Kingston Bolt Duo, forget about capacity problems on your iPhone

Despite the fact that the capacity of smartphones has been increasing progressively and now we already have the possibility of having devices with up to 1TB of storage, The iPhone from its inception has had the characteristic of not having the possibility of expanding its capacity which means that what you buy is what you have, without the possibility of rectification.

However, there are options that help you not suffer having to delete photos, videos or applications because your storage is full, and Kingston DataTraveler Bolt Duo is one of the most interesting options due to the capacity it offers and its price. We have tried it and we tell you our impressions.

Small and sturdy

The appearance of this small memory for our iPhone is that of a conventional USB memory, but with two connections, a USB-A at one end and Lightning at the other. With its metal body and its small size you should not be afraid that the unit will break. with use or when transporting it in any pocket. It also includes a rubber cover that protects it and that with a ring you can always carry on your keychain with you. Its weight is ridiculous: 7,2 grams (14 grams with the cover).

Both when connected to your iPhone and to your computer, it is a device that is well fixed, not like others that, especially when connected to the iPhone, give the feeling of "dancing" and this is reflected in inopportune disconnections. You will be able to carry the Bolt memory connected to your iPhone while you use it without any fear of it being disconnected. Personally, as a MacBook owner, I would have preferred they opted for a USB-C, but it may be too early for these accessories to switch to that connection.

A very simple and practical application

This accessory is accompanied by an application for iPhone and iPad that can be downloaded from the App Store completely free of charge: Kingston Bolt. The manufacturer wanted to give us an easy-to-use app that has what we really need, without any other distractions., and he has succeeded. Viewing the contents of the Bolt memory, transferring content or capturing photos and video directly in it, are the three options we have, and we don't need more.

We can store in the Bolt unit any video in any format (3gp, avi, flv, m4v, mkv, mov, mp4, mpg, mts, wmv) and view it from the app itself, although yes, without the possibility of changing audio or subtitles. But the videos play very smoothly and thanks to the possibility of formatting the unit in ExFAT we can store files of any size to take our movies anywhere and watch them comfortably on our iPad or iPhone. We can also view PDF documents or photos, and obviously it is compatible with the new Apple formats (HEIC)

The file transfer speed is very good (USB 3.1 Gen1) and you can take photos and videos directly on the Bolt drive without problems, as well as transfer files from your computer quickly. I only see one defect in the app that can easily be solved with an update that I hope will arrive soon: see the names of the files. The app offers us a mosaic view that does not show us the names of the files, which is a problem when you have a lot of movies, and you don't know which one is which unless you hit play.

Editor's opinion

Kingston's DataTraveler Bolt Duo drive is an effective solution for those with storage problems on their iPhone. You can transfer photos and videos or capture them directly to the Bolt unit, as well as store your movies so you don't have to take up space on your iPhone or iPad. If you bought an iPhone or iPad with little capacity and you are tired of deleting photos and videos, this can be an excellent alternative. Bolt Duo is available in various capacities at different prices:

• 32GB (€ 47) (link to Amazon)
• 64GB (€ 76) (link to Amazon)
• 128GB (€ 100) (link to Amazon)