After releasing the GoFlex Satellite, Seagate gives us another Wi-Fi-enabled storage device, the Wireless Plus. Read our full review to see how this external hard drive has improved over its predecessor.
Design
The drive has a plastic body with a metal finish for that sleek and minimalist design. Pressing the power button located at the left side turns on the two led light indicators for power and Wi-Fi signal.
The Wireless Plus comes with a USM adapter for USB 3.0. This can come in handy if you need to do quick backups and if your machine has a USB 3.0 port.
It’s a bit thick if you compare it to other portable external hard drives since it houses a battery, a radio for the built-in Wi-Fi, and a charging port.
Here’s what’s included in the box.
Features
The drive has 1TB storage capacity which is a huge bump compared to the GoFlex’s 500GB. This model is formatted for NTFS (for Windows), but you can also install Seagate’s Wireless Mac Setup Utility tool that is bundled with the hardware.
It allows wireless streaming of media even if you don’t have Internet access. Aside from downloading files from your Wireless Plus, you can also upload to it which is something not possible from its predecessor. Just get the Seagate Media app for Android or iOS.
If you don’t have an Android or iOS device, you can still access you Wireless Plus via a web browser. Just enter the Seagate Wireless Plus’s IP address, 172.25.0.1.
You can also share your internet and media at the same time which is useful if you don’t want to disconnect from your home network just to connect to the Wireless Plus. You can use the Wireless Plus as a pass through router by having it connect to a hotspot or internet router then share that connection with up to 8 wireless devices.
Performance and Battery Life
The Wireless Plus’ battery lasted about 6 hours after streaming a 1080p movie and transferring some files wirelessly. That’s less than the guaranteed 10-hour battery life by Seagate, but it’s an improvement compared to the GoFlex Satellite’s performance. On the other hand, while on standby, the battery lasted more than 12 hours.
Wireless file transfer was a bit slow, so if you have a device that’s USB 3.0 compatible, take advantage of that. Or if you have faster means of transfer such as Firewire or Thunderbolt, you can get the USM adapter for that.
Verdict
The Seagate Wireless Plus retails for Php9,950 and is a good choice for people who want to expand their mobile device’s capacity. It’s portable, pocketable and accessible. It’s a reliable external hard drive for people who are always on the go and have different devices that can access it wirelessly.