Carbonite Mobile Review
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Carbonite Mobile Review

Our Review by Angela LaFollette on September 28th, 2012
Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar :: BACK IT UP
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Carbonite Mobile allows users to backup all their mobile devices and computers so they can access their data such as photos, music and videos anytime directly through the app.

Developer: Carbonite, Inc.
Price: Free
Version: 3.0.2
App Reviewed on: iPhone 4S and iPad 2

iOS Integration Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
User Interface Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar
Re-use / Replay Value Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarhalfstarblankstar

Carbonite Mobile offers a solution for users who wish to backup photos and videos from their iOS or Android devices by syncing them to its own cloud service. The app offers unlimited backup space for an unlimited number of devices so families with multiple devices and computers can access all their media with ease. Since Apple comes with its own iCloud service, Carbonite Mobile’s features may not be so appealing to iOS users. These users should be asking themselves: Is one backup service enough?

Once an account is made, the app requires access to your photos. It doesn’t appear that there’s an option to select media. The app backs up everything on the device, which can take awhile if you have a lot of media. Users can download and install the app on an unlimited number of devices with one account so I went ahead and connected my iPad as well.

The app boasts that it offers computer backup so I rushed to their website to download the software. They currently offer 15 free days of Carbonite, and then the computer service will cost $59 a year per computer for personal use or $229 a year to backup all computers for one flat price. The computer can take up to 1 to 2 days to complete if you have a lot of media to sync.

When the backup is complete for all devices, users have remote access to see all their media. This means if someone has an Android phone and an iPad, they are able to see all the photos and videos on both devices as well as the PC if one is connected to the account. Media can be viewed as a list or as thumbnails.

The app comes with a few customized settings like the option to automatically backup each time the app is started, the use of cellular data or the ability to turn on back up when I get home. The software is set to run in the background for Android users, but Apple’s API won’t let it run in the background 24/7 so these settings may prove to be useful for them. Android users get a bonus feature that iOS users already have readily available to them: Device Protection. This lets users locate, lock and destroy data on any Android device.

Carbonite Mobile is easy-to-use and completely free, but it seems to be more catered to Android and Google Play since iOS users have these options available. While backup space is unlimited, the email noted that this is for a limited time—which makes me wonder if the developers will start charging for additional space in the future. The ability to sync any computer to the cloud is convenient, but users must deal with paying an annual fee. It’s easily recommendable for anyone looking for a different back up service, but I feel like there are better free alternatives available to most users.

iPhone Screenshots

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Carbonite Mobile screenshot 1 Carbonite Mobile screenshot 2

iPad Screenshots

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Carbonite Mobile screenshot 3 Carbonite Mobile screenshot 4
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