Rank #5 in Best 128GB USB Flash Drives: 10 Ranked, and the Write Speeds the Boxes Hide
Amazon Basics 128GB USB-C and USB-A Dual Port Drive
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Amazon Basics USB Flash Drive is a 128 GB dual-port stick: USB-C on one side, USB-A on the other, in a metal casing that rotates open and closed. It sits at #5 in this guide, priced at £35.31, rated 4.6 out of 5 from 4,759 customer reviews. The listing describes it as a way to move data between phones, tablets and computers, and it arrives formatted as exFAT.
The number worth examining is the 400 MB/s in the Read Speed field of the specification table — well above the 150 MB/s headline that the SanDisk Ultra Flair prints elsewhere in this guide. There is no write speed anywhere on this page. Instead, the bullets carry a disclaimer that read and write speeds come from internal tests under controlled conditions and may vary with device, file size and file type. That is a different problem from the drives whose sheets print the same figure in both fields: here there is simply nothing to compare against, so the read figure stands unopposed. The listing is also upfront that the 128 GB is nominal, describing available capacity as higher than 115 GB. Every figure on this page is taken from the Amazon listing for this drive, not from testing we have carried out ourselves.
How those 4,759 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.6 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £35.31 |
|---|---|
| Customer rating | 4.6 out of 5 from 4,759 ratings |
| Read speed | 400 MB/s (as listed) |
| Write speed | Not listed on the page |
| Nominal capacity | 128 GB |
| Available capacity | Higher than 115 GB (as listed) |
| Hardware interface | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Default format | exFAT |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Fantastic drive good price and it's handy to have the two different usb connections. Doesn't also transfer data and very fast speeds sometimes it's a bit slow but that may be my laptop!! But I have bought more I love them.”
Verified purchase“Very good to carry around and travel with , metal quality and value for money.”
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 is the Amazon Basics LS25USBC128G1?
The specification table lists a read speed of 400 MB/s and gives no write speed at all. The listing's own bullet says read and write speeds are based on internal tests under controlled conditions and may vary depending on the devices used, the transfer file size and the file type.
How much of the 128 GB can I actually use?
The listing states a 128 GB nominal capacity and warns that the capacity shown by the device's operating system may be less than the label because of different measurement standards. It adds that available capacity is higher than 115 GB.
Which devices can it connect to?
The dual USB-C and USB-A design is described as making it easy to transfer data between phones, tablets and computers, and the hardware interface is listed as USB 3.2 Gen 1. The listing also notes it is incompatible with the Lightning port, written as "lighting port".
What format does it arrive in?
exFAT by default. The listing says this brings lower power consumption, reliable performance and broad device compatibility.
Is the casing metal?
Yes. The listing describes a metal exterior casing with a rotating open/close design and a hanging hole for storage. The drive weighs 15 g and the finish is Champagne Silver.
Why is it £35.31?
The listing does not explain the price; it sets out the dual connectors, the metal casing and the exFAT formatting as the features. The 4.6 out of 5 rating comes from 4,759 reviews.
Comments
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