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The Kingston MobileLite Wireless is a nifty, well designed SD card reader. The design of the reader is simple, in a good way, and will let it blend in with most other gadgets available on the market. The wireless functionality is excellent and the app for both Android and iOS is easy to understand and easy to use.
Video playback, MP3 playback and browsing through photos works well and the reader is certainly capable of maintaining three stable connections simultaneously. The ability to copy all photos on a device's local storage to the SD card is definitely a plus.
Sadly, battery life was unremarkable, I measured 4 hours and 20 minutes of continuous use, looping a video on one device. After a while the reader got warm to the touch, though I would not describe it as getting very hot.
The lack of any on-board storage means it is at a disadvantage when compared to the Kingston Wi-Drive, especially when factoring in the cost of buying a memory card if you don't already have one. Additionally, the MobileLite adds little value for those who can already switch out the SD cards in their phones. For only £18 more, you can pick up a Kingston Wii Drive which features 64GB of internal storage.
WiFi standards such as WiFi Direct and NFC (near field communication) mean most modern phones already have quite efficient means of sharing media. It is only when paired with a device that lacks expandable memory that the MobileLite shines. The ability to take an SD card from your camera and to share your photos with friends and family without huddling around a single PC means it is ideal for those who often go on vacation or simply take a lot of photos.
Pros:
- Lightweight.
- Very quick and easy to set up.
- Fast charge.
- Excellent signal strength.
Cons:
- The use of SD cards is cumbersome when compared to alternatives, such as the Kingston Wi-Drive.
- Limited flexibility for users with expandable storage on their mobile devices.
- Adding new files to the library still requires a physical connection to the reader.
- battery life could be better.
Kitguru says: An interesting SD card reader but we prefer the Kingston Wi-Drive as a portable media drive.
