Orico is best known for its HDD and SSD enclosures, and the Chinese manufacturer has been at it for over 15 years. The brand has recently ventured into Thunderbolt 4 docking stations, storage servers, and SSDs, and I’m kicking off the coverage with the Mecha O20, a rugged external SSD designed to take on the likes of the Crucial X10 Pro and Samsung T9.
The Mecha O20 is available in 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage variants. The 2TB model I used is available on Amazon for $167, a tempting 30% discount on the retail price of $239. The discount makes it much more affordable than its competitors. After using the Mecha O20 for almost a month, I can safely say that it can hold its own against the best this segment has to offer.
Design is a key theme of the Mecha O20, so let’s start there. While most external SSDs have a weatherproof and drop-proof casing, Orico takes it a step further here. The Mecha O20’s casing is made of aluminum alloy and is durable in its own right. What’s interesting, however, is that Orico has added a silicone coating to the casing, which makes it much more resistant to the elements.
The best part is that the USB-C port is also covered with a silicone plug and you have to lift the flap to access the port. The only problem with this is that you can’t use all USB-C cables because the port is recessed. The usual Acefast cables I use have a larger USB port and these were too big. This is the same problem as having a bulky phone case.
Luckily, Orico includes a 20Gbps cable in the package, and it has a 2-in-1 connector that can be used as both USB-A and USB-C depending on the target device. I connected the SSD to several Android phones, Windows machines, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max and it worked right away – I didn’t have to configure anything.
The casing and additional silicone sleeve make the Mecha O20 bulkier than most external SSDs, but it’s not so big that it compromises portability—you can still easily carry it around in a bag. At 189g, it’s not heavy either, and the gray color scheme is understated.
There’s a hanging loop on one side, and if you want, you can also attach the SSD to the outside of your bag – it’s rain, drop, and dirt resistant. The SSD has an IP54 rating, so while it’s not advisable to submerge it in water, it holds up incredibly well in all other scenarios.
The Mecha O20 uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, which means you get 20Gbps of bandwidth, with read speeds up to 2,000MB/s. There aren’t many devices that use the Gen 2×2 interface, and in this scenario, it switches to the 10Gbps USB standard. In my use, I saw read speeds of up to 1,829MB/s and write speeds of 1,634MB/s, which are among the highest of any external SSD I’ve tested.
Random read/writes were at 200MB/s, and again, that’s a great performance from the SSD. I had no problems transferring thousands of photos and videos from the Vivo X100 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro, and moving hundreds of gigabytes of data from Windows. In that regard, it has proven to be just as reliable as the best external SSDs.
For this reason, I have no hesitation in recommending the Mecha O20. I have a dozen external SSDs and the Mecha O20 has by far the most robust design. Thanks to the Gen 2×2 interface, it is also one of the fastest SSDs on the market and I have not encountered any issues in daily use. If you need an external SSD and want something that doesn’t cost as much as Samsung, the Mecha O20 is the way to go.
Orico Mecha O20 2TB external SSD
With its robust design and fast transfers, the Mecha O20 is a great choice if you need a durable external drive.
