Seagate Wireless Plus 2TB review

The surging popularity of mobile devices combined with a growing number of consumer products with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity explain why manufacturers are heating up to the concept of wireless, autonomous, portable storage drives that can be carried in your jean's back pocket.

Seagate's second generation Wireless Plus HDD is one of the very few on the market to offer 2TB storage, with Wi-Fi connectivity and a rechargeable battery. 2TB is the highest capacity on the market, in a laptop-friendly 2.5-inch form factor.

The STCV2000200 is also available in 1TB and 500GB versions and is covered by a two year warranty.

You can only order the drive from a handful of online retailers and as expected, you will be charged a tidy sum, just under £200 (about US$320, AU$350).

It is not as expensive as one might expect and although Seagate's own 2TB HDD, a 2TB Expansion model, can be had for less than £80 (abound US$140, around AU$150), adding wireless and autonomous features would make that drive both clunky, bulkier and way more expensive.

Design

The drive has been shipped in a well-designed sturdy box, the type we're accustomed to see housing premium smartphones. A tiny detail but one that shows Seagate's level of commitment. After all, the profit margins on these devices is much higher than on stand-alone hard drives and if it can sell more of these, then it's much better for it's bottom line.

Other than the drive, Seagate bundled a 50cm (20-inch) USB 3.0 cable, a 10W wall charger with 3 interchangeable plugs and a quick start guide.

The Seagate Wireless Plus 2TB is 127mm (l) x 89mm (w) x 21mm (d) (5 x 3.5 x 0.85 inch) and weighs a mere 272g (9.6oz).

It's slightly lighter and thinner than a 3.5-inch HDD and smaller on the x-and-y axes. Which is genuinely impressive given that the enclosure packs the drive itself, the USB-B connector (and related components), a battery and Wi-Fi electronics.

The drive feels solid. Other than the Seagate logo on the brush-metallic plastic front, it has four rubber feet, two LED indicators (power and Wi-Fi), a power button and a USB connector.