Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe Smart SSD Enclosure Impressions
Dockcase, the company behind the cyberpunk-styled USB-C hub, is back with another product: a pocket smart SSD enclosure. With the Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure, the company is once again taking the crowdfunding route via a Kickstarter campaign. As usual, caution is advised with such campaigns but this isn’t the first time that Dockcase is heading this route and it has been steadily delivering its products to backers.
On the ongoing Kickstarter campaign, Super Early Bird pledges for the Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe SSD Enclosure starts at $75. There are options to add accessories, including an SSD, from the campaign itself at additional costs. The early model showcased in this impressions piece came with an SSD fitted in the enclosure and the following accessories:
Specs of the enclosure can be found below:
(click on the image above to expand for readability)
Save for the SSD, the base model should be reflective of the above contents. It is welcome to find that a screwdriver as well as an extra screw is included in the package. The option to use a single, regular Philips screw makes replacement and especially mounting an SSD easier. Doing so is very easy and can be done within a few minutes.
The enclosure itself is well built, with an aluminium body and tempered glass front for the screen component. The overall impression is that of a sturdy and quality product while being very light and pocketable.
As the Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe Smart SSD Enclosure is geared towards photography, the device has been well designed in this regard. It features standard 14” screw holes on either side that allow you to mount it on tripods and phone mounts. This way, the device works as a portable storage expansion where it can directly store photographs and videos from your camera or Android device (via the Open Camera app).
Considering its size, build quality and support for up to 2TB SSD, I find the Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe Smart SSD Enclosure to be a particularly apt companion for handheld gaming PCs. As new AAA PC games are increasingly requiring SSDs in their minimum requirements, this accessory can also be an adequate addition to your setup with minimal footprint.
Whether to increase the storage capacity of your handheld gaming PCs or laptop, I find this enclosure well suited for gaming uses. Its plug-and-play approach and ease of inserting SSDs makes it a hassle-free experience for such use cases. I haven’t experienced it being uncomfortably hot while in use and the integrated Power Loss Protection feature prevents data loss due to unexpected power outages or surges, providing some added peace of mind. I do wish there were padded feet on the underside for desktop use and I hope that Dockcase considers this option for the retail models.
As with their futuristic USB hub, Dockcase included a screen in their SSD enclosure that endows it with the “smart” moniker. Once connected to a device, the screen displays data about power loss protection, SSD details such as the make and health, read and write speeds and real-time temperature. Most of these are nice-to-haves or even gimmicks as you can very well use an external storage without such details. But the read/write speeds and health information of the SSD can be handy information and Dockcase has by now made such screens a characteristic feature of its accessories.
I’m not against the inclusion of the screen, and even find it to add a unique touch, but I wish that navigation was made easier. There is only one “D-key” to navigate and requires alternating between single, double and long presses which can be confusing and unintuitive. Having two buttons, one to accept selections and another to move across menus, would have gone a long way to make the interface more user-friendly. I hope that Dockcase improves on this aspect of its devices in the future.
As for the SSD read/write speeds, this will depend on the SSD you actually choose to fit in this enclosure. The Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe Smart SSD Enclosure does not compromise on transfer speeds with the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface of its USB-C port. For instance, with a SK Hynix BC711 SSD fitted in the enclosure, I could achieve read and write speeds of 699.7 MByte/sec and 715.1 MByte/sec, respectively.
There are a number of enclosure options on the market to choose from and choosing the Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe Smart SSD Enclosure will depend on your preferences. It stands out with its minimal footprint, dedicated tripod screws and info screen. If you choose to get it, it will provide a sturdy enclosure that supports fast transfer speeds whether it’s for photography or gaming needs.
Dockcase Pocket M.2 NVMe Smart SSD Enclosure KickStarter Campaign
