[Paladin1]

Just a sampling of USB-C drives - nothing yet as compact as SanDisk's Ultra fit drives, but maybe on the way. The USB-C storage devices tend to be (as of now) larger, usually dual-port format, and smaller in memory size (32-128GB). USB-C has been around for awhile, so not sure why the delay but perhaps because it started as mostly a mobile phone connector. Any should fit in the front USB slots of the iX though, even if slightly intrusive, and adequate for most storage needs.



* Scratch the SanDisk - that's a micro/A, but they do make a larger C stick.

[sor]

From what I understand, the USB A drives cheat by putting some of the PCB and electronics into the rather large connector. That's not really possible on the USB C, so they end up being larger.

They can literally just package up some Flash memory and put USB A contacts on the back and it fits.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by sor

From what I understand, the USB A drives cheat by putting some of the PCB and electronics into the rather large connector. That's not really possible on the USB C, so they end up being larger.

They can literally just package up some Flash memory and put USB A contacts on the back and it fits.

The connector on the far left is just the C connector and a flat plate on top, so it's possible. Only 64GB though, so maybe in the future something similar but larger memory....

[sor]

Yeah that one is an interesting design, not as stealth as in the connector but at least it is totally flat. I wonder if it risks blocking adjacent ports in some situations. You'd think they could double it up for higher capacity.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by sor

Yeah that one is an interesting design, not as stealth as in the connector but at least it is totally flat. I wonder if it risks blocking adjacent ports in some situations. You'd think they could double it up for higher capacity.

Gonna find out in a month or so I hope (depends on the space between USB ports)! Works dandy in my X5....

[slampert]

I have this 256GB Samsung backordered on Amazon. Looks pretty compact.

Since there are no concealed USB ports in the car, which would be the "safest" port to use to avoid theft of the drive ?

[UltimateMoneyShifter]

I am guessing you are planning to store music/media on a USB device for playback in the car? I would always recommend getting a full-fledged portable SSD instead of a flash drive for this purpose as flash drives have a very limited endurance (the amount that can be read and written to them). They generally fail within a couple of years of moderate use.

Given that some of the features on the iX can write to external media, like Drive Recorder, this can exacerbate the limited life on these drives. The last thing I would want is the drive to fail on me when I need it for evidence during an accident.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by UltimateMoneyShifter

I am guessing you are planning to store music/media on a USB device for playback in the car? I would always recommend getting a full-fledged portable SSD instead of a flash drive for this purpose as flash drives have a very limited endurance (the amount that can be read and written to them). They generally fail within a couple of years of moderate use.

Given that some of the features on the iX can write to external media, like Drive Recorder, this can exacerbate the limited life on these drives. The last thing I would want is the drive to fail on me when I need it for evidence during an accident.

Correct. However, I have flash drives now going on 5 years plus of fairly frequent use with no signs of failing or degradation, swapped back and forth between PC and car - I suppose it depends on the drive/manufacturer, but modern data storage is fairly durable (a HD generally 3-5 years, rewritable flash storage up to 10 years depending on read/write cycles - generally more than an SSD in fact). Replacing them is a matter of unplugging one and plugging in another, and they're dirt cheap. And BMW's stated limit for file storage on a single drive is 16,000 files (although I don't know if iD8 shares that limitation), so no real advantage to an SSD, in addition to the larger size and lack of a hidden port in the iX (as in the center console box like the X5) to hide it, and requiring power (although minimal). The point of a micro drive being the fact it minimizes physical and eye space while plugged in (my SanDisk Ultra is a permanent fixture in my X5 by the wireless charger). As for Drive Recorder you can download to any remote storage, and I certainly wouldn't do that to a drive that already had media on it if I wanted to use it as evidence. But a valid point on no storage media being permanent, and a good idea to run a sector check on any drive occasionally just to keep things running smooth.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by slampert

I have this 256GB Samsung backordered on Amazon. Looks pretty compact.

Since there are no concealed USB ports in the car, which would be the "safest" port to use to avoid theft of the drive ?

With no console port, I'm not sure that there is a "hidden" port you can use, but the USB ports by the 12v are pretty low and not immediately visible. Tinted windows would help, but actually someone breaking into my car and stealing my $20 USB drive would the least of my concerns in the event of a break in. As far as I know, these are the only two data ports in the iX, unfortunately.