Storage on Apple devices has always been a sensitive subject. Whether it’s for an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you always pay the highest premium when upgrading the internal storage. An iPhone 17 Pro Max can go from $1199 for its 256GB entry-level model to $2000 for the 2TB model. That’s an additional $800 just for storage on your iPhone. So, for anyone shooting photos, working with large files, or recording Apple ProRes video on iPhone, those storage limits show up fast. I always recommend people get external storage rather than internal storage, since you can get 16TB for $800 these days! But external storage, specifically with iPhones, poses other challenges, like cables, mounts, and setups that can make things feel clunky. So when I saw the new Planck SSD and how tiny, compact, and purpose-built it was for iPhone, I had to check it out.
Before we get into my hands-on experience, let’s talk about exactly what this is. On paper, this is a high-end external storage accessory. You plug it directly into your iPhone, and you get an additional 1 or 2 TB of external storage. The secret sauce of this thing is the size, material choices, and form factor. It’s insane how small and convenient this is. The Planck SSD gives you:
- 1TB or 2TB options
- USB-C connection up to 10 Gbps
- Weights less than 10g!
- Tested write speeds up to 1050 MB/s
- Supports up to 4k120 Apple ProRes recording
- Made of aluminum and shock-resistant materials
- Water-resistant, dust-resistant, drop-tested up to 3 meters
So what really stands out here isn’t the storage capacity or the read/write speeds, but the size, form factor, and how well it performs for such a small piece of kit. It is built to be used and record super-capacity, heavy Apple ProRes LOG footage, with the 2TB model able to record up to 5 hours of continuous filming.
My experience
I was introduced to this product a year ago, at CES 2025. It was one of those products that I saw that I knew would be a hit. At the time, it was still just a prototype, but I knew I needed to have it. The build materials, in combination with the size, made for a perfect storage accessory for iPhone users. Especially with someone like myself who likes to use their iPhone in video environments. There is a lot to like about this SSD, starting with the little things.
As I mentioned, this device weighs only 10g, so even though it plugs directly into the iPhone, it feels like nothing is there. Since it plugs in directly, there are no cables, mounts, or MagSafe attachments needed. It just plugs in and starts working. They even added a lip on the USB-C port to account for people using cases on their iPhones, which is a great quality-of-life feature. Some thick SSD cables sometimes don’t fit when you have an iPhone case on. Another bit they added was labels in the packaging. The bottom of the Planck is flat, so you can add these labels as needed. A nice touch. Then, in the packaging, they include a rubber holder with a loop, so it’s easier to store and find. Again, this thing is small, so if you just slide it into a heavy jacket, you could forget it!
There are a ton of use cases for this SSD. Of course, it can be used as regular storage for all of your devices. This works great with an iPad or even a MacBook, as well as just external storage. The read and write speeds are fast enough that you can use it even while video editing. But I used it to record my footage directly to this Planck SSD. I own an iPhone 17 Pro with 512GB of storage. I like to save that storage for my apps, music, and personal photos that I know I need on the device. But when I record YouTube videos or footage at a show, I do not like using up my on-device storage.
