A recent test by data-recovery firm Secure Data Recovery found a UnionSine HD2510 500GB external HDD on Amazon for $28, with prices as low as $0.06 per GB. Initially, the company suspected the drive was refurbished, citing a history of similar storage scams on Amazon.
However, to their surprise, the drive performed well, meeting synthetic speed expectations and having decent read and write speeds for an older 5,400 RPM model. The Toshiba MQ01ABD050V internal drive was found, dating back to 2016, which is unusual but not unexpected considering older HDD manufacturers still exist.
The results serve as a reminder that buying cheap storage devices from unknown brands can be risky due to potential scams or refurbished products. Secure Data Recovery emphasizes the importance of verifying product authenticity before making a purchase, especially at significantly discounted prices.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/06/28-external-hdd-on-amazon-actually-does-what-it-claims-still-not-a-good-buy