OWC opens preorder sales for Envoy Ultra external SSD with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity
OWC has opened preorder sales for the Envoy Ultra external SSD with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. The handheld drive can transfer over 6,000 MB/s and is compatible with PCs and Macs. The drive is bus-powered and does not need a separate power supply. The rugged aluminum case is crushproof, dust-resistant, and water-resistant.
The Thunderbolt interface was developed by Intel and Apple to succeed the older Firewire interface. Thunderbolt 5 is compatible with USB-C ports supporting the USB4 2.0 specification and supports transfer rates over 10,000 MB/s. The OWC drive is also compatible with USB-C ports that use an older USB specification, Thunderbolt 3, and Thunderbolt 4 ports, but with slower transfer rates.
Very few devices and computers support Thunderbolt 5, so users will need to buy new computers with Thunderbolt 5 ports, like this Razer Blade 18 2024 on Amazon, in order to achieve the maximum transfer rate from the Envoy Ultra drive.
The OWC Envoy Ultra comes in two capacities available for preorder today. The 2TB model has an MSRP of $399.99, and the 4TB model has an MSRP of $599.99. Shipments are expected to begin in late October.
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Introducing the Fastest OWC External SSD Ever and Our First Thunderbolt 5 Drive: Envoy Ultra
OWC Wayne G
posted on Sep. 12, 2024
At the IBC 2024 trade show in Amsterdam this week, the world will get its first look at something we’ve been working on for quite some time that we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to share: our fastest external SSD yet.
This is OWC Envoy Ultra, a bus-powered external SSD capable of speeds over 6,000 MB/s. Envoy Ultra will make its debut at IBC—a show aimed at giving content creators and media professionals a look at state of the art tools that will propel their workflows forward—in Hall 7, Stand 7A.60.
The Envoy Ultra is built upon the next generation Thunderbolt 5 standard and can reach data speeds of more than 6,000 MB/s—twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4 drives. These speeds make Envoy Ultra capable of handling any professional grade project you can throw at it, whether its editing 8K or 12K high-resolution, lossless video, or transferring large amounts of data in a flash.
Plus, because its a Thunderbolt drive, the Envoy Ultra works with just about any device with a USB-C port: Macs, PCs, iPad Pros, Chromebooks, and Surface devices.
You might be wondering “Why do I need a Thunderbolt 5 drive if I don’t have a device that supports Thunderbolt 5 yet?” That’s where Envoy Ultra’s combination of extreme speed and backwards compatibility come in.
When you plug Envoy Ultra into a Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, or USB4 port, Envoy Ultra will send data between itself and the host device at the full speed that the host device is capable of. For that reason, Envoy Ultra is the easiest way to ensure that you’re getting the most speed possible form any computer or tablet that supports Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, or USB4.
Of course, because Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 have half the speed of Envoy Ultra’s Thunderbolt 5-powered capability, you won’t be using this drive to its full potential when you plug into one of those ports. BUT you will be getting every last ounce of speed that your machine offers until you upgrade to a Thunderbolt 5 device. It’s the best of both worlds.
And because Envoy Ultra is an OWC product, you know that it’s not just fast. It’s rugged as heck, too. Envoy Ultra is water-resistant, dust-resistant, and crushproof with a silent, fanless, heat-dissipating aluminum design that can withstand the harshest of environments. As we mentioned above, because Envoy Ultra is bus-powered you don’t have to worry about bringing along a power brick.
The new OWC Envoy Ultra will be available in 2TB and 4TB capacities for $399.99 and $599.99 respectively. Pre-orders begin Thursday, September 12, 2024 and orders will start shipping in late October.
