14 DAY TRIAL // Back in September (2012), Silicon Power launched the Diamond D01 portable hard disk drive, and now it is releasing another storage device from that line, the Diamond D03.
In addition to the very slight difference in the design of the case (Diamond D03 has a somewhat more tiled pattern, like a chess board), the two storage devices are set apart by their transfer speeds.
Whereas the Diamond D01 can only work at USB 2.0 transfer rates (480 Mbps, tops), the newcomer has USB 3.0 support.
USB 3.0 can go as high as 5 Gbps, and while the HDD may not achieve that theoretical limit all the time (if ever), it does have what it takes to copy a 25 GB Blu-ray DVD in 70 seconds.
Performance is just part of what Silicon Power describes as the major assets though. Since we’ve mentioned the case before, we might as well also say that, being made of aluminum, the shell is not only scratch-resistant, but good at keeping the insides cool.
Another thing is the size. Since Diamond D03 is a portable HDD, it has to be thinner and lighter than SATA devices. Sure enough, the 2.5-inch form factor and the materials used allow it to weigh 30% less than standard units (147 grams / 0.32 pounds).
A third asset is the 256-bit AES file and folder encryption. While it is not built directly into the newcomer, it can be enabled after a free download and installation of the newest SP Widget.
Other than that, Silicon Power included the ability to go into sleep mode, plus a LED indicator that reveals whether or not the HDD is on and/or transferring anything. Wi-Fi support is the only thing lacking but, then again, that's the Sky Share's H10 area of expertise.
No price has been given, although SP did promise that each version of the Diamond D03 would be backed by a three-year warranty. Indeed, there isn't just one drive, but three, with 500 GB, 750 GB and 1 TB capacities.
All of them operate on DC 5V USB power and at temperatures of 5℃ to 55℃ (storage temperatures are of -40℃ to 70℃).