14 DAY TRIAL // Thunderbolt may not be all that widespread as far as connectivity interfaces go, but the following it does have is solid, and knows well enough that a TB port alone won't really help enlarge the customer base. So, the Thunderbolt Drive+ was made.
The name might seem pretty straightforward, but it's actually a bit misleading when it comes down to the technical sheet.
After all, it's not like the newcomer has a particularly powerful Thunderbolt connection or anything. Understandably too, since 10 Gbps is already a lot.
No, what the newcomer has is a second interface, the SuperSpeed UB 3.0 connection to be exact.
Obviously, Elgato is aiming for a broad compatibility here. Thunderbolt may work fine for Apple products, but most PCs don't bother with it when USB 3.0 is good enough at 5 Gbps.
After all, it's not like there are any flash drives, SSDs, HDDs or gadgets that can push even that bandwidth to the limit.
Anyway, the Elgato Thunderbolt Drive+ measures 83 x 21 x 131 mm / 3.26 x 0.82 x 5.15 inches and weighs 270 grams / 0.59 pounds.
It also benefits from a case that is sturdier than most. It won't survive being dunked in a bath tub, and it definitely won't survive serious abuse attempts, but the shell should fend off splashes and dust well enough, in accordance with IP64-rated ruggedness specifications.
As for performance, data should be able to move to and from the drive (at the very least from the drive) at 420 MB/s.
All in all, not bad for portable storage units of 256 GB and 512 GB. Speaking of which, the Elgato Thunderbolt Drive+ line is priced at $499.95 / €499.95 and $899.95 / €899.95, respectively. The company likely expects them to appeal to people who own both Apple and non-Apple products.