Flashback: the rise (and fall?) of the microSD card

04 December 2022
The microSD card grew to bigger and bigger capacities over the years and got faster along the way. So why is it waning in popularity?

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • n67
  • 21 Apr 2024

I often see people in Internet comments falsely assuming that MicroSD is obsolete now that smartphones have high internal storage capacity.

While I am glad that we have moved past the days where 32 GB of internal storage was considered normal (remember the Galaxy S7 with its tiny 32 GB in 2016?), many people don't seem to understand that the main benefit of MicroSD is not storage capacity anymore, but durability and control over your data.

Any data in internal storage it is at the mercy of the operating system of the device.

The internal storage is also more vulnerable to physical damage. If your USB port breaks or you drop your phone and it breaks (you should use a protective case anyway) or the water protection fails, you can no longer access its internal storage. Then you are at the mercy of the repair shop.

However, you can immediately retrieve a MicroSD card from the device and read it from another device or a computer. If you hold the power button and the screen stays black, you can rest assured that your data is still there.

Even creating backups is easier thanks to MicroSD. You can just insert it into the computer and bypass the slow and buggy MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) or even slower cloud syncing.

Memory cards also give you control over your data. If you have a music library on your MicroSD card, you can bring that music library to a new phone within one minute by switching cards. You don't have to bother with hour-long file transfers. It's with you in an instant, everywhere, even in locations where no Internet connection is available.

    Daniel 11, 15 Dec 2022The presence of a micro SD card slot seems to me a useful a... moreI also use FreeFileSync and it's absolutely a Godsend because of how useful it is 😁

    USB sticks are absolute trash (if that was what people are referring to by flash).
    If phones are capable of connecting to actual HDD/SSD and M2 enclosures via USB-C they would be WAY more useful than microSD cards.

    Unfortunately, even flagship phones today don't support them. I'm guessing because the enclosure needs both data and power to work, but phones cannot provide the necessary power needed.

      I agree that UFS4 internal storage is way superior to microSD cards in every way. Besides, microSD cards stopped being "removable/hot swappable" many years ago. So it's better to just use internal storage.

      But manufacturers are deliberately charging hundreds of dollars for a simple bump of 128 GB or 256 GB, at a time when NVMe storage is cheaper than ever and only costs cents per GB.

      That is the real culprit. If manufacturers offered capacities starting from 1 TB, I'm sure everyone would gladly ditch the microSD card.

      The only reason I still use the microSD card slot (and this is a very niche use because I'm a power user) is because I often switch ROMs or test different kernels etc which requires "clean-flashing" (basically formatting/wiping the entire internal storage) every time, so my data is always safe on the microSD card and I don't need to transfer it from the PC via MTP, which is notoriously finicky and prone to stopping unexpectedly.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • pKy
        • 25 Sep 2023

        I will always stick to Micro SD. In an emergency when your phone could die, you can at least be sure your personal files are safe. Plus increased internal storage phones sold by the companies are more expensive than Micro SD. They're basically taking our money by not including a card slot!

          Anonym, 04 Dec 2022Tapes are incredibly cheap per TB, while SD cards are sever... moreOh yes, why buy a genuine factory-backed lifetime warranty microSD card and get 4x more storage for like $50 when you can pay an extra $100 to $200 for only 2x the storage? Seriously, people can really be ignorant fools. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

            Anonymous, 05 Dec 2022Just buy a decent flash drive and an otg. When you need to ... moreScrew that when you just insert a sd card in your smartphone.

              Anonymous, 07 Dec 2022Oh please, don't speak like you are representing the w... moreYou don’t speak for me Richard head.

                Anonymous, 07 Dec 2022Cloud storage is far more secure than any SD card. Unless g... moreYour opinion is a laughable and your a boot licker to defend theses greedy cloud storage companies I prefer to pay 400 British pounds 1TB sd card than using rip off cloud storage.

