Samsung T9 Portable SSD

Samsung's T7 was getting a little long in the tooth, and even with the refreshed versions of it, the speeds were still stuck at USB 3.2 Gen 2 x1 (10Gbps). The T9 ups the ante with its USB 3.2 Gen 2 x2 (20Gbps) interface bringing twice the performance of the T7 to the market.

The new Samsung T9 Portable SSD is reminiscent of the rugged T7 Shield external SSD that launched earlier this year, but internally the T9 features a new platform for significantly more performance.

Once the price drops a bit, this high-quality, luxurious-feeling, good-performing, external 20Gbps USB SSD will no doubt be one of our favorites.

Joining the party to embrace Gen 2x2 technology long after most PC makers dismissed it, Samsung has produced an effective external SSD that can handle being dropped by its owner. The main problems here are an overinflated price and a lack of software at launch. It's being thrust into a competitive market where more cost-sensitive products have existed for some time.

The Samsung T9 Portable SSD offers extremely rapid performance, with a stylish design that adds additional protection. It’s small and offers a good amount of storage, meaning you could easily take this with you without worrying about the extra weight. If you have a machine capable of taking advantage of the rapid speeds on offer, then this is a great choice.

Overall the best performing 20Gbps portable SSD we've ever tested.

The Samsung T9 improves on speed from the T7, not by as big of a margin as some might hope (or marketing might claim), but it is a substantial enough jump that this is a worthwhile buying decision over the T7, but don’t rush to upgrade all your existing SSDs right away. Samsung’s mass-market portable SSDs have always looked sleek and sophisticated compared to a lot of the competition, and this SSD takes that a notch further, incorporating a rugged rubberized exterior, but still managing to look suave enough to blend into the most aesthetic desk setup. There is also no faff when it comes to the T9, which comes with both a USB-C and USB-A cable and is ready for plug-and-play.