Reviewing OWC’s Envoy Pro Elektron USB-C SSD

When the package for OWC’s Envoy Pro Elektron arrived, I was surprised just how small the box was. However, the bigger surprise was seeing the device after opening the box. Of course, I knew the external SSD would be negligible. But it’s even smaller than a credit card. Indeed, the Envoy Pro Elektron is so tiny that you’ll barely notice it in your travel bag or briefcase.

About Other World Computing’s Envoy Pro Elektron USB-C SSD

Released last October, OWC’s Envoy Pro Elektron is described as the “fastest, toughest mini-sized SSD in the universe.” Moreover, early reviews suggest that the hype was for real for this powerful USB-C SSD. It can store data at 1011MB/s, 2x faster than competing portable drives. It’s approximately 9x faster than the existing HDD I used to store data from the cloud. The Envoy Pro Elektron was so well received at this year’s Digital Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that it earned an Innovation Award.

Envoy Pro Elektron – Features

The Envoy Pro Elektron has four storage sizes ranging from 240GB to 2.0TB. Retail prices range from $99 to $399. The USB-C SSD weighs 85.0 f or .19 lbs and has a solid aluminum enclosure. Similarly, it’s just 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, with a height of just 5 inches. If that’s not enough, it’s also crushing, dustproof, reproof, and IP67-rated. Despite its small dimensions and weight, I find it quite solid. Moreover, unlike my other storage devices, it doesn’t take up much room. Of course, you will easily find the right price and size for your preferences.

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What’s In The Envoy Pro Elektron Box

The Envoy Pro Elektron has a USB-C cable and a Type-A adaptor for older devices. Also included is a formatting guide to get your external drive up and running quickly. A foldable system requirement guide is slightly larger than a business card.

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Compatibility

OWC’s Envoy Pro Elektron is compatible with Mac OS and PC OS platforms, as well as the new Mac M1 processors. This includes MacOS 10.12 Sierra to the newest Mac OS 12. x Monterey. For Windows, it’s compatible with Windows 10 64-bit and Windows Service 2016. It’s also compatible with mobile OS like iPad OS14, Chrome, and Android 10. Complete information can be found in the specifications section. In contrast, the Envoy Pro Elektron is bootable for Mac only.

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Quick Analysis

From a personal standpoint, OWC’s Envoy Pro Elektron is a godsend. It’s incredibly compact, lightweight, and blazingly fast. To illustrate, it managed to store all of my 500GB files from Time Machine in less than the time it took to finish dinner. The SSD was easy to format and barely warmed after the file transfer. This is for you if you need to transfer files to an external drive while traveling (think large file photos or videos).

Final Thoughts

The Envoy Pro Elektron has effectively put my aging HDD to pasture. My one concern might be the retail price of the 1.0TB at $229. Indeed, in a quick check, I found a few similar gadgets with equal or faster speed transfers but priced much lower. On the other hand, I continue to stand by any product that Other World Computing offers. Because of this, This tiny little gadget has found a spot in my home office. Moreover, my important files are now in the Envoy Pro Elektron.

Product Specifications – Envoy Pro Elektron USB-C SSD

Information courtesy of Other World Computing

Specifications

• Total Capacity

• • 1.0TB

• Standard Mechanism

• • (1) 1.0TB OWC Aura P13 Pro NVMe M.2 2242 SSD
  • *OWC reserves the right to replace or upgrade to equivalent or better components.

• Bootable

• • Mac only

• Chipset

• • Asmedia ASM-2362

• Drive Interface

• • NVMe M.2

• Certifications

• • BSMI
  • CE
  • FCC
  • VCCI
  • RCM

• Data Transfer Rate (Maximum)

• • USB 3.2 Gen 2 : 10 Gb/s (or 1250 MB/s)

• Plug and Play

• • Yes

Compatibility

• Mac OS Compatibility

• •  10.12 sierra
  •  10.13 High Sierra
  •  10.14 Mojave
  • 10.15 Catalina
  •  11.x Big Sur
  • macOS 12.x Monterey

• PC OS Compatibility

• • Windows 10 64-bit Edition
  • Windows Server 2016

• Linux OS Compatibility

• • Yes

• Mobile OS Compatibility

• • iPad 14
  • iPad 13

• Other OS Compatibility

• • Chrome OS
  • Chrome OS, Android 10 or later

• Other Requirements

• • NVMe M.2 SSD with 2242 form factor and M-Key connector

• Host Port Requirements

• • Thunderbolt 3 or later
  • USB-C (10Gb/s recommended)
  • USB Type-A (10Gb/s recommended)

• Driver Required

• • No

Power

• Power Supply

• • Bus-powered

• External Power Adapter

• • No

Physical

• Number of Bays

• • 1

• Device Ports

• • (1) USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Port up to 10Gb/s (1250MB/s) – USB 2.0/3.0 backward compatible

• Security Slot

• • No

• Power/Activity LED

• • Yes

• Housing Color

• • Silver

• Housing Material

• • Aluminum

• Dimensions

• • Height: 1.2 cm (0.5 in)
  • Length: 7.6 cm (3.0 in)
  • Width: 5.2 cm (2.0 in)

• Weight

• • 85.0 g (0.19 lbs)

Environmental

• Ambient Temperature

• • Operating: 41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C)
  • Non-Operating: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)

• Altitude

• • Operating: -304.8 m to 3,048.0 m (-1,000 ft to 10,000 ft)
  • Non-Operating: -304.8 m to 12,192.0 m (-1,000 ft to 40,000 ft)

• Humidity

• • Operating: 8% to 90% non-condensing
  • Non-Operating: 5% to 95% non-condensing

Acoustics

• Noise

• • 0dB

Notes

• N/A

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About The Author

Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS Local from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including CBS New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget, NBC.com, NJ.com, and Radio.com.