Testing:

Taking a look at two benchmarks run with the flash drive connected to a USB 3.0 port on Windows 10 PC shows things aren't quite as Kingston says on the read side of things, but they are about on the money on the write side of things. USB Flash Benchmark and CrystalDiskMark both seem to agree that the read speed is between 125MB/s and 131MB/s, and nothe 70MB/s that is listed on the Kingston site. Looking around the web, I see a few other test results that match what I saw, which is almost double the published specification... weird. But on the write testing phase, we see results around 20MB/s, which is above the 15MB/s that Kingston details, but not that much above. I would have rather seen the write speed double, as that is what I am most concerned about with this drive, as something in the 30 to 40MB/s range would make filling up a 32GB drive way more convenient.



Conclusion:

Given the extremely small size and the ability to connect via USB 3.0 and microUSB, the Kingston 32GB DataTraveler microDuo 3.0 is definitely a handy little flash drive to carry around. If your mobile device supports USB OTG (On-The-Go) you will be able to sync or backup your files with ease, and perhaps you could use it to free up some valuable storage space on your phone or tablet.



The only negative thing about the DataTraveler microDuo 3.0 to me is that the write speeds are quite slow. It is rated for 15MB/s, and testing did show it hit about 20MB/s, but USB 3.0 flash devices are generally expected to achieve much more.

Heading over to Amazon finds the 32GB drive for sale at just over $16 (US). Flash devices are relatively cheap these days, but I would say that is a very nice price for something like the DataTraveler microDuo 3.0. They also offer it with 16GB and 64GB capacities, where the prices are about $11 and $24, respectively. With those three sizes to choose from, I would be highly inclined to buy the 64GB version at that price!

With all of that taken into consideration, the Kingston 32GB DataTraveler microDuo 3.0 earns the Bigbruin.com "Great Idea" and "Good Value" awards!



Pros:

» Very handy way to backup or sync your mobile devices files
» Ultra small footprint
» Attractively priced
» Higher read speeds than expected

Cons:

» Write speeds are slow

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