Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsWARNING: The USB-C to USB-A cable is a USB 2.0 cable! (+ Terrible Samsung support)
Reviewed in Canada on March 17, 2023
If you are intending to use this Samsung T7 external SSD with an older PC that has USB 3.0 USB-A ports, be warned, the USB-C to USB-A cable that the T7 ships with is a USB 2.0 cable! It is NOT a USB 3.2 Gen2 cable.
I tested the Samsung T7 with the included USB-A cable across 3 different devices (2x Windows PCs and a Macbook). Across the board, the included USB-A cable maxes out at 41 MB/s transfer speeds. Not only that, Samsung's own Magician software lists it as a USB 2.0 interface (even through a USB 3.0 hub where Magician lists the other devices on the same hub as USB 3.2 Gen1 interfaces). So yeah, the cable is actually a USB 2.0 cable. This makes the Samsung T7 external SSD 2-5x slower than my USB 3.0 HDD that it was supposed to replace, lol.
So I tried to contact Samsung support, to see if they might have any ideas about this. However, Samsung's support was quite terrible across the board...
1) Samsung's email support form doesn't actually work. If you select Storage in the dropdown lists, none of the corresponding lists will work. So you can't actually select any storage devices at all (the lists are all just empty).
2) If you try to use the Samsung live chat support, the automated bot will not let you type in actual text about your issue. Which means, you won't be able to explain your issue at all, nor look for something in the automated options that is even close to your issue. Eventually, you get offered to queue for a live support agent, however, you will get automatically kicked from the live support queue after a while...
3) So then I tried using the Samsung support phone number. Each time I called, an agent would pick up quite quickly, which was nice. However, the call would disconnect shortly after I would explain the issue. After calling a 2nd time, the exact same issue would occur, their call would disconnect shortly after an agent would pick up. Both times, the call would get re-routed to Samsung's automated survey, so I think the agents might have actually hung up the call. The automated survey doesn't really even let you finish it properly either.
4) I then attempted to call Samsung support a 3rd time. I tried to double check that I really did reach Samsung support, and specifically asked them if they handle technical support, and if they handle Samsung external SSDs, which the agent confirmed (at least the call didn't get hung up this time). However, after explaining the issue about their T7's included USB-C to USB-A cable only reaching 40 MB/s speeds, the agent went to check / confirm some things for a while, then later came back saying that ALL USB-C to USB-A cables have the same max speed of 40 MB/s, so that nothing could be done about it (that it was basically intended)...
So then I went to go find a USB-C to USB-A data transfer cable, to replace the one that the Samsung T7 shipped with. I found a CableCreation USB-C to USB-A 10 gbit/s cable, and this one actually legit worked. On my old PC with 1st gen USB 3.0 ports (hence slow ports for USB 3.0), I could reach 240 MB/s with the Samsung T7 SSD.
Through a Macbook Air with the CableCreation USB-C to USB-A cable > official Apple USB-A to USB-C adapter, the Samsung T7 SSD could reach over 800 MB/s.
Just to note, with the included Samsung USB-C to USB-C cable connecting directly to the Macbook, the Samsung T7 hit 800-900 MB/s speeds, so that USB-C to USB-C cable worked fine. Although the CableCreation USB-C to USB-A cable really could hit 10 gbit/s equivalent speeds (which is strange, because the Apple adapter is supposed to be a 5 gbit/s adapter).
But yeah, either Samsung shipped a defective USB-C to USB-A cable and didn't want to do anything about it, or they purposely ship the Samsung T7 with a USB 2.0 cable (making the SSD far slower than an external HDD). And what Samsung support said about all USB-C to USB-A cables being basically max speed of 40 MB/s was not true.
So if you buy this product, hopefully you never need to contact Samsung support (if you do, good luck). If you need to use the SSD with an older PC, be warned (and I wish you luck).
Other than the issues with Samsung's USB 2.0 cable and their support, the T7 SSD itself is quite nice. It's tiny, light, the aluminum casing is very nice, and the SSD itself is very fast (with the right cables). If not for the cable issue, the T7 would be a great replacement for a USB HDD.