Hohem has been making some amazing gimbals for some time now, and in recent years has evolved their gear and directed it towards a wider variety of creators. Pro-level mirrorless gimbals for higher-end productions and mobile gimbals for vloggers and more streamlined creators. Their latest creation is built for that streamlined setup and could well revolutionize phone-based production, the Hohem SSD-01, a portable storage solution that connects directly to your phone, without blocking it from any other functions you may need.
In the box, you get the Hohem SSD-01, an aluminum carrying case and the documentation. The SSD-01 is incredibly small, weighing in at 29g with dimensions of 2.4”x1.3” with an ultralight metal body and a USB-C connection that folds in on itself. On either side of the Hohem SSD-01, you find additional USB-C ports which set this device apart from other portable storage and we will get into that in a moment. The metal carrying case seems a bit like overkill, but it will provide excellent protection when you are traveling with the device.
The Hohem SSD-01 comes in two capacity options, 1TB and 2TB, which is an amazing expansion for high-capacity phones, like my 1TB Samsung, or gives you the opportunity to save some cash by buying a phone with smaller storage, using the SSD-01 for all of your footage. It’s also an incredibly fast solution too. It has a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connection with read speeds of 2000MB/s and write speeds of 1800MB/s.
The Hohem SSD-01 is plug and play, but reacts differently with different devices. On iOS devices, you can record directly to the SSD-01, with support for ProRes RAW, Open Gate and resolutions up to 4K/120fps. On Android, it identifies immediately as an external drive with the capability of transferring a 1GB video in 1 second. The best part about the SSD-01 is that you can remove it from your phone and plug it into your PC or laptop and edit directly from the drive. I’d love to see direct recording from an Android, but that’s my only gripe.
“The Hohem SSD-01 doesn’t require any more power than is provided from the phone…”
Going back to the USB-C ports, this is the part of the Hohem SSD-01 that makes it so revolutionary for creators. When external storage is connected to your phone, you usually lose the ability to connect to anything else. Vloggers use external microphones and there are so many amazing wireless microphone kits that connect directly to your phone’s USB-C port. But that’s what makes the SSD-01 so special; it’s a hub for all of your needs.
The first of the USB-C ports is specifically for a wireless microphone receiver. While it is compatible with any receiver with a USB-C connection, it is best designed for receivers with a small profile, like Hohem’s MIC-01, the RØDE Wireless Micro or the Maono Wave T5. Their narrow receivers don’t add any more length to the phone when the Hohem SSD-01 is attached, helping it fit on a gimbal properly without it getting blocked. If you are using a selfie stick or something of the kind, then any receiver will do fine.
The second port is used for power. The Hohem SSD-01 doesn’t require any more power than is provided from the phone, so this port is to charge your phone while the port on your phone is taken up with the SSD. The combination of these two ports with everything else it can do makes the Hohem SSD-01 a next-level device for creators.
The Hohem SSD-01 will run you $219 USD for the 1TB version and $339 for 2TB of storage. For everything the SSD-01 does for you and the fact that you can save cash by buying a phone with smaller storage (saving as much as $700 for an iPhone 17 Pro by buying the 512GB model instead of the 2TB), this device has value written all over it.
Not only are you getting a ton of storage, but you are speeding up workflows by your footage existing all on the one device and, with none of it left over on your phone, you can separate content creation from your everyday life and find those pictures from Christmas just a little bit easier without having to scroll through row upon row of B-Roll. Hohem put a lot of thought into the SSD-01 for creators and it may well be the best device they’ve released.
