World's smallest 128GB USB 3.0 drive: PKParis K'1 picks a fight with SanDisk Ultra Fit

18.06.2015
An obscure electronics vendor called PKParis is claiming the bragging rights for world's smallest 128GB USB 3.0 drive, seemingly stealing the title from SanDisk by a few millimeters.

The PK K'1 measures a mere 16.8 mm long by 16 mm wide by 7 mm deep. By comparison, SanDisk's Ultra Fit USB 3.0 drives measure 19.1 mm by 15.9 mm by 8.8 mm. PKParis' drive looks a bit slicker as well (based on product shots), with a rectangular aluminum body that could fit nicely into a MacBook chassis. It also includes a little cord for attaching to a keychain. PKParis is claiming transfer speeds of up to 140 MB/s, similar to SanDisk's 130 MB/s transfer speeds. 

PKParis doesn't have a long track record. We've never sampled any of its products, and the 64GB version of its tiny thumb drive has just a few user reviews  on Amazon (one good, one average, one bad). If you're mesmerized by that angular, aluminum design, PKParis will gladly take your pre-order for $112--a 20 percent discount off its $140 list price--before shipping in September. 

SanDisk has the advantage of being an established brand. Its Ultra Fit drive users get a copy of SecureAccess for creating password-protected folders with 128-bit AES encryption, along with a year's subscription to RescuePro for recovering corrupted or accidentally deleted files. SanDisk should start selling its 128GB Ultra Fit drive soon.

Why this matters: Scoff at the diminutive nature of these USB drives if you will, but size matters if you're looking to add semi-permanent flash storage to a laptop or game console. An established brand is important too, though, especially when it comes to data integrity, and SanDisk has an edge there.

(www.pcworld.com)

Jared Newman