                  The presence of a micro SD card slot seems to me a useful and important feature.
                  In the case of smartphones, a parallel cannot be drawn with laptops, for example, since in the latter (in the vast majority of cases) both the RAM memory and the mass memory are removable.
                  In the case of a smartphone, if it fails at the level of the motherboard or the processor, the mass memory can no longer be accessed.
                  On the other hand, if you have to give up the phone, it means that you also give up the memory (RAM and mass) which are quite expensive.
                  Let's look at the features of SD cards.
                  - they are slower than mass memory but appreciably cheaper (they are not exactly suitable for installing programs on them but they are very useful for storing files)
                  - they have better reliability than cloud services (personally I have never had the problem of a card failing, but I have encountered many situations where for various reasons I could not access online services)
                  - data transfer is faster than in the case of online services and in addition does not consume data traffic which in certain situations can be slow and expensive

                  You can change the phone while keeping the card.
                  You can buy a cheaper version with less internal memory if card is supported.

                  An SD card is useful for back-up. I noticed that there are quite a few people who suggest using a USB data stick as an alternative.
                  For me SD card and USB stick are not similar in functionality but synergistic. It wouldn't be practical to stay with the stick plugged into your phone all the time.
                  I personally use both.
                  In the internal memory I have a folder for files important to me.
                  I use the FolderSync program which ensures the automatic synchronization of the folder in the internal memory with the one on the SD card on the one hand, and the synchronization of a folder on the phone with a folder on the stick.
                  I usually connect the stick once every few days.

                  And of course it is very easy to move the card to another device thus transferring a large volume of data in less than 1 minute.

                  A second use of cards that seems important to me is in the case of rooted devices to store backup files (nandroid backup).
                  It is possible to store them in the internal memory but it doesn't really make sense.

                    • D
                    • AnonD-1058210
                    • Cx@
                    • 14 Dec 2022

                    JustSomeRandomGuy, 13 Dec 2022 they do, I was one of them that's why I switched. I ... more. give it a watch, it's objectively very good - oh yeah he is mocking iphones all the time heh

                    check this out I was ROFL-ing 😁🤣😂😅

                    https://youtu.be/JI_8648YdNY

                      • J
                      • JustSomeRandomGuy
                      • EwD
                      • 13 Dec 2022

                      AnonD-1058210, 13 Dec 2022u don't have to copy my post the reply feature does i... more
                      they do, I was one of them that's why I switched. I complained the hell out of the iPhone 6 Plus back in the day. slow charging, barely any cuztomization, no ultrawide camera and more. guess what? after years of compaints and competition, Apple yielded. iPhones now support fast charging natively, much better customization, prioritizing UW cam to the point that it's even used on the non Pro model rather than the telephoto as opposed to the dual main + telephoto lens setup prior. constructive criticism is needed for every product, not just iPhones but those are being choked up to simply "Apple haters hating on iPhones" and get lost in the sea of actual Apple haters

                      Jon Prosser has a video about this titled "Apple sucks now and it's your fault". he highlighted that Apple fans are so obsessed with Apple that they take everything Apple does even though it's a negative but defend it. give it a watch, it's objectively very good

                        • D
                        • AnonD-1058210
                        • 39y
                        • 13 Dec 2022

                        JustSomeRandomGuy, 13 Dec 2022"Well very low percentage of ppl uses two or more smar... moreu don't have to copy my post the reply feature does it for you
                        I don't use otg almost never only tried if it works... yes exactly and the cloud is or was the main purpose that smartphone manuf removed micro sd.. just becsue of the clooouud.. so we can charge it. all money...all copied from apple... but strange thing is that iphone lovers or users never ever complain that ipohne lacks of something.. as soon as android removes something tons of complains...

