Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure review
This MagSafe SSD enclosure helps bring your storage wherever you are and connect to any of your devices.
In 2024, USB-C is king. Connecting all your devices through power, storage, and display is easier than ever.
Dockcase takes advantage of this with a MagSafe design to put an SSD on the back of your iPhone while you record video or transfer files.
This enclosure is one of Dockcase’s several successful Kickstarter products. The company is popular for adding an LCD to enclosures and other accessories for more user information.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure – Design
Out of the box, you get the SSD, a screwdriver, a wrist strap, a MagSafe sticker, the 10Gbps braided cable, and an extension board, depending on what NVMe you put in.
The enclosure fits in the palm of your hand, small and circular. The LED display shows various stats, so you always know what’s happening.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure review – Fits in the palm of your hand.
The default page shows the status of the 3-second power loss protection (PLP) feature, the SSD in the case, the life of the device, and data transfer rates when plugged in.
A small button on the side is used to navigate two other menus, allowing you to long press to select SSD and product information. On the product information page, you can adjust settings like toggling read-only mode, how soon the display goes into sleep mode, language, and resetting.
For this page, you do a short press to go between settings and a long press to confirm a change. You can also double-click on the main page to rotate the screen 90 degrees clockwise, which is convenient.
The enclosure allows B&M Key M.2 and M Key M.2 SSDs, and my unit has an SK Hynix BC711 128GB, which is an M key type. The enclosure supports up to 2TB, though.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure – Specs
| Product Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Data Port | USB 3.2 (10 Gbps) |
| Power Delivery | Up to 100W |
| Supported SSD Type(s) | M Key M.2 (NVMe / PCIe) B&M Key M.2 (NVMe / PCIe) |
| Supported SSD Length | 2230/2242 |
| Supported SSD Capacity (Max) | 2 TB |
| Power Loss Protection | 3 Seconds |
| Material | Aluminum Alloy, Tempered Glass |
| Size | 59.3 mm x 59.3 mm x 14.5 mm |
| Weight | 53 g |
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure – Use
The enclosure is super simple to use, especially so when most of your devices are USB-C. The only complexity arises from changing your settings or looking at how
Carrying 128GB in a tiny puck with a screen in my pocket feels like having a sci-fi gadget. It is also impressive to see it transfer a 5GB file in around 5 seconds.
Another nice detail is how the display automatically changes to show you transfer rates when you navigate files within the enclosure or are transferring back and forth.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure review – The display mid-transfer.
When a Finder copy completes, it doesn’t mean the drive’s cache is empty. It means macOS has written to the drive and cache. If the drive loses power immediately after the Finder reports completion, the file won’t be fully copied because the RAM cache is fast but volatile and empties when power drops.
This is where the PLP feature comes in.
To test this, I unplugged the drive after Finder reported completion of a large folder of PDFs. The power loss protection kicked in and completed the copy without error.
One thing I’m concerned about is durability due to how small the enclosure is, as well as potential drops when attached to the back of the iPhone. That being said, I stayed very careful when using it this way.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure – Instant storage you can take anywhere
When recent iPhones record video in 4K, it’s easy to run out of free cloud storage, and there are moments you’d rather have on hard storage to share with friends and family. This enclosure is the answer to storing your photos and videos ASAP.
This enclosure is any dedicated iPhone photographer’s dream and pushes the limits of what “Shot on iPhone” can mean for storage management.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure review – The screen before resetting.
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure Pros
- Very portable and versatile
- Fast data transfer speeds
Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure Cons
- Potential durability issues
- All black and easy to lose
Rating: 4 out of 5
Where to buy the Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure
The Dockcase MagSafe SSD Enclosure is available on the Dockcase store for preorder for $79.99.
