Synology is best known for its niche network storage devices that are sure to be on your list of favorite NAS enclosures made for both work and play. However, the company recently branched out into internal hard drives to offer customers the complete package in-house, and is now expanding its drive offerings to include portable external SSDs. The first device to join that roster is the Synology BeeDrive.
BeeDrive is more than just a portable SSD. A smart SSD that does more than just store data. Pairing this Synology SSD with a companion app for laptops allows you to wirelessly transfer files to Drive, even replacing the Google Drive desktop app. BeeDrive looks very capable on paper, but we’ll see if all its highlight software features are worth the relatively high asking price.
Synology BeeDrive
With Synology Drive, you can automate many backup tasks and keep folders and drives on your computer in sync. Backing up photos and files from your phone is also easy with the BeeDrive app for smartphones and BeeDrop. However, the drive is hampered by its reliance on laptops for all its smarts and the lack of a Mac app at this time.
- capacity
- 1TB/2TB
- speed
- Up to 1050MB/s
- connection
- USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- portable
- yes
- guarantee
- 3 years
- Compact and easy to carry
- Reliable software performance
- Wireless photo backup from mobile phone
- Effortless setup process
- Fast wired and wireless transfers
- No file encryption
- A computer is required to use the smart features
- Ineffective fall protection
- No Mac app (for now)
Pricing and Availability
Synology BeeDrive is available in two storage sizes, 1TB and 2TB, for $120 and $200 respectively from Synology’s official sales channels, including Amazon. These prices are a little higher than other portable SSDs from Samsung and SanDisk, but BeeDrive has many advantages over non-smart SSDs.
The feature-rich software bundled with the Synology SSD somewhat justifies the price, but even so, this drive is a relatively expensive option if you just want a simple SSD to store your data. There is no change.
Design, hardware, bundled items
Unlike traditional spinning drives, external SSDs are fairly compact, making them ideal for carrying large amounts of data. BeeDrive is no different. The plastic shell and Squacle Pak shape make it light and small enough to easily fit in the palm of your hand. It’s pretty thin, so you can put it in your jeans pocket without any problem.
In one of its corners is a white LED light with various blinking patterns to indicate if a transfer is in progress or if there’s a problem with the drive. The only port on the drive is the USB Type-C port used for data transfer. Note that Synology has questionable 2-meter drop protection built-in (“tested on carpeted concrete floors”) and no mention of an IP rating.
During the review process, I accidentally dropped the BeeDrive from a height of about 2 feet, causing its casing to open slightly along the seam, but the data on the drive was not affected in any way. . Be sure to keep it safe.
Inside the box you’ll find the drive itself, a USB-C to USB-C cable that supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 full speed, and a USB-A adapter. It comes with a lock that secures it to the attached cable. — When connecting to older laptops that don’t have a USB-C port.
Software and performance
Synology BeeDrive is a plug-and-play storage device that can be used right out of the box. However, its several unique features make it smarter than most other portable SSDs on the market today.
Similar to the Google Drive app for desktop, BeeDrive can automatically back up folders on your computer. Synology also includes a nifty way to wirelessly back up photos and files from your phone to the drive.
But to do all these advanced things, the drive relies entirely on your laptop’s Wi-Fi connection and its companion app (currently only available for Windows). The company says the Mac app should be released by the end of the year.In the meantime, Mac users will continue to use BeeDrive usually Portable drives do not have app-enabled features.
Installer files for Windows are included in drive storage. You can use it to install apps on your PC. During the initial setup process, the app will ask you to sign in to your Synology Account (or create a new account). This is required for the drive’s cross-device connectivity feature. Synology has ensured that your data only travels on your local Wi-Fi network and no information or even metadata reaches our servers, except for the IP address used for QuickConnect pairing.
Like some of the best external SSDs, BeeDrive supports transfer speeds up to 1050MB/s. In our tests, we were impressed with the sustained read speeds it reached when connected to the USB-C port of a Windows machine. However, in a particular speed test app for Mac, speeds hover around 700MB/s, which is still pretty fast when working directly from the drive. These transfer rates depend on many factors, from file size to your laptop’s USB type, so your actual mileage may vary.
