There are some gadgets that you don’t necessarily need but offer some features that just might make your life a little easier. SanDisk’s new iXpand Base for iOS is one of those gadgets.

This gadget, along with its iOS app, backs up your iOS device’s photos, videos and contacts while charging your iPhone or iPad (and reinstalls them on the same or different device). It’s not rocket science, nor will it win any prizes for technological innovation but, frankly, I found the iXpand Base to be really handy.

The hardware consists of a small pad that’s about the size of a coaster. It’s tilted and has a rubberized top to rest your iPhone on. On the back edge you’ll find a port for the AC adapter and an SD card slot (the iXpand Base comes with the card), and underneath there’s a USB port to connect an iPhone or iPad using the lightning cable.

Once you’ve backed up your images and contacts, you can easily restore the data to your current device or to a different iPhone or iPad. The app even allows you to rename the folder in which the data is stored.

The iXpand Base is available in 32, 64, 128 and 256GB capacities and costs from $50 to $200. While it’s not an absolute essential to your gear bag, it’s a convenience that may be worth the extra dollars—especially if you have important images on your iPhone or iPad that need to be backed up quickly and easily.

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