Transfer data between a PC and a Smartphone with USB memories

Today, who does not have a cloud account in which to store documents, photos and other types of files? Services like Box, Dropbox or OneDrive make things much easier when it comes to sharing a variety of files of a certain size. Does that mean that USB sticks have nothing to say? In fact, an interesting solution for sharing files between a PC and a Smartphone, and vice versa, is the one that goes hand in hand with the USB flash drives with dual connection: USB 3.0 for the PC and micro USB for the phone.

For some time now, a Kingston microDuo 3 memory has been with me everywhere.0 with 32GB of storage capacity, more than enough for the utility that I give to this tiny accessory. What qualities and main function will a USB memory with double connection undertake?

The key to this type of accessory is the ease with which large volumes of data can be handled, and also significant weight, between a PC and a Smartphone, or even between a PC and a Tablet. Could you share files via Bluetooth or upload them to a cloud account? Yes, but a USB stick has the advantage of immediacy: copy and paste, or simply drag.

Play content and copy data

With USB - micro USB memories you avoid the need to have Internet access and to pair source and destination devices: Plug & Play , it's that simple. Do you have a series of photos or videos taken with your phone and want to see them on your computer screen? Just connect the memory via the micro USB port to the phone, copy the relevant files, then connect the memory to the USB 2 port.0 or 3.0 of the PC and finally play the contents. You can continue to use the phone as normal.

The idea of ​​buying a dual-connection USB stick is to speed up the process of transfer of files from one device to another, and even without having to take up space on any of the devices to which it connects. For example, you can have 3GB worth of episodes of a TV series to watch on your phone screen while traveling or commuting for work, and at no time will you compromise that device's storage limit.

I often use my Kingston USB flash drive, especially because I have a Smartphone with which I listen to music and which, unfortunately, does not accept a micro SD card: the flash drive will give me that extra storage. So, what other functions can a USB flash drive with micro connection and standard USB connection:

• Reproduction of content on televisions. For example, if while traveling we want to see the photos taken during the day on the hotel TV.
• Extra storage on phone or tablet. Why not use this type of memory as if it were a micro SD card?
• Playing content on the mobile device. To have more music and DivX videos close at hand for when we travel by train or plane, or when we are at home. It is true that the telephone line breaks, but in certain circumstances that will not matter to us.
• Make one-time backups.

OTG is coming to Windows 10 for mobile

What happens if we want to use a dual-connection USB flash drive to exchange files between a PC and a Smartphone with Windows 10? As read in several places, Windows 10 for mobile phones will finally incorporate the OTG function (On the Go), but it will not be compatible on all terminals: that is, There will be older Lumia phones that, when upgrading to the latest system version, won't react to plugging in memory like Kingston's microDuo.I have been able to verify it with my Lumia 1520.

In the case of phones like the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, with USB type C, you will have to opt for a USB memory dual connection, but one of them being type C. SanDisk has an already compatible product model.

Who said that USB flash drives will be replaced by cloud storage? They continue to be a good resource for those who need to copy data back and forth quickly, regardless of the type of device to which you intend to move the information.