But that’s not what BeeDrive is for. BeeDrive’s Windows app is the highlight here. Synology wants to use Computer Backup to replace the Google Drive app for PC, allowing you to automatically back up changes between selected folders on your computer and this drive. Any changes you make to your files are instantly reflected in BeeDrive, making it a convenient tool for keeping your files safe on external drives. It keeps 5 archived copies of your files so you can retrieve older versions if something goes wrong, but it can take up some of your storage space depending on the file type.
File Sync works similarly, but is designed to sync files and folders between two computers. This feature is useful if you switch computers frequently and want to keep all your files in sync between both PCs. I didn’t have a second Windows machine to thoroughly test the sync functionality, but I did notice that a one-way sync from the computer to the drive took quite a while.
My favorite thing about BeeDrive is the option to wirelessly back up photos from your phone. Using his BeeDrive app on your smartphone, you can set your drive to store full-resolution copies of your photos.
These backups are quick. Backing up 260 photos, just over 1 GB, took less than 5 minutes. But to start the process, you have to make sure his BeeDrive app is open on your phone. A Synology NAS enclosure makes a great alternative to Google Photos, but if photo backup is your priority, BeeDrive proves to be a much more reasonable choice.
iPhone users have the additional option of automatically converting HEIF photos to JPEG for better compatibility across devices. Additionally, Synology has built in an AirDrop-inspired feature called BeeDrop that allows you to quickly send any type of file from your phone to Drive.
It works reliably and opens Explorer on your PC as soon as the transfer is complete. The only major downside of mobile apps is that you can’t wirelessly access or even view files stored on your drive from your phone, which is a big mistake.
Adding to the complication is the fact that the drive must be connected to the computer running the companion app for all backup and transfer functions to work. This is because drives don’t have a brain of their own and rely on the network of PCs to move files.
No problem if the BeeDrive is connected to your laptop all day long. However, if you want to backup the occasional photos from your phone, you’ll need to connect the drive to your laptop first. WD, by comparison, is now discontinued. My Passport Wireless Pro Although bulky, it included a Wi-Fi card and battery to make wireless transfers a breeze.
competition
T.
The two most popular external SSDs on the market today are the Samsung T7 and SanDisk Extreme. When it comes to cost per GB, these alternatives offer much better value than the Synology BeeDrive. Both brands’ portable 1TB SSDs are available for as low as $70, plus they have file encryption and rugged construction for extra drop protection (Samsung has another rugged version there is).
Where BeeDrive excels is in its software features. Many people will benefit from being able to back up their photos in their original quality when Google Photos runs out of space. The fact that Synology doesn’t charge a monthly fee for that feature also works in its favor, but as with many external drives, we hope the company adds a file encryption option soon.
should i buy it?
Synology is known not only for its hardware, but also for its excellent software. It turns out that Synology Drive can easily replace Google Drive. The newly launched BeeDrive inherits some of these traits with the accompanying software that offers far more features than traditional portable SSDs. You can also automate folder backups and keep family photos and videos safe without paying monthly fees.
If all these smart features bother you, the Synology BeeDrive is your best bet, despite the slightly higher asking price. The drive pays for itself in the long run when computer backup and file syncing improve workflow when switching between work and home laptops.
The only notable things about BeeDrive are that it doesn’t have a Mac app, doesn’t have built-in file encryption, and needs to be connected to a PC for wireless transfers. Synology can fix his two shortcomings in the first place, but BeeDrive was designed to rely on the computer for its smart features, and that can’t be changed, at least in the current version. It’s still easy for a professional who spends a good amount of time on his work machine, but for someone considering his BeeDrive for the occasional backup of photos, the process will be particularly troublesome.
Synology BeeDrive
Synology BeeDrive could be your perfect companion for automatically backing up your important files and syncing folders between your work and home laptops. The photo backup feature is an added bonus that saves you money on your monthly Google Photos storage fee.