14 DAY TRIAL // The USB On-the-Go technology seems to be really popular this month, as flash drives featuring support for it are coming out one after another. Transcend has just made its contribution actually.
The company has formally launched the JetFlash 380 and JetFlash 510 USB Flash Drives, one of which supports OTG.
USB OTG defines storage units that can recognize Android smartphones (running Android 4.0 or higher) as hosts. Which is to say, they can be accessed as they would be on a PC.
The JetFlash 380 is the one with OTG support. Transcend even offers a freely downloadable app, called Transcend Elite, which lets you easily explore files and back up photos, documents, videos and whatever else you have on your Android device.
It also benefits from the COB (chip-on-board) manufacturing process, which ensures it is very small, though not small enough to disappear in a USB port. That honor goes to the JetFlash 510.
Why? Because unlike the JetFlash 380, it doesn't have a second port at the back, taking up space. It only has a single, full-size connector.
Really, it's hard to tell where the drive ends and the connector begins. The drive itself plugs into the port, becoming nearly invisible even on the side of an ultrabook.
Transcend could have probably managed to make it fit perfectly, but then, it would have been impossible to pull it back out.
Anyway, the JetFlash 380, with its golden shell, comes in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB capacity options, with prices of $13 / €13 to $39 / €39.
As for the JetFlesh 510, they are a bit cheaper because, while the have the same capacities, they don't have the micro-USB port. Thus, the 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB drives ship for $11 / €11 to $34 / €34. All newcomers have Transcend's Limited Lifetime Warranty.