Adata Urban Tapsafe 2TB Unlocks With a Phone and Costs $391

    The Adata Urban Tapsafe 2TB has been introduced as a compact portable SSD that can be unlocked with a smartphone. Its NFC feature works with an Android and iOS app, and tapping a phone against it unlocks access to the data. The model offers a 20 Gbps connection over a USB 3.2 Gen2 2x2 interface, with read and write speeds listed at 1,900 MB/s. Although its speed was satisfactory in testing, the device was not the fastest model in its class.    The Urban Tapsafe measures 68.68 x 36.18 x 19.18 mm and weighs 72.61 g. Its metal body has a sturdy clip for attaching it to a pocket, bag or photography equipment. The magnetic front panel can be replaced with either a black version or one that changes color depending on the light. The 1TB and 2TB versions cost $219 and $391, respectively, rising to $228 and $411 at some retailers. The warranty period is 5 years.    The app allows the drive to be unlocked using the phone’s biometric authentication and NFC each time it is connected. The owner can grant up to nine additional users read-only or read-and-write access. The drive locks automatically when disconnected and is not recognized over USB until it is authenticated again. However, the data is not encrypted at the hardware level. The Urban Tapsafe is therefore better suited to everyday privacy and sharing than to files requiring a high level of security.    In initial testing, read speeds sometimes remained below 1,000 MB/s, but the results stabilized after a secure erase and formatting. In real-world file transfers, the read speed was 897 MB/s, while its write performance surpassed most competitors. The Urban Tapsafe finished last in the PCMark 10 test. Because it performed poorly with small files, running applications directly from the drive or using it as a system drive is not advisable.    In the sustained write test, the SSD maintained speeds of 1,800-1,900 MB/s for the first 5 minutes. Once the cache filled up, performance fell to around 250 MB/s and dropped below 70 MB/s after the 14th minute. Faster alternatives are available, while the 2TB Team Group PD20 model sells for $235. The Urban Tapsafe is primarily an appealing option for those who want NFC unlocking, multiuser access, a clip and a long warranty.