Seagate's Ultra Compact SSD blurs the line between portable SSDs and USB flash drives. Shaped like a thumb drive from 20 years ago with a detachable cap concealing its USB connector, it offers capacities of 1 TB or 2 TB—typically found in portable SSDs rather than thumb drives. The drive features a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface running at 10 Gbps, with no USB Type-A adapter included in the box.

Built on a solid aluminum alloy chassis housing a Phison U32C controller with Kioxia BiCS6 162-layer 3D TLC NAND, the drive is wrapped in a silicone sleeve for durability. This design contributes to 3-meter drop endurance and IP54-rated water and dust resistance, while keeping the weight at just 24 grams. Seagate sweetens the deal with three years of Rescue data recovery service and six-month subscriptions to Dropbox Backup and Mylio Photos+.

Performance is where this tiny drive surprises—it crushes even the fastest SATA SSDs. The 2 TB model launched at $179 but currently sells for $314 due to industry-wide NAND flash shortages. At those prices, buyers get portable SSD performance in a form factor that fits on a keychain.