Custom backup for iPhone on Mac - 256gb Inland SSD

Gear Review

Custom Storage for iPhone backups on Mac

Repurposing spare components to solve modern storage constraints

$0.00

Total Cost

~30

Seconds Assembly

256

GB Initial Capacity

~500

MB/s Speed

Table of Contents

• ①The Inventory Audit
• ②Performance and Practicality
• ③The Modular Strategy

Section I

The Inventory Audit

As I continue researching and preparing to purchase my first external SSD hard drive; likely the Sandisk or Samsung, I wanted to evaluate the practicality of using an external SSD for storing my iPhone backups.

I had a spare 256GB Inland SSD that I got for free years ago and it worked decently enough in my now retired 2014 HP laptop.  I also had a Sabrent 2.5" housing for when I upgraded my 2016 HP laptop and combined, creating a complete external SSD solution.

And this worked perfectly with my M3 iMac.  I'm now impressed and convinced this would work as a long term solution for iPhone backups on my Mac.  And following the 3-2-1 backup strategy, I have an additional backup on my 2016 HP. 

While the Inland is rated for 6Gb/s or roughly 600MB/s, its limited by the Sabrent USB 3.0 rated for 5Gb/s.  This is okay as the SATA III wouldn't benefit much going to the faster USB 3.1 Gen 2 rated for 10Gb/s as it couldn't use that extra speed anyway.  But even at its max speed of 5 GB/s theoretical, the Inland/Sabrent SSD combo worked admirably. 

The Component List

• →Sabrent 2.5-inch Enclosure — A tool-free SATA to USB 3.0 kit that usually retails for $10; includes a USB-A to USB-C adapter.
• →256GB Inland Professional SSD — A solid-state drive acquired for free.
• →M3 iMac — The primary workstation requiring storage relief.

Section II

Performance and Practicality

While not a cutting-edge solution, the combination of these two components provides a reliable utility for everyday data management.

Metric	Performance Detail
Assembly	Tool-free, no screws required
Speed	SATA III limits (400-500 MB/s)
Cost	$0.00 (Existing parts)
Portability	Lightweight plastic housing

The Symbolic Link Workflow

I used this drive to reroute my iPhone backups from the iMac's internal SSD to external storage. To do this, I utilized a symbolic link in Terminal to trick macOS into thinking the backup folder was still in its default location.

• →    Configure SSD — Ensure its formatted for APFS.  Name the SSD without spaces.
• →Create Folder — Create a folder named MobileSync folder then nest a folder named Backup folder on the external SSD.
• →Locate Backups — Find existing files in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync.
• →Move Data — Transfer the "Backup" folder to the new SSD location.
• →    Terminal Command — Use ln -s /Volumes/[DriveName]/MobileSync/Backup ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup to link the locations.
• →Verify — Connect an iPhone and run backup to confirm its loading to the external SSD.  You can use disk utility to see that storage is being utilized.

This setup successfully offloads 60GB+ of data from my primary machine while maintaining the convenience of a local, physical backup.

Section III

The Modular Strategy

The real value here is modularity. This setup provides me options and I could eventually transfer the 1TB Crucial BX500 SSD in my HP laptop, but it might be easier to wait for SSD prices to eventually decline and pick up another basic SSD.

The Trade-offs

There are obvious trade-offs. The Sabrent enclosure is lightweight plastic. It feels significantly less durable than the ruggedized, weather-sealed SanDisk units sold at Costco. It is also bulkier than a dedicated NVMe stick.

Caution: I wouldn't trust this to survive a drop onto a concrete floor, and I won't be using it as a primary backup for mission-critical data. It is an additional backup.

I am keeping the enclosure on my desk for when I need to perform iPhone backups.  

I'm quite pleased with both the Sabrent and Inland SSD and as I have an additional backup on my 2016 HP laptop, I could wait a few more years in hopes prices start to calm down and SSD's are more affordable again.

Sometimes the best upgrade is the one already sitting in your drawer.