Samsung is best known for its televisions, phones, and home appliances, but it also makes a range of storage devices including a collection of external SSDs (solid state storage drives). The Samsung T series of SSDs are a collection of portable storage devices that are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and slip into a bag almost unnoticed.
The Samsung T7 series is the latest in the range which includes the regular T7, the rugged T7 Shield, and the T7 Touch reviewed here. They each have the same storage technology and are capable of the same transfer speeds, but the T7 Touch adds a fingerprint sensor to the T7’s specification to keep your data safe if you need to.
Samsung T7 Touch: Specifications
Max read speed: 1050MB/s
Max write speed: 1000MB/s
Available capacities: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Samsung T7 Touch: Key Features
Samsung produces the T7 Touch in two colors, silver or black, and three capacities, 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB. However, the 500GB version is only available in silver while the 1TB and 2TB versions are only available in black.
Whichever capacity you opt for, the drive uses PCIe NVMe technology to enable read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000MB/s, respectively. That means it's almost twice as fast as its predecessor, the Samsung T5. The drive has a USB-C (3.2 Get 2) port and it comes with USB-C to USB-C and UBC-C to USB-A cables. Consequently, it can be used with new and old computers.
Samsung’s Portable SSD Software for Mac, Windows, or Android devices is supplied on the T7 Touch to enable the security system, set a password, and register fingerprints.
Samsung T7 Touch: Build & Handling
The T7 Touch’s exterior is made from metal, probably aluminum, which means it’s strong but it weighs just 58g. It also measures just 85 x 57 x 8mm, so it’s very slim and neat.
One of the advantages of solid state storage over a hard drive is that there are no moving parts, and this plus the metal casing of the T7 means it can survive drops from up to 2m. Unlike the T7 Shield, the T7 Touch is not sealed against moisture, but there is a 3-year warranty.
As I mentioned earlier, the SSD is supplied with two cables for connecting it to a computer or other device. These are around 45cm long, which means the drive won’t be hanging from your computer.
Samsung T7 Touch: Performance
Samsung quotes data transfer speeds of 1050MB/s (read) and 1000MB/s (write) for the T7 Touch. However, when I fired up the Blackmagic Disk Speed test software on a 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 chip I measured speeds of around 584MB/s and 385MB/s respectively. As is often the case, that’s slower than the claimed speeds.
Nevertheless, I was able to transfer 9.74GB of images comprising 100 Jpegs and 100 raw files from the 45.7Mp Nikon Z7 II to the T7 Touch in around 24 seconds. Transferring the same folder of images to the drive from the MacBook Air’s desktop took just 15 seconds. Consequently, the drive performs very well as a temporary storage device, freeing up your memory cards when you’re away from home. It’s a great way of housing your files until you have the opportunity to transfer them to a permanent store, but you could always have a collection of T7s to use for long-term storage.
The Samsung T7 Touch also performs well as a working drive when editing 4K video, and with a suitable computer. you get a stutter-free experience.
You can just connect the T7 Touch to your computer and use it like any other SSD, but if you want to protect its contents, you need to install the Samsung Portable SSD software. This proved problematic as when attempted to install the version supplied on the drive, I kept getting an error message saying that I needed to uninstall a more recent version from my computer. I was unable to find or uninstall the claimed version, but after a bit of searching on the internet, I found a version on Samsung’s website that would install.
With the software installed on the computer, it’s easy to turn on (and off) the drive’s security mode and set a password and/or register a fingerprint. The fingerprint reader works well, unlocking the drive promptly.
Samsung T7 Touch: Verdict
Measuring just 85 x 57 x 8mm and weighing only 58g, the Samsung T7 Touch solid state drive (SSD) is perfect for slipping in your bag when you’re going to be away from home or the office and you need some storage space for your images and videos. There are now faster drives available, but it can read data at up to 1,050MB/s and write at up to 1,000MB/s, making it suitable for temporary storage or use as a working drive.
The fingerprint recognition system has a negligible impact on the price of the T7 Touch in comparison with the T7, in fact, you may find the 500GB version is a little cheaper, and it could come in handy occasionally.
Read more: find the right external storage for your photos or videos with our guide to the best portable SSD or the best hard drives for video editing.
