UnifyDrive UT2 Fingers-On: Good Concepts Marred by a Messy Consumer Expertise

The UnifyDrive UT2 is a transportable and expandable NAS storage answer — the primary of its variety — that appears like an even bigger, higher, and extra customizable model of the now-defunct Gnarbox. Sadly, regardless of its many good concepts, the UT2 is tormented by poor design and a nasty person expertise.

The UT2 has raised over $350,000 on Kickstarter as a result of the concept of a cellular, easy-to-use backup answer nonetheless stays widespread. Whereas LaCie partnered with DJI on the Copilot and Gnarbox tried too, nothing has managed to stay, and photographers are nonetheless craving for one thing that offers them the comfort and safety of cellular backup without having a pc.

On paper, the UT2 seems like essentially the most versatile and easy-to-use try at fixing this downside but. It has built-in CFexpress and SD card slots and a one-click backup functionality that may dump the playing cards into user-replaceable M.2 SSDs. It guarantees multi-network assist and built-in encryption, too, all managed through a smartphone app, by way of a house community, or through an hooked up laptop, all for $400.

Nicely, virtually — not one of the backing choices on UnifyDrive’s Kickstarter truly embody the SSD; photographers must provide their very own. That’s not an enormous deal although, as these aren’t significantly costly anymore, they’re straightforward to swap out and in, and direct management over how a lot storage you get and from which producer is appreciated. The UT2 can deal with two 8TB SSDs, bringing the entire capability to 16TB.

That’s the pitch, anyway, however in observe, the UT2 disappoints.

Atrocious Battery Life Limits Usability

For starters, what makes merchandise just like the Gnarbox, LaCie CoPilot, and now UT2 so interesting is the actual fact a pc isn’t wanted and, subsequently, they’ve built-in batteries to allow them to function. Sadly, what isn’t instantly clear within the firm’s advertising and marketing is how unhealthy the battery life is on the UT2: it’s lower than an hour (nearer to 40 minutes typically). You possibly can definitely push the real-world use out a bit in case you judiciously flip it off once you’re not actively dumping reminiscence playing cards into it, however that’s not the expertise that UnifyDrive builds up in its advertising and marketing, particularly because it additionally says the UT2 can be utilized to stream movies to a number of gadgets concurrently on a protracted automobile journey. Until you additionally pack an exterior battery financial institution, that’s not taking place.

The necessity for an exterior battery is one the corporate particularly identified to me throughout my analysis interval by UnifyDrive — the built-in battery isn’t meant for day-to-day use however fairly simply in case of an emergency. I don’t assume it’s cheap to imagine that most individuals who see the UT2 and its promised use instances will assume that along with shopping for one, in addition they want to purchase the SSD storage and the battery. The prices add up rapidly.

I’d wish to level out that if the battery dies — and it’ll — it received’t energy again up till the battery will get to a sure crammed degree. I plugged it into energy for about half-hour and it nonetheless wouldn’t energy on. I didn’t get it to activate once more till I checked on it the subsequent morning.

NAS Was By no means a Good Thought for A Transportable Drive

First, I wish to be clear that I do like NAS, or network-attached storage, as a backup answer at residence. The issues come up once you attempt to take that have and cram it into a transportable drive that additionally does a lot of different duties. It’s an abysmal format for a transportable backup answer for causes that I hope will turn out to be apparent on this write-up.

NAS aren’t meant to, by design, be plugged immediately into a pc. UnifyDrive says the UT2 is suitable with some NAS software program however particularly factors to Docker. Once I requested about Docker, the corporate admitted it’s not a simple platform to begin utilizing and I agree. NAS, generally, has essentially the most person un-friendly software program within the space for storing and never having a first-party desktop answer makes the method of onboarding a brand new person that rather more difficult. That mentioned, even when UnifyDrive did have first-party software program, I stay unconvinced that it might clear up my points because the firm’s current software program, and app, isn’t straightforward to parse both.

UnifyDrive has an app that may wirelessly handle the UT2 however it’s not what I’d name nicely designed. It will get the job carried out, however the interface is clunky and it doesn’t work how you’ll naturally assume it might.

For instance, the “Information” tab seems to be prefer it’s empty even once you’ve backed up reminiscence playing cards into it as a result of it doesn’t register them as “Current.” Even after accessing information, they’ll by no means present up right here. To get them on this important display in any respect, you must first navigate to them utilizing the underside choices (Information is the second choice), after which begin them for the UT2 to file them on this fast entry display beneath “Accessed.”

Now might be a very good time to say that the flexibility to again up reminiscence playing cards is nice, however it’s not on by default. In actual fact, not one of the options of this drive are. To even begin utilizing the UT2, it requires a prolonged replace (mine took about quarter-hour to finish) after which you need to go into every setting and allow them.

Wish to again up SD playing cards? Higher flip that on. Wish to plug it into a pc to entry information? You must flip that on, too. It’s simply an odd choice to have each significant connection choice turned off by default when the complete level of the machine is to make use of these options.

