Even if you have a Lightning-enabled iPhone now, you wont in the future.
This product was also released in mid-2023, just to be clear.
It makes no sense.
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
Its iMac doesnt have that old port on it either.
Only the oldest 9th Gen iPad still includes a Lightning port.
In no way was this brand-new Duo Link iOS Dual flash drive built to flourish.
The PNY DUO LINK iOS USB 3.2 Dual Flash Drive bridges the gap between mobile and desktop, making it the ideal mobile storage solution for file management on the go.
Its design was outdated before it was released.
Unfortunately, this product comes off as geared towards single-use.
A disposable method for emergency backups or file transfers as their aging phone kicks the bucket.
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
The drive is not particularly affordable, however.
Probably the only highlight of the product is its construction.
It was like an expensive fidget spinner.
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
Its build quality felt refined.
Unfortunately, that praise is short-lived too.
(It might work with some iPhone cases, but be prepared for it not to.)
Joe Robinson / How-To Geek
It wasn’t complicated to use.
I poked around for a few minutes and understood how it worked.
Up top are scrollable squares for different tasks, such as viewing photos or videos.
The app allows the drive to be encrypted with a password.
However, that lock needs to be removed before a computer can read the storage.
I did like that the Duo Link 4 app could back up a copy of my phones contacts.
But along with photos and videos, those are the only items it can handle automatically.
Music and documents will need to be done in a more manual fashion.
Content from other apps can be copied over to the drive, too.
Everything worked fine, but nothing felt like a pleasing experience.
The drive functioned as advertised.
Should You Buy the PNY Duo Link iOS Dual Flash Drive?
The desire to backup an iPhone directly to offline storage is understandable.
But this is not a product that most people should seek out for voluntary day-to-day use.
The app experience was poor and the hardware will not be compatible with most iPhones in the immediate future.