                          • J
                          • JustSomeRandomGuy
                          • EwD
                          • 13 Dec 2022

                          AnonD-1058210, 13 Dec 2022Well very low percentage of ppl uses two or more smartphone... more"Well very low percentage of ppl uses two or more smartphones."
                          I'm not sure where this is coming from. I only use one phone, the ROG Phone 2 which does not have SD card support so I use an OTG which houses a 64 GB SD card. I wish my phone has the slot natively since it's much more convenient than having to carry an adapter and sticking out of my phone

                          I understand SD cards are slower than internal storage, no questions about that. however, the main purpose of the SD card, at least for me, is expansion and easy transfer of files. expansion is pretty self-explanatory and transferring of files is as easy as litrerally removing and inserting that same tiny card into any other device that supports it. again, I have a 64 GB card that's nearly full to the brim. imagine having to download all those files using the cloud. not only will that take forever but that would be very costly since data from where I live is insanely expensive, not to mention, "not up to the task" in terms of speed. I could just plug in the same SD card into my laptop or another phone and then, bam! 64 GB worth of files transferred into another device in mins without a byte of Internet data used.

                          this convenience is absurdly overlooked by a lot of people and OEMs use it as leverage to sell their cloud subscriptions or phone models w/a higher internet storage.

                            • D
                            • AnonD-1058210
                            • Cx@
                            • 13 Dec 2022

                            JustSomeRandomGuy, 12 Dec 2022"people tend to defend old tech but in reality they ha... moreWell very low percentage of ppl uses two or more smartphones.
                            I use micro sd card on mine laptop and it is enhanced slot with UHS II so I have micro sd V90 which has speed 300 MB/s Read 250 MB/s Write and micro sd V60 which has 300 MB/s Read100 MB/s Write. In your phone speeds are poor basic 30MB/s
                            Then it is worth using it .. I have drone and action 4k camera and if you insert old SD cad it will notice you ''slow card inserted'' So this is good way to use it not in smartphones.

                              JustSomeRandomGuy, 12 Dec 2022"people tend to defend old tech but in reality they ha... moreI agree with you in using both old and new tech as they have their pros and cons so why can't these smartphone brands just add microsd card support together with the fast large internal storage of smartphones

                                • J
                                • JustSomeRandomGuy
                                • EwD
                                • 12 Dec 2022

                                AnonD-1058210, 10 Dec 2022Not always case... people tend to defend old tech but in r... more"people tend to defend old tech but in reality they have it in drawer and in reality you using the new tech ... but u quiet about it... ppl are hypocrites ..."
                                I use both tech. I use bluetooth headphones everyday and still have a headphone jack for times that I do need it.
                                I utilize cloud storage every day for work, school and personal reasons, yet, I keep a 64 GB SD card for easy transfer of files in near instant.
                                you could use both tech in conjunction with one another since they have pros and cons of their own. why rob the consumer of such feature?

                                  [deleted post]I don't see anyone give an upvote to any of your comments, so it's not like it's hurting me in any way.

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-1058210
                                    • 39y
                                    • 10 Dec 2022

                                    Anonymous, 09 Dec 2022Exactly. One new idea doesn't mean the old one is rend... moreNot always case... people tend to defend old tech but in reality they have it in drawer and in reality you using the new tech ... but u quiet about it... ppl are hypocrites ...

                                      Anonymous, 09 Dec 2022I definitely won't give on both of them, especially wh... moreAs a current owner of an LG V50, I can definitely vouch to say that I don't miss going wireless at all since I started playing around with the built-in Quad DAC. Now, I'm having a set of studio-grade wired headphones with me, and not a single wireless headphone, let alone earbuds, can come close to their otherworldly high-quality sound, and that's with MP3 files. Give them a FLAC or WAV file and they would be left behind even further.

                                        andibad, 08 Dec 2022Is same as cloud storage, when their building get fire, and... moreThese companies (Google, Amazon/AWS, etc), if their data center fails and they don't have a backup, they will lost millions of dollars. So I'd rather have them do the hard work backing up stuff.
                                        I mean really, unless you religiously doing your own backup on a daily basis, you are not doing any backups as you will never have an up-to-date backup on your fingertips. So my guess is, you don't have a backup.

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