Accessories: 4 out of 5
LaCie has always been known for going the extra mile and the refreshed LaCie Mobile SSD series is no exception. Free data recovery for the full warranty period. A free month to Adobe Creative Cloud. Free backup software. There is almost nothing to complain about on this front. We just wish they had included the extra cable like the last gen version we reviewed a couple years ago came with and we would be truly satisfied.
Read performance: 23 out 25
While the LaCie Mobile is not going to be as fast as even an older generation Solid-State Drive based model it is rather peppy. Throughout testing we saw performance levels from this small 2TB drive that was equal to that of older 4TB and even 5TB models. That is impressive. That is how good LaCie has made their refresh. Now if they would only stop using SMR drives and go for a CMR 7,200RPM’er that could take full advantage of this designs increased cooling performance… and we would be truly happy.
Write performance: 35 out of 40
Once again, the combination of a good drive with a good bridge controller is a winning one. With that said the reliance on SMR is a weakness that could have been avoided by opting for a different drive series.
Warranty: 9 out of 10
The combination of a three warranty with three years of data recovery services is a winning one. Other companies with piddly little two year and no recovery included could learn a thing or two. To be perfectly candid, we doubt many will need it but these value-added features go a long way all on their own to justifying the LaCie Mobile Drive’s asking price.
Value: 17 out of 20
Make no mistake, this is a premium product that has been priced accordingly. However, the price premium is not too bad and in return for a couple extra tens of dollars up front buyers get a work of art that is as robust, and powerful as it is pretty. The warranty, the software, even the Adobe options are just icing on top of the cake.
Final Score: 88 / 100
The LaCie Mobile Drive refresh is one of most refreshing refreshes we have seen in many years. Typically, a ‘refresh’ means minor adjustments at best… and cost cutting, riding on the coattails of their predecessors downgrades. The LaCie Mobile Drive is not just a new coat of paint on top of an older model. Nor is it a cheaper to produce variant meant to simple increase profits. Instead, it is an excellent drive in its own right. One that not only follows in the footsteps of its predecessors but actually help raise the bar a little bit higher than where it found it. Color us impressed.
