14 DAY TRIAL // One would think that there wouldn't be much to say about a random new flash drive, but it wouldn't do to cover only high-cost products and leave the rest to fend for themselves. That said, Transcend has launched the JetFlash 520.
JetFlash is an old name. Transcend has been using it for a broad range of NAND Flash-based storage devices for a long time.
The newest addition, JetFlash 520, might not be all that it's cracked up to be, or what prospective buyers would expect from something whose name includes the word “jet” and, thus, suggests a high operational speed.
Granted, the read and write transfer rates aren't exactly low, at 19 MB/s and 7 MB/s, respectively.
Nevertheless, they are far below those achievable by the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface standard (USB 3.0).
On the flip side, the newcomer does offer a level of physical endurance and protection against the elements.
Measuring 4.5 mm in thickness and 37 mm in length (0.17 and 1.45 inches, respectively), the JetFlash 520 is waterproof and should have no trouble surviving drops from any height.
Buyers should probably refrain from running the drive over by a car though, or running other experiments. Transcend didn't exactly intend for it to be a super-rugged piece of work.
We also don't recommend tossing it into the bathtub to see if it survives. When a consumer electronics device is described as waterproof, that can mean one of several levels. Transcend's product isn't very high on the scale, but it should have little trouble withstanding rain, minor spills and even brief submersions.
At any rate, there are several versions of the new storage device, six if we're reading things right. There are three capacities (8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB) and two body colors (gold and silver).
All in all, the new flash drives are decent storage units that are sold at entry-mainstream price points.