Sony launches Pen Drive for Smartphones

Within a fortnight of their global unveiling, Sony has launched the world's first range of pen drives for smartphones and tablets in India. The new flash drives are "2-in-1 devices" with both USB 2.0 and microUSB connectors, allowing buyers to use them in laptops and desktops as well as smartphones and tablets.

The 8, 16 and 32GB variants of the new Sony USM-SA1 USB drive have been priced at Rs 746, Rs 1,399 and Rs 2,633 in the country.

The new drives are compatible with Android (Ice Cream Sandwich to Jelly Bean) operating systems and offer USB on-the-go (OTG) functionality. Sony says that it is working on making them compatible with Android 4.4 (KitKat), the latest version of Google's mobile operating system.

Apart from copying data between devices, these flash drives can be used to as additional or temporary storage for smartphones and tablets.

Their locking caps (available in three colours) will protect the connectors from damage, dust and debris, says Sony. The metal body of the flash drives is durable enough to withstand everyday mobile use, it claims.