Regular readers might already have noticed a slight bias to
The Test Pit. You see, by sheer cosmic coincidence all the contributors to this
mighty little website have Android phones, not iPhones. There are various
reasons for that, but probably one of the biggest reoccurring gripes we all
have with Apple's product is the lack of expandable storage. However, our
collective opinion might have to change now that Leef have released their latest
gorgeous gizmo, the iBridge.
Massive fans of Leef, we've reviewed (and given away) most
of the Californian tech company's latest releases. Our favourite thus far has
to be the Bridge 3.0 flash drive, the tiny powerhouse of storage that is
compatible with both a computer and your Android phone. Now Leef have turned
their attention to the other half of mobile device users and created the
iBridge - a flash drive compatible with iOS 8 gadgets.
Just like the Bridge 3.0, the iBridge features two separate
connectors in the form of the standard USB (for your computer and laptop) and a
Lightning connector (for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod). Unlike the Bridge 3.0 however,
those connectors face in the same direction, having been curled around on the
Lighting end. This means that although it looks like a standard (if unusual)
flash drive when plugged into your laptop, when connected to your iPhone you
are barely aware of it, as it curls around the back of the device.
This is a great feature as not only does it look nice, but
the rest of the drive is tucked away and protected instead of sticking out and being
at risk of knocks and damaged. This makes it actually practical to use while on
the go, and when used in conjunction with Leef's iOS app, photos can be taken
and instantly stored to the iBridge. So now you don't feel so bad for having
bought the cheaper iPhone with the smaller storage capacity.
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| Cap on... |
Due to that curled design it does mean there is one issue:
cap. Yes, this flash drive does feature a non-attached protective cap which
slides on to cover both USB and Lightning connectors. So when in use, the cap
is free to rattle about in your pocket, and if you are anything like we are
when it comes to small bits of plastic, you're probably going to lose it. Don't
be like us.
 |
| ...cap off. |
That was the only negative we could come up with though, as
after downloading the app and plugging it into an iOS 8 device, we were very
impressed. The app gave the iPhone a familiar Android-y feel, with access to
files and documents in a more accessible way like Google's OS. We loved that the
app was organised in ways you might actually want to use the iBridge, so you
gate 'Transfer Files', 'Access Content' and, most useful to those already
pushing the limits of their phone's storage, 'iBridge Camera' to automatically
redirect saved photos there. Transfer rates were super quick and reading large
files such as films from the iBridge to watch on the phone was a flawless
process.
One thing to note: this is still a device designed to work
with an Apple product so there might be licensing conflictions with iTunes. We
tried to copy some songs out of our iTunes app and it would not let us. Thats not
a fault of Leef's, just Apple's older restrictions concerning music paid for
from iTunes. Get more info on that from Leef's website.
Coming in 16, 32, 64, 128 and - incredibly - 256GB options,
the iBridge solves a lot of problems that are inherit in Apple's rather strict
design regimen. Now everyone can enjoy storage expansion, and thanks to this
sleek gadget, you'll look pretty awesome doing so.
From £49
