I’m a content creator, and this SanDisk Creator Phone SSD is the storage upgrade I’d actually give as a holiday gift

(Image credit: Future)

I’ll admit it — content creators like me are terrible to buy gifts for. What do you buy the person who already has everything they want? Well, the one thing you’ll notice is that they always run out of space on their phones. Storage anxiety is real when you’re quickly snapping away.

Well, I’ve been testing the $149 SanDisk Creator Phone SSD for the past few months, and this MagSafe storage expansion has not only relieved me of my space stress, but it’s also unlocked a serious upgrade in the content I create while also making my editing flow a whole lot easier.

Speedy saves, smart looks

I’m a sucker for blue tech, and this is an eye-catching drive to say the least! It's super convenient with MagSafe to lock onto the back of your phone. Plus, its impressively thin profile means you can use it with most typical phone clips on a tripod.

It’s also durable with that silicone shell protecting it for big drops while offering IP65 water and dust resistance. But its secret weapon is the exFAT formatting right out of the box, which both makes it compatible with all your devices, and (when plugged into my iPhone 15 Pro) supports video capture in Apple ProRes 4K at up to 120 FPS. It’s an instant upgrade to the type of content I capture.

And since it’s USB 3.0, you’re getting a solid 1,000MB/s read/write speed for all your tasks — something which becomes all the more important when it comes to editing.

No more AirDrop

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Data transfer method	10-minute Apple ProRes video (mm:ss)
AirDrop	12:13
USB-C	01:49

When it’s time to edit, my usual workflow is simple, but slow: set up an AirDrop and leave my phone for a while. Don’t get me wrong, it’s foolproof in a classic Apple “it just works” kind of way, but it just takes a while.

Now that I’m saving directly to the drive, I can just plug the SSD straight into my MacBook and transfer everything over much quicker. Moving 10 minutes of ProRes video over on AirDrop usually took about 12 minutes, and converting it to a simple H.264 clip isn't as editable.

Now, it takes two minutes, tops, and I can color grade to my heart’s content with the raw data. It’s much faster, and higher quality, too!

Buy now before the price skyrockets

Yes, I know that subheadline is a little bit threatening, but we can’t just view the Creator Phone SSD in a vacuum. It’s a phenomenal last-minute holiday gift for the creator in your life (or to treat yourself), and the price of SSD chips is exploding alongside the cost of RAM.

And while this SanDisk drive has gone up in price, it’s only done so by $5. This is the beginning of the inflection point for portable SSD costs, and in 2026, it can only go one way — up.

So I implore you. If you’ve thinking about snagging a Creator Phone SSD, not only is it a great on-the-go drive for those who fill up their storage fast, it’s probably the last chance to buy before prices go way up.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.