Orico is best known for its HDD and SSD enclosures, and the Chinese manufacturer has been in the business for over 15 years. The brand has recently ventured into Thunderbolt 4 docking stations, storage servers, and SSDs, and I’m just starting to talk about the Mecha O20, a rugged external SSD that aims to compete with the likes of the Crucial X10 Pro and Samsung T9.
The Mecha O20 is available in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage variants, and the 2TB model I’m using is Available for $167 on Amazonan attractive 30% discount off its retail price of $239. The discount makes it a much better option than its rivals and, having used the Mecha O20 for the better part of a month, I can confidently say that it’s up there with the best this segment has to offer.
Design is a key focus of the Mecha O20, so let’s start there. While most external SSDs have a weather- and shock-resistant casing, Orico takes things to a whole new level. The Mecha O20’s chassis is made from an aluminum alloy and is durable on its own. But what’s interesting is that Orico added a silicone casing to the chassis, allowing it to withstand the elements much better.
The best part is that the USB-C port is also covered by a silicone plug, and you’ll have to lift the flap to access the connector. The only problem with this is that since the port is recessed, you can’t use all USB-C cables – the usual Acefast cables I use have a larger USB connector and were too big – this is the same problem as having a bulky phone case.
Fortunately, Orico includes a 20Gbps cable with the package and it has a 2-in-1 connector that works as either USB-A or USB-C depending on the target device. I connected the SSD to several Android phones, a Windows machine, and the iPhone 15 Pro Maxand it worked right away, no configuration required.
The chassis and extra silicone casing make the Mecha O20 bulkier than most external SSDs, but it’s not so big that it affects portability – you can toss it in a bag with ease. At 189g, it’s not heavy either, and the grey colour scheme is discreet.
There’s a loop for hanging it on the side, and if you want, you can clip it to the outside of your bag. It’s resistant to rain, drops, and dirt. The SSD has an IP54 rating, so while it’s not recommended to submerge it in water, it holds up incredibly well in any other situation.
The Mecha O20 uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, meaning you get 20Gbps of bandwidth, with reads of up to 2000MB/s. There aren’t many devices that use the Gen 2×2 interface, and in that case it falls back to the 10Gbps USB standard. In my use, I saw reads of up to 1829MB/s and writes of 1634MB/s, and that’s among the highest speeds of any external SSD I’ve tested.
Random reads and writes hovered around 200MB/s, and once again, that’s a great result for the SSD. I didn’t see any issues when transferring thousands of photos and videos from the Vivo X100 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro, or moving hundreds of gigabytes of data from Windows. In this regard, it’s proven to be just as reliable as the The best external SSDs.
As a result, I have no qualms about recommending the Mecha O20. I own a dozen external SSDs, and the Mecha O20 easily has the most rugged design. Thanks to the Gen 2×2 interface, it’s also one of the fastest SSDs on the market, and I didn’t see any issues in daily use. If you need an external SSD and want something that doesn’t cost as much as Samsung, the Mecha O20 is the one to go for.
Orico Mecha O20 2TB External SSD
With a rugged design and fast transfers, the Mecha O20 is a great choice if you need an external drive that’s built to last.