Resources
Photo backup glossary
Clear, vendor-neutral definitions for the terms that come up when you buy, sell, or private-label photo and data backup devices. Each entry gives a one-line definition you can quote, with a short expansion and links to the relevant product or page.
- Data Backup Cube
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A data backup cube is a small adapter that plugs in between a phone and its charger and automatically copies new photos and videos to a microSD card while the phone charges.
It contains no storage of its own — the user supplies the microSD card — and backs up offline with no cloud account or subscription. See the Data Backup Cube for specifications and wholesale terms.
- Photo Stick
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A photo stick is a USB flash drive with built-in storage designed to back up photos and videos from phones and computers without a cloud account.
Multiport models carry several connectors so one drive works across iPhone, Android, and computers. See the Multiport Photo Stick, a 4-in-1 device with 128–512GB built in.
- MFi Certified
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MFi (Made for iPhone/iPad) certified means an accessory is built under Apple’s licensing program with genuine Apple-licensed connector components.
Certified accessories identify themselves to iOS as authentic and keep working through iOS updates, unlike uncertified clones built on copied chips. Learn what each certification covers on the certifications page.
- PPID (Product Plan ID)
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A PPID (Product Plan ID) is the identifier Apple assigns to an approved accessory plan, serving as the verifiable proof that a product is genuinely MFi certified.
A licensed manufacturer states its PPIDs openly and they can be cross-checked with Apple; “MFi-compatible” wording without a PPID means the certification does not exist. MemoryKept builds under PPID 252080-0011 and 252080-286382.
- Lightning
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Lightning is Apple’s proprietary connector used on iPhones and iPads released before the USB-C transition, and accessories that use it require MFi certification to stay reliable.
The large installed base of Lightning iPhones still drives most photo-backup demand, so a backup device intended for Apple users needs genuine Apple-licensed Lightning components. Many drives pair Lightning with USB-C to cover newer models too.
- USB-C
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USB-C is the reversible universal connector now used on iPhone 15/16, recent iPads, most Android phones, and modern computers.
A backup device with a USB-C connector works with USB-C iPhones, Android phones, and laptops alike. The Multiport Photo Stick includes USB-C alongside Lightning, Micro USB, and USB-A.
- OTG (On-The-Go)
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OTG (USB On-The-Go) is the standard that lets a phone act as a host so it can read and write to a USB drive plugged directly into it.
OTG support is what allows an Android phone to back up its photos straight to a flash drive without a computer in between. Most modern Android phones with USB-C support OTG out of the box.
- microSD
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A microSD card is a small removable flash memory card used to add storage to devices such as a data backup cube.
Because the Data Backup Cube uses a user-supplied microSD card, customers choose their own capacity and can upgrade later without replacing the cube. Any mainstream 128GB–512GB card covers a typical camera roll.
- Incremental Backup
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An incremental backup copies only the files added since the previous backup, rather than re-copying the entire library every time.
The first backup copies the full camera roll; every session after that copies only new photos and videos, which keeps later backups fast. This is how the Data Backup Cube stays quick when run nightly.
- Offline Backup
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An offline backup stores a copy of your photos on a physical device with no internet connection, account, or cloud server involved.
Because the copy lives in the customer’s hand rather than on a provider’s servers, offline backup avoids recurring fees and the privacy trade-offs of cloud storage. It is the core advantage of both the cube and the photo stick.
- OEM
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OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) means a factory manufactures an existing, proven product under the buyer’s brand — logo, packaging, colors, and manuals.
With OEM you sell a tested product as your own without engineering it from scratch. MemoryKept offers OEM on both product lines from the source factory — see OEM / ODM.
- ODM
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ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) means the factory adapts the product design itself — connectors, capacity mix, housing, and app behavior — to the buyer’s specification.
ODM goes deeper than a logo print because the factory owns the molds and the backup app. See the customization scope on the OEM / ODM page.
- Private Label
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Private label is selling a manufacturer’s product under your own brand name and packaging instead of the manufacturer’s.
For photo backup devices, private labeling can be as light as a logo (OEM) or as deep as a redesigned housing and white-labeled app (ODM). MemoryKept private-labels both the cube and the photo stick from MOQ 2,000.
- MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity)
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MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is the smallest number of units a factory will produce in a single order.
For this category, factory-direct MOQ typically lands around 2,000 units per model; far lower MOQs often signal a trader clearing mixed stock rather than a real factory. MemoryKept’s OEM/ODM MOQ starts at 2,000 units with split shipments negotiable.
- Flash Drive
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A flash drive is a compact storage device using NAND flash memory that plugs into a USB or phone port to store and transfer files.
A photo stick is a flash drive purpose-built to back up photos and videos, often with multiple connectors so it works across phones and computers. Real labeled capacity matters — some cheap drives report more space than they hold.
- Card Reader
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A card reader is a device that lets a computer or phone read and write to a removable memory card such as a microSD card.
The Data Backup Cube doubles as a standard microSD card reader on a computer, so customers can browse or restore their backed-up photos directly. That dual use keeps the device in daily reach.
- Camera Roll
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The camera roll is the on-device photo and video library where a phone saves the pictures and clips it captures.
A photo backup device copies the camera roll to physical storage so the originals are safe even if the phone is lost, damaged, or runs out of space. The first backup copies the whole roll; later ones copy only new items.
- iCloud Alternative
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An iCloud alternative is any method of backing up iPhone photos that does not rely on Apple’s paid iCloud storage — typically a physical backup device.
A data backup cube or photo stick gives families a one-time-purchase alternative with no monthly fee and no photos stored on a provider’s servers. It can fully replace a cloud plan or sit alongside one as the offline master copy.
- Auto Backup
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Auto backup means a device copies new photos and videos automatically without the user starting the process each time.
The Data Backup Cube triggers an incremental auto backup whenever the phone is charging, so the user simply plugs in at night and wakes up backed up. There is no new behavior to learn.
- Source Factory
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A source factory is the actual manufacturer that designs, tools, and assembles a product, as opposed to a trading company that resells factory output with a markup.
Buying from the source factory means lower cost, stable supply, deeper customization, and one accountable partner from mold to shipment. MemoryKept is a source factory, not a trader — details on OEM / ODM.
- CE / FCC / PSE / RoHS
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CE, FCC, PSE, and RoHS are the regional compliance certifications that allow an electronic device to be sold legally in the EU, the US, Japan, and across restricted-substance rules respectively.
CE covers EU market access, FCC covers US electromagnetic compliance, PSE covers Japan, and RoHS restricts hazardous substances. MemoryKept devices ship with the full pack — see the certifications page.
- NAND Flash
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NAND flash is the non-volatile memory technology inside flash drives, microSD cards, and SSDs that retains data without power.
Storage quality and real labeled capacity depend on genuine NAND flash; some low-cost drives use re-marked chips that report more space than they actually hold. MemoryKept’s photo sticks use real labeled capacity with no fake storage.
Have a channel question we haven’t covered?
Ask our team directly — we’ll point you to the right product and factory-direct pricing.