An SSD, However Solely Generally

Utilizing the UT2 how I’m sure many photographers will wish to isn’t easy. I’m guessing {that a} majority will wish to take it into the sector, dump reminiscence playing cards into it, then take it residence and put these information into long-term storage (or at the very least cull them). Whereas it’s marketed as a NAS, UnifyDrive additionally notes it may be plugged into a pc to behave like a normal SSD to make this course of extra seamless.

That’s solely partially true. Whereas you are able to do that, you must allow the function within the app after which choose how a lot of the UT2 you wish to use as an SSD. That’s proper, the complete drive can’t be set to be each NAS and SSD. Certain, that is smart in case you perceive how NAS works, however it’s in no way how a mean person would count on knowledge administration for a transportable reminiscence card backup answer to operate.

Worse, after I backed up a reminiscence card and realized it wasn’t simply appearing like an SSD, I went and turned that on, and the information I backed up weren’t copied over to the partition I made as an SSD. So, to this present day, I nonetheless don’t have entry to the information I imported from the SD card on my important enhancing laptop.

Sure, I’m conscious it’s potential to get them both through the use of Docker or by maybe transferring the information round on the app from their present place to the SSD partition (I’m not certain that is potential, I’m simply giving it the advantage of the doubt). What I’m saying is that the UT2 person expertise is simply so extremely poor. It isn’t designed out of the field to do what the corporate advertises it could actually do. With a view to get to that time, assuming it’s potential, you must leap by way of a number of hoops, none of that are defined by the app and have been solely defined to me piecemeal as a result of I’ve direct contact with the corporate.

Even after lastly gaining direct entry to the UT2, there are points. First, it could actually’t take energy by way of the USB-C port used for knowledge switch, so in case you’re going to make use of this as an exterior drive, you must secondarily plug into the ability USB-C port. I don’t know why UnifyDrive didn’t do a twin energy and knowledge port, as that’s clearly potential in case you have a look at some other moveable SSD available on the market.

Worse, this seems to be utilizing a USB 3.0 protocol port, which isn’t quick and, at this level, very outdated. I used to be getting about 340 MB/s write and 200 MB/s learn speeds. That’s basic moveable HDD efficiency (not that totally different from the DJI Copilot I examined again in 2018); it’s shockingly sluggish, particularly once I know that the M.2 SSDs inside are a lot sooner.

I feel UnifyDrive believes most individuals will switch knowledge utilizing their community, however I do know this can be a overseas idea for a lot of. It’s particularly irksome understanding that the entire level of this drive for many individuals will probably be to safe footage from travels rapidly earlier than getting them onto a important storage system. I don’t consider that the UT2 will probably be used as a backup and main storage machine given the restrictions. I don’t assume it’s good at both of these duties, frankly.

A Mishmash of Options

There are different issues I didn’t discuss, comparable to the actual fact this drive seems to be rugged because of the silicon bumpers throughout it, a la LaCie, however it’s truly lined in literal holes so it received’t survive a second if the surroundings is even the slightest bit dusty or moist. Not solely does it have a fan which is one level of ingress, the panel that homes the M.2 SSDs has open grates that immediately expose the SSDs.

Talking of the fan, UnifyDrive says the UT2 has “silent” operation, however that’s undoubtedly not true. Whereas the fan isn’t what I’d name loud, it’s definitely audible and I’ve heard it fireplace up a number of occasions in my lounge when it’s related to my router. I’d say it’s louder or at the very least at a extra irritating pitch than my Mac Studio when it’s managing a video export.

It’s in no way pocketable, a phrase I noticed tossed round in UnifyDrive’s advertising and marketing. The physique of this factor is fairly enormous for a transportable drive — it’s six occasions as massive as my LaCie Rugged SSD. I don’t have a single pocket on any piece of clothes I personal that the UT2 comfortably suits in.

Nice Concepts, Flawed Implementation

I actually like what the UT2 guarantees. I really like the concept of a small, encrypted NAS that can also be a normal moveable SSD with built-in reminiscence card readers and one-click backup performance. Sadly, the implementation of those options within the UT2 is extraordinarily poor. The app isn’t straightforward to make use of, nothing is on by default, the advantages of NAS turn out to be hindrances on direct knowledge entry, and the battery life is straight-up unhealthy.

At this level, I feel it ought to be apparent that I don’t assume the UnifyDrive UT2 is an effective buy. There are many little points I’ve with it (and several other massive ones) however the primary takeaway is that I feel UnifyDrive tried to do an excessive amount of. I feel the UT2 would have been a considerably higher product if it wasn’t a NAS and as an alternative centered on simply being a superb SSD with built-in reminiscence card backup assist. The built-in HDMI for streaming content material, the WiFi entry for a number of connections without delay, the smartphone backup function, and the actual fact it’s a NAS all add up: the UT2 is simply making an attempt to be an excessive amount of to too many individuals.

I’ll say that UnifyDrive appears to grasp that there are person points with this machine and it intends to regulate the way it handles direct-to-computer connections. That’s nice, however even when this was fastened, it solely addresses one of many a number of points I’ve with the UT2.

Alas, at the very least for now, the dream that was Gnarbox stays simply that.

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