Hands-On with Seagate Wireless Plus Wi-Fi Hard Drive

 At CES 2013, Seagate launched the Seagate Wireless Plus, the second generation of its wireless hard drive, which lets users stream content from the drive via Wi-Fi to their notebook, smartphone, tablet or Smart TV.

The device can stream content to up to eight devices simultaneously, and will work with Android, iOS and the Kindle Fire. Users can also stream movies and video to an HDTV using Apple Airplay, DLNA or an app designed for Samsung Smart TVs. Another clever feature of the app is that it allows users to upload content to the Wireless Plus from their smartphone or tablet. 

The Wireless Plus has a capacity of 1TB, and is available now for $199. Seagate says the drive's battery should last for up to 10 hours when streaming HD video to a single source, more than double the original Seagate GoFlex Satellite. Better yet, the drive's Wi-Fi connection is pass-through, so you can still surf the Web while your phone or tablet is connected to the drive.

The drive itself is not much larger than a traditional external hard drive, and has a plastic enclosure that looks like brushed metal on top and a soft-touch finish on the bottom. As with other Seagate drives, the Wireless Plus uses its GoFlex system, so while it ships with a USB 3.0 connection, consumers can also purchase USB 2.0, FireWire or Thunderbolt adapters.

Stay tuned for our full review.

LAPTOP Reviews Editor