Although slightly bulkier than other flash card readers we reviewed, Kingston’s MobileLite Gen 2 flash card reader is our third overall pick for flash card readers for several reasons. The TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award winner for flash card readers provides a durable design that is portable and easy to travel with. This external card reader also fits directly into any USB port, provides fast uploads and is compatible with seven different flash card formats. Although it does not provide the number of compatible flash card options as our top two choices it provides more than other top readers available today.
As stated above, the Kingston MobileLite Gen2 flash card reader, also known as the MobileLiteg2 reader, is bulkier than many of the other external card readers on today’s market. Although it's bulkier, the card reader provides durability and additional comfort for users when traveling with their reader. The USB plug is covered by a retractable cover to protect the plug and ensure that it won’t bend or break off. We were thrilled with this design and pleased with the ease that it would provide for traveling; simply place it in your bag and rest assured that it is built well enough to withstand the bumps and jostles of the road. We did notice that the retractable cover doesn't cover the entire plug and users must be cautious that harmful particles or items could get lodged into the SIM card reader.
Kingston’s external card reader has two card slots that will read all of the compatible card types. The device looks to be made of aluminum but has a hard plastic cover. It weighs less than an ounce and has dimensions of 2.45 x 1.16 x 0.464 inches. The external card reader provides a great value for consumers and can be purchased alone or with a 4GB, 8GB, 16GB or 32GB SDHC memory card. In addition to the optional SDHC memory card every Kingston MobileLiteg2 reader comes with a USB cord for the hard-to-reach outlets. Although it provides only a few additional inches, we found it a great accessory to accompany the reader.
The MobileLiteg2 is compatible with seven different card types including:
- Memory Stick Micro (M2)
- Memory Stick PRO Duo
- Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
- microSD
- microSDHC
- Secure Digital (SD)
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)
Each card we tested with the Kingston card reader worked smoothly and quickly. We were impressed by the speed and quality of the transfers.
Kingston’s plug-and-play card reader is as easy as the description implies. Users simply insert the flash card into the reader and plug the device into the computer’s USB port to access all the information and data stored on the cards. There is no required software for the reader to work with your computer. The reader is compatible with Windows 7, XP, Vista and Mac OSX, so more users can take advantage of the card reader benefits.
Time and time again we have found Kingston to be a superb company to work with. Through the company’s website, Kingston all-in-one card reader consumers will find a Support link at the bottom of the webpage. The link will navigate users to a page where they can access FAQs, warranty information, technical support hotlines and emails as well as further information for any product type. We clicked on Flash Memory Readers and found the MobileLite Gen 2 at the top of the page. The customer support options offered by Kingston include: emailing tech support regarding the reader or access FAQs dealing with the reader. We emailed Kingston and received a response answering each of our questions in 1.5 hours. Kingston provides quality products and technical support that continues to give their loyal customers a reason to come back for more.
From reading user reviews and by testing the flash card reader ourselves we found the Kingston MobileLite Gen 2 to be one of today’s top choices for external card readers. We were very impressed not only with the design, quality and versatility of the device but also with the value. We recommend this card reader for those who need to travel a lot as well as those who need one to accompany a computer without a built-in card slot. Whatever use you have in mind, if your memory card is compatible with this reader, we recommend it as one of today’s top flash card readers.
