File sizes are growing to extreme levels, and that's why great external SSDs are more important than ever. The growth of large file sizes reached an impressive milestone last year, when Apple released the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max with support for recording video directly to external drives. To record 4K video at 60 FPS in the ProRes format, using an external drive isn't just recommended — it's required. External storage devices must meet strict requirements in order to record 4K 60 FPS ProRes video, and the Samsung T9 Portable SSD satisfies them. Jamming up to 4TB in a small and rugged form factor, the T9 Portable SSD isn't just useful as an iPhone storage device. It's one of the better options for digital content creators, photographers, and videographers at large.

About this review: Samsung provided us with a T9 Portable SSD for review. The company did not have input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Pricing and availability

Samsung's T9 Portable SSD is widely available and can be purchased directly from Samsung or through third-party retailers. It's currently discounted at Amazon, and Best Buy has it available for same-day pickup at some locations. There are three storage configurations for the Samsung T9 Portable SSD: 1TB ($175), 2TB ($300), and 4TB ($550). There are some minor discrepancies in read and write speeds between SSD sizes, but generally, the T9 Portable will perform similarly no matter the storage configuration. We reviewed the 2TB version, which is currently available for as low as $236 on Amazon at the time of writing.

Specs

What I like

The Samsung T9 Portable SSD is fast enough to handle 4K ProRes recording

Having a fast SSD makes file transfer easier, so it's best to buy an external SSD with decent specifications. However, having an SSD with fast transfer speeds is essential if you want to use it as an iPhone storage device for ProRes video recording. Apple says that in order to record ProRes video at 4K resolution and 60 FPS, you'll need to connect to an external drive supporting 220 MB/s transfer speeds or quicker. Additionally, that storage device can't draw more than 4.5W of power. These speeds are crucial, because a drive that is too slow can drop frames while recording ProRes, resulting in a ruined video capture. Drives that use too much power can overheat, drain your iPhone's battery quickly, or not work with the iPhone at all.

The Samsung T9 Portable SSD meets and exceeds those specifications, since it supports read and write speeds up to 2,000 MB/s. The drive uses the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface, and includes a USB-C cable that matches that standard. To use the T9 Portable SSD to record ProRes video at 4K 60 FPS, you'll need to first enable ProRes in Settings by navigating to Settings > Camera > Formats and flipping the ProRes toggle. The T9 Portable SSD will show up in the Files app in iOS 17 straight out of the box, and you only have to connect the single USB-C cable to get started. After plugging the T9 Portable SSD into your iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, switching the video camera setting to ProRes and 4K 60 FPS will automatically start saving these recordings to the SSD.

The experience using the T9 Portable SSD to record ProRes video was seamless, and the resulting videos had no signs of artifacting or dropped frames. Everything worked as expected, and I was surprised by how efficient the T9 Portable SSD was on power. I recorded about an hour of video at 4K 60 FPS in ProRes to the T9 Portable SSD and lost 50% of my iPhone's battery life. Considering how intensive ProRes recording can be, that's impressive. My iPhone 15 Pro Max did get very hot while recording the video samples, so that is something to keep in mind. To find out how the T9 Portable SSD performs in other situations, I fired up AmorphousDiskMark and ran the following tests:

The Samsung T9 Portable SSD posted respectable scores, and results above exceed Apple's minimum requirements for external video capture. The first test, SEQ1M QD8, measures a drive's sequential read and write speeds. The T9 Portable SSD consistently posted read/write speeds of around 1,000 MB/s. For most people, that should be quick enough for a portable external SSD.

Samsung's T9 Portable SSD has a sleek, compact, and rugged design

Aside from the drive's raw performance, my favorite part of the T9 Portable SSD was its design and build. Samsung designed the T9 Portable SSD to be rugged and shock-resistant with a rubber exterior, but did so in a way that keeps it compact. The drive measures 88 x 60 x 14 mm in size, and it weighs just 122 grams. This form factor makes it ideal for mobile content creation workflows, and it'll easily fit in a pocket or bag alongside your smartphone.

While testing the T9 Portable SSD, my mobile video recording setup consisted of three items: an iPhone 15 Pro Max, a T9 Portable SSD, and a Peak Design Mobile Tripod. These items can all fit in a pocket together, and they combine to form a killer recording setup on the go. The rubber exterior on the T9 Portable SSD also goes a long way in keeping your drive safe when it's being used outdoors or while traveling. With that being said, it is worth noting that the T9 Portable SSD isn't the smallest portable storage device you can buy. Some less rugged devices get smaller, like the Dockcase Pocket Photography Edition.

What I don't like

Make sure you pay for the 2TB or 4TB version of the T9 Portable SSD

There isn't anything inherently wrong with the T9 Portable SSD, but there are a few things to consider. For starters, ProRes video files are insanely large, so you might want to upgrade to the 2TB or 4TB version of the T9 Portable SSD. In one test, a single ProRes recording about an hour long had a file size of nearly 660GB. I had the 2TB version of the T9 Portable SSD, which can only store a bit less than four hours of ProRes video at 4K 60 FPS.

This storage drive makes a lot of sense for storing photos and videos, even if you're not recording with an iPhone. However, know that the 1TB and even 2TB versions of the drive will fill up quickly. Additionally, make sure that you don't need a Thunderbolt SSD before buying the Samsung T9 Portable SSD.

Should you buy the Samsung T9 Portable SSD?

You should buy the Samsung T9 Portable SSD if:

• You want a portable SSD with a rugged and compact design
• You need a drive with decent read/write speeds, but not one that supports TB/USB4
• You want an external drive for recording ProRes videos on iPhone 15 Pro

You should NOT buy the Samsung T9 Portable SSD if:

• You need a faster drive with Thunderbolt or USB 4 support
• You need more storage capacity than 4TB
• You would rather have a drive that is more rugged or more compact

Samsung's T9 Portable SSD is best viewed as a "jack-of-all-trades" external storage device. You can find better options out there, if you have a specific priority in mind. There are drives with faster speeds and Thunderbolt support, others with smaller form factors and less protection, and some bigger ones with more shock protection. However, Samsung found a happy medium between speed, portability, and ruggedness with the T9 Portable SSD. If you need to store and transfer data on the go, this external SSD is a great choice. Plus, if you're an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max user, the T9 Portable SSD can comfortably serve as an external drive for video capture.