Page 3: MobileLite G3, Use, Conclusion
MobileLite G3
Looks-wise, the MobileLite G3 takes on the appearance of the supplanted G2 model. The difference is in interface support and color scheme. Since USB3 has moved to a blue color scheme, the G3 fits right at home with the blue color accents. As the physical markup of the unit is identical to the G2, you can »read that review and watch the video for a more intricate look.
Like the G2, the MobileLite G3 also has the capability to expand and close its ports and card reader areas. This serves two purposes. The first is to protect the USB port and card that has been inserted while in transit (or in use). The second is to make sure that the USB port protection never gets lost like traditional caps that always seem to disappear. The problem of debris getting into the port still remains, however.
Once a card is inserted (a Kingston SD4/16GB), the end can be closed to protect the card from snapping off in the reader or while in transit. This is such a useful feature, making it so you can have a USB flash drive with removable storage.
Once the side is locked, the card is protected and you can consider this a normal USB flash drive.
The MobileLite G3 accepts microSDXC and normal sized cards. It is backwards compatible with USB2 and cards back to the normal SD standard. Buying this reader gives you future proofing since most devices still use SDHC only.
The MobileLite G3 is the exact same size of the G2 and you can see how it compares to a standard size DVD. It is very portable and doesn't weigh that much, making it a very nice addition to a road warrior's laptop bag.
Use
The MobileLite G3 operates at USB3 speeds as long as the card supports reads and writes that can saturate that bandwidth. We've thrown cards at it (and other readers) and the USB2 bandwidth was more than enough to handle all of those cards. The market will simply have to wait for new SDXC cards to come out in greater force to make use of this new reader. Thankfully, it works just fine with older cards and USB2 ports so you don't need to wait to start using it at any card's full speed right now.
The major issue we have with the MobileLite G3 is that it is still bulky. We had problems putting it into one of the USB ports on a desktop case and laptop users should be aware if they have sunken USB ports in their computers that this may not work. We'd have liked to see an extension cable be included, but it isn't a deal breaker. Just keep it in mind before purchase, or buy your own extension cable.
Conclusion
The MobileLite G3 is about $12 at the time of posting. This is a good price for a product that does what it is advertised. It is a step up for the displaced older model and allows for a good future proofing with the USB3 and SDXC card support. And really, how many people don't use SD cards nowadays? This reader should work for most people and is a very nice addition to the mobile focused crowd. We'll be toting this along to CES next year.
ASE Publishing would like to thank Kingston for making this review possible.
Looks-wise, the MobileLite G3 takes on the appearance of the supplanted G2 model. The difference is in interface support and color scheme. Since USB3 has moved to a blue color scheme, the G3 fits right at home with the blue color accents. As the physical markup of the unit is identical to the G2, you can »read that review and watch the video for a more intricate look.
Like the G2, the MobileLite G3 also has the capability to expand and close its ports and card reader areas. This serves two purposes. The first is to protect the USB port and card that has been inserted while in transit (or in use). The second is to make sure that the USB port protection never gets lost like traditional caps that always seem to disappear. The problem of debris getting into the port still remains, however.
Once a card is inserted (a Kingston SD4/16GB), the end can be closed to protect the card from snapping off in the reader or while in transit. This is such a useful feature, making it so you can have a USB flash drive with removable storage.
Once the side is locked, the card is protected and you can consider this a normal USB flash drive.
The MobileLite G3 accepts microSDXC and normal sized cards. It is backwards compatible with USB2 and cards back to the normal SD standard. Buying this reader gives you future proofing since most devices still use SDHC only.
The MobileLite G3 is the exact same size of the G2 and you can see how it compares to a standard size DVD. It is very portable and doesn't weigh that much, making it a very nice addition to a road warrior's laptop bag.
Use
The MobileLite G3 operates at USB3 speeds as long as the card supports reads and writes that can saturate that bandwidth. We've thrown cards at it (and other readers) and the USB2 bandwidth was more than enough to handle all of those cards. The market will simply have to wait for new SDXC cards to come out in greater force to make use of this new reader. Thankfully, it works just fine with older cards and USB2 ports so you don't need to wait to start using it at any card's full speed right now.
The major issue we have with the MobileLite G3 is that it is still bulky. We had problems putting it into one of the USB ports on a desktop case and laptop users should be aware if they have sunken USB ports in their computers that this may not work. We'd have liked to see an extension cable be included, but it isn't a deal breaker. Just keep it in mind before purchase, or buy your own extension cable.
Conclusion
The MobileLite G3 is about $12 at the time of posting. This is a good price for a product that does what it is advertised. It is a step up for the displaced older model and allows for a good future proofing with the USB3 and SDXC card support. And really, how many people don't use SD cards nowadays? This reader should work for most people and is a very nice addition to the mobile focused crowd. We'll be toting this along to CES next year.
ASE Publishing would like to thank Kingston for making this review possible.