Kingston XS1000 SSD review: Compact and ‘solid’ storage solution for all the digital needs

It can replace multiple storage devices

A compact storage device with 2 TB capacity (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

I use multiple storage devices – an external SSD to move files from my phone to my laptop, an HDD to store a backup of my games, movies, and TV shows, and a pen drive I carry; it is compact and works well with smartphones.

The Kingston XS1000 SSD is different. With my Galaxy S23 Ultra, I used it with the USB-C to USB-C cable, and with an iPhone 15, I could directly plug it to transfer what I copied from the S23 Ultra. The write speed on the iPhone 15 was not as fast as on the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but I was able to copy a 3 GB movie in just a few seconds.

It even works with an iPhone 15 (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

I connected the SSD with my smart TV, but due to the format incompatibility, I couldn’t access the data. This can be fixed with a quick format to FAT32, however, this means I won’t be able to store files larger than 4 GB.

You can game directly on this SSD

It offers similar read and write speeds (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

Part of my job is to test the performance of gaming laptops, and it’s a painstaking process to install AAA games that are easily over 50 GB. With the Kingston XS1000, I was able to run the game directly from the SSD. It did take a few more seconds to load, compared to the internal SSD of the laptop, but it is much faster than loading a game from a 7,200 RPM HDD, the fastest of the kind.

According to CrystalDiskMark, the 2 TB version of the Kingston XS1000 SSD, with support for up to USB 3.2 Gen 2, can offer a sequential read speed of 1064 MB/s and a sequential write speed of 996 MB/s. Do note that this speed may vary from device to device. Transferring a file from a phone will happen at a much lower speed due to technical limitations.

Should you buy Kingston XS1000 SSD?

A compact flash storage solution (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)

The Kingston XS1000 SSD is a great external storage device for those who need a fast, reliable, and high-capacity storage solution. Available in two storage variants (1 TB and 2 TB), it is easy to carry around and works with almost any modern device, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and Macs.

With a starting price of Rs 8,250 (1 TB), it is slightly more expensive than HDD devices, but definitely worth considering for professionals who move large amounts of data between devices. This is also a great product for those who need to keep a backup of everything on a device that they can access anytime.