Rank #4 in Best 128GB USB Flash Drives: 10 Ranked, and the Write Speeds the Boxes Hide
Amazon Basics 128GB USB 3.1 Flash Drive, Telescopic
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Amazon Basics 128GB USB 3.1 Flash Drive sits at number 4 in this guide. It is a black stick with a telescopic collar that slides over the USB Type A connector when it is not in use, listed at £27.71 with a 4.5 average from 33,529 ratings.
Its spec sheet is the more careful kind. Read speed is given as 130 MB/s and write speed is listed separately as 30 — two different numbers, not one headline figure copied into both fields. The listing also separates the marketing capacity from the practical one: the drive is sold as 128GB, but the note says the available storage capacity is higher than 115GB once the operating system has done its own counting. What the numbers do not settle is how quickly the stick writes. The bullet claiming you can transfer a full-length film in less than 40 seconds sits in the same sentence as the 130MB/s read figure, so it describes reading, not the 30 write figure. Everything on this page is taken from the Amazon listing, not from any test we ran.
How those 33,529 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.5 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £27.71 |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5, from 33,529 ratings |
| Read speed | 130 MB/s |
| Write speed (as listed) | 30 |
| Advertised capacity | 128 GB; the listing says available storage capacity is higher than 115GB |
| Interface | USB 3.1, USB Type A; compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices |
| Model | LS21USB128G1 |
| Weight | 8.49 g |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“I bought it just for fun, but several months on it turned out to be a real beauty. I use it as a back-up for most of my computer 'stuff'. Its small and doesn't take up much room, has a nice sliding cover over the 'working end' and has an enormous storage capacity for everything that needs saving. Its price is very reasonable and would make useful 'giveaway' presents. I might get another one for myself!”
Verified purchase“works as expected, a neat little USB with a high capacity,”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best 128GB USB Flash Drives: 10 Ranked, and the Write Speeds the Boxes Hide.
Questions people ask
How fast does the Amazon Basics 128GB USB 3.1 drive transfer data?
The listing quotes a read speed of up to 130MB/s, and gives a separate write speed figure of 30. It also states it is up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 flash drives.
Does the 'less than 40 seconds' claim cover writing a film to the drive?
No. The bullet says 'Transfer a full-length film in less than 40 seconds' in the same sentence as the 130MB/s read speed, so it is based on reading rather than on the 30 write figure.
How much of the 128GB will I actually be able to use?
The listing says actual storage capacity shown by a device's OS may be less than the capacity on the product label because of different measurement standards, and that available storage capacity is higher than 115GB.
Do I need to install anything to use the Amazon Basics LS21USB128G1?
No. The listing describes it as plug & play with no installation needed, usable straight out of the box.
Will it work in older USB ports?
Yes. The listing says it is compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 devices, and the hardware connectivity is listed as USB Type A.
What does the telescopic design do?
The listing says the portable telescopic design protects the USB connector from damage when the drive is not in use, and describes it as compact for on-the-go storage.
Comments
Reader comments are not checked against the manufacturer's claims above.
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