The USB Type-С bandwagon begins to roll at last
We covered the original Lexar M20 in December 2014, and now the company has followed that with the M20c and M20i that build on that switchblade dual connector model.
The M20 had a USB 3.0 blade at one end and a Micro-В at the other, so you could load it up on the PC and then plug it into an Android phone or tablet with OTG (On The Go) USB. The snag with that arrangement was that Micro-В is exclusively USB 2.0, so if you intended to transfer the files using one, then that's the bottleneck.
The 32GB model I tested then could achieve 141MB/S read and 40MB/S write on USB 3.0, but only about 30MB/s on the USB 2.0 end of the stick.
What the M20c brings to the party is USB Type-C replacing the Micro-В blade with something new and only available on a few devices. It still uses an USB 3.0 blade at the other end so you can connect it to any system with that port, or any of the previous USB incarnations for that matter.
On first impressions the M20c, this is most like the first M20, being almost identical in size, shape and construction. For whatever reasons Lexar made it about half a millimetre shorter, and it's now in a dark metallic grey not the white and blue scheme.
In this cap-less design you press down on the slider mechanism and depending which way you push projects to one of the two USB blades. With the slider in a central position both blades are tucked away and protected from whatever dangers may lurk in your pocket or laptop bag. The reason for doing it this way is probably that they don't want anyone trying to simultaneously connect it to two devices, resulting in damaging the drive and the devices at the same time.
Testing the M20c through its standard USB 3.0 port I managed 149.7 MB/s reading and 78.5 MB/s writing. That's close to the 150MB/s quoted on the packaging, though I didn't explicitly activate UASP or Turbo mode that might achieve those levels. Read speed is actually even better under USB 3.1 Type-C, though I rarely saw write speed exceed 80MB/S in any tests.
You could get a USB 3.0 to Type С adapter for about £10, and then use any USB 3.0 drive you'd like. Though, as a 64GB USB drive costs around £20, there isn't much of a win to be found by doing that. However, if you want a drive that offers connection for now and for a few years up the road, where Type-C will be on everything, then this is the model for you.
I'd like the construction quality to be better, but in terms of what it does electronically I've few - if any - complaints. Mark Pickavance
Two flavours of fast USB for the price of one.
Features
• Easily transfers files between USB Type-C smartphones, tablets, and computers
• 2-in-1 design with Type-C and 3.0 USB
• USB 3.0 performance (150MB/S read and 60MB/s write)
• Compatible with both PC and Mac
• Backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices
• Three-year limited warranty