the Go” being compatible with all your devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones and cameras. So, once you buy a Samsung Type C flash drive you don’t need to buy any OTG adaptor, as the Type-C flash drive connects directly to your smartphone.

Transfer 4GB in just 11 seconds

Ergonomically designed and tailored for the ubiquitous USB Type-C port, the ultra-sleek body with a mystic blue finish evokes some of Samsung’s external SSD drives, and is supported by Samsung NAND flash, for reliable performance with the flexibility and power to scale across multiple devices. With it, the company says, “there is no need to choose between performance and reliability, as you can experience a fast, powerful flash drive that transfers 4GB files in just 11 seconds (minimum of 11 secs for 256/128GB models, minimum of 15 secs for 64GB models) with up to 400MB/s USB 3.1 read speeds and is backward compatible with USB 3.0/2.0. This is Samsung’s quality NAND flash memory in action.”

With up to 256GB capacity, there is enough space for 63,730 photos (image 4032×3024 12MP, with average file size of 3.84MB) or maximum 12 hours of 4K video (4K UHD video 3840×2160 30fps with an average 30-min recording file size of 10.10GB). The 128GB model has capacity for up to 31,860 photos and 6 hours of 4K video, while the 64GB Type C model has space for up to 15,930 photos and 3 hours of 4K video.

Type-C, One drive to store it all

Introduced as the “One drive to store it all”, the Samsung Type-C is, according to the company, “a trustworthy drive to store your valuable data. It works with a waterproof (up to 72 hours at 1m depth seawater), shock-proof (up to 1,500 gravitational acceleration), magnet-proof (up to 15,000 gauss (equal to MRI)), temperature-proof (withstands 0°C to 60°C operating, -10°C to 70°C non-operating), and X-ray-proof body (up to 100mGy (equal to airport X-ray machines)),  and is backed by a 5-year limited warranty.

Besides being a solution my friend using a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra can use to transfer photos and videos -or any other type of content – while away from a computer, the Samsung Type-C flash drive is also a viable option for my Xiaomi Pad 5 tablet, which comes with 128GB internal space but no option for expansion using a MicroSD, a trend that we’re also seeing in tablets from other brands.

Announced as a device offering all-round connectivity, the Samsung Type C flash drives relies on the fact that USB-C is everywhere…and now so is your storage. Samsung has not yet announced price for the new member of its growing family of flash drive solutions.