Is it possible to view/edit directly off a SSD drive with an iPad Air M2?

[wotan1]

I've done some more transfer speed tests with the iPad Air M2 256GB, using the native Files app to transfer a directory containing 106GB of files ( 2049 .NEF files (FX & DX) with 21 .MOV files) from a Delkin Devices 325 GB CF Express B card in an Angelbird USB C card reader to a Samsung T5 SSD drive through a USB C to USB A cable, using the Caldigit USB C SOHO dock. The dock was powered during the transfer.

I had previously used the FileBrowser Pro app but this has hung on me a couple of times during transfers and also seems much slower.

Using the USB C hub, the 106GB transfer took 4 min and 39 seconds. I did the same transfer using the USB C ports on the front of my Mac Studio M1 and this took 4 minutes 36 seconds. Would the transfers have been even faster if I had used a T7 SSD drive !

This test suggests that file transfer times using a M2 iPad Air are no different from those using a desktop computer. They would also suggest that a M2 iPad should be more that adequate to facilitate file backup while out in the field, if powered by a USB C PD supply.

These results almost seem too good to be true but I did the iPad transfer test twice and got the same result. Is there a flaw in my methodology?

That is quick enough for me.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

I've done some more transfer speed tests with the iPad Air M2 256GB, using the native Files app to transfer a directory containing 106GB of files ( 2049 .NEF files (FX & DX) with 21 .MOV files) from a Delkin Devices 325 GB CF Express B card in an Angelbird USB C card reader to a Samsung T5 SSD drive through a USB C to USB A cable, using the Caldigit USB C SOHO dock. The dock was powered during the transfer.

I had previously used the FileBrowser Pro app but this has hung on me a couple of times during transfers and also seems much slower.

Using the USB C hub, the 106GB transfer took 4 min and 39 seconds. I did the same transfer using the USB C ports on the front of my Mac Studio M1 and this took 4 minutes 36 seconds. Would the transfers have been even faster if I had used a T7 SSD drive !

This test suggests that file transfer times using a M2 iPad Air are no different from those using a desktop computer. They would also suggest that a M2 iPad should be more that adequate to facilitate file backup while out in the field, if powered by a USB C PD supply.

These results almost seem too good to be true but I did the iPad transfer test twice and got the same result. Is there a flaw in my methodology?

That is way faster than I recall mine working. Good report. That said I am still now inclined to update my MBA and take that since I can probably cull and edit a bunch of images on the flight home. In a way that's easier to carry if I use it for the backups too.