Full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of limited-edition releases – sneakers, gaming consoles, and yes, even hard drives – a good/beautiful, limited edition version of a product will undoubtedly get my attention. For Lunar New Year, Western Digital (WD) came through with a very cool, sleek dragon design on their My Passport Ultra hard drive. Here’s how it stacks up.
My Passport Ultra – Lunar New Year Edition Tech Specs (via WesternDigital.com)
- Capacity: 2TB
- Compatibility: exFAT; Windows 10+; MacOS 11+
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen1
- Transfer Rate: 5Gb/s
- Design: Metal with limited edition dragon design
A Mix of Form and Function
Let’s be clear here, the WD My Passport Ultra line of hard drives provides users with reliable and cheap storage when looking at the price-per-GB in a hard drive. I’ve long used these drives as my go-to backup solution for any paid photography work – meaning when I get a new job, I buy a new hard drive to keep all the images/video from a job. But when it comes to personal preference, I like my devices to have a little pizzazz without being gaudy or distracting on my desk.
The WD My Passport Ultra has fast write speeds (5Gb/s) which can confidently handle large data transfers from your cards, device storage, or peripherals without issue. Like many newer drives, this one uses the USB 3.2 Gen 1 Standard so it will work with all recent devices – it even includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter if you need one. Lastly, the metal façade gives the drive an overall premium feel that will largely stand the test of time.
Final Thoughts, Price, and Availability
What more can I say about the drive – it’s a solid, low-cost drive with a splashy look that makes it ideal for the geek who likes their devices to have some personality. I’ve long used WD’s My Passport products for work and play and have purchased them for family members looking for a no-brainer storage solution. The Lunar New Year edition also includes WD’s security software so you can encrypt your drive and keep prying eyes out. As a limited-edition device, availability is scarce, but you can pick one up for around $85. (WD/Amazon)
You can check out an unboxing of the WD Lunar New Year My Passport Ultra on Instagram