Hands On: Seagate GoFlex Satellite review

Hard disk giant Seagate has just unveiled a portable hard disk designed specifically for iPad and smartphone owners. The 500GB GoFlex Satellite uses a built-in WiFi hotspot to stream multimedia content to any wireless device, including Apple and Android tablets. We got to test out the external hard drive, as well as the official GoFlex Media App, during a hands-on session at a London preview event today.

The battery-powered disk will look very familiar to users of other GoFlex products, as it uses the same glossy black plastic finish. The minimalist power and status LEDs look great, but it picks up fingerprints very easily. A data connector port is hidden beneath a removable cover; like other GoFlex products, the included USB3 cable can be removed when not in use, or the whole port swapped out for a different connector, such as powered eSATA or Firewire 800. The Seagate representative also hinted that a Thunderbolt connector will be appearing soon, for owners of new iMacs and MacBook Pros.

Setup was incredibly simple; after powering on the disk, it automatically started broadcasting a wireless signal that we could connect to using an iPad or smartphone. The wireless network comes unsecured to make it easier for first-time users, but it supports WPA security if you want to restrict access to your content. Up to three wireless devices can stream video from the disk simultaneously, but only iOS devices will have access to the GoFlex Media app. An Android version is in the pipeline, but there was no indication of when it would be available.

On an iPad 2, we could stream MP4 and H.264 videos almost instantly over WiFi. Whether you use the free iOS app or the web interface, file formats are still limited by Apple’s defaults. You can play unsupported content using third party apps, which launch automatically when you choose a video (assuming you have one installed). There’s certainly room for improvement, as the music section doesn’t currently support album art and it took several seconds to display individual picture files.

Both the disk and the WiFi hotspot are powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, which can provide enough juice for five hours of streaming video, or 25 hours of standby time. To conserve battery life, both on the disk and your tablet or phone, the GoFlex Media app has the option to download files rather than stream them. Downloading a full movie from the disk to an iPad takes around seven minutes. We’ll be conducting more detailed battery tests when we get a review sample closer to the release date.

As well as getting a hands-on with the Satellite, we were also told about Seagate’s future plans for the device. With firmware updates, the second (currently disabled) internal wireless antenna could be used to extend an existing WiFi connection, adding internet access to any connected devices. No timeline was announced for these updates, but a Seagate representative was hopeful they would be coming soon.

We were impressed with our early look at the Satellite. Its main appeal will surely be the huge capacity; initially available as a 500GB model. That’s considerably larger than the flash memory in any iPad or smartphone and should be large enough for a sizable multimedia collection. The wireless functionality makes perfect sense, although we predict battery life could become an issue. With an expected price of around £200, you’ll also have to be a serious tablet multimedia addict to buy one.

The GoFlex Media app is now available from the iTunes store, but iPad owners looking to extend their storage capacity will have to wait to buy the disk itself; Seagate won’t be releasing it in Europe until August. We’ll have a full review closer to its release.