With this article, our website continues a whole series of useful materials, the purpose of which is to make it easier to choose any product from the thousands of options offered on the market. Agree, choosing a specific model of a device always takes a lot of time, which can be spent usefully. In today's material we will talk about choosing a memory card for a smartphone, tablet or camera.
Introduction
Flash memory is used today in almost all electronic devices - both in personal computers and laptops in the form of SSD drives, and in mobile devices - in the form of internal memory and flash cards. The latter will be discussed in this article. Using a small card (their size has long allowed them to be used in the most compact and thin devices), you can increase the available memory of a smartphone, camera or tablet by many gigabytes, so you can carry more content with you - games, music, videos or books and magazines . In addition, the cost of high-capacity and fast memory cards today is lower than ever.
Memory cards are not as fast as USB flash drives, but their speeds have long reached a level that allows you to easily record 4K video on them, much less view it. But different card models can vary greatly in their data writing and reading speeds - you will learn about this in the section dedicated to their characteristics. But it is worth noting that different devices can support cards of a certain maximum capacity - for example, cheap smartphones sometimes cannot work with microSD cards with a capacity of more than 32 GB. Also, don't expect new speed gains from an old camera by using a card with a higher speed class - it's likely that the card will run in a slower mode to ensure compatibility. To find out about support for specific speeds and memory card sizes, you need to refer to the official user manual of a particular device.
By 2015, the memory card industry had focused on just two types - SD and microSD. The former are more often used in photo and video cameras, sometimes in laptops; the latter are more often used with smartphones and tablets. Once upon a time there were many more types of cards - some of you may probably remember names like MMC, Memory Stick Duo or xD-Picture. Fortunately, this fragmentation is now gone - almost any device supports either SD or microSD cards (or even both formats). About their differences, as well as about others important characteristics we'll tell you below.
Main characteristics of memory cards
As we already reported in the introduction, now almost the entire memory card market is occupied by models of two types - microSD. They are used in all possible electronic devices: cameras, smartphones, tablets, e-books, GPS navigators and even some game consoles.
SD and microSD cards are divided into four generations. SD 1.0 generation cards supported volumes from 8 MB to 2 GB, SD 1.1 generation cards - up to 4 GB, SDHC - up to 32 GB, SDXC (the most advanced and expensive) - up to 2 TB. SDHC and SDXC cards cannot be used with SD 1.0 / SD 1.1 devices.
The main thing to remember is that a device that can handle a newer SD card standard will be able to handle older cards, but most likely not the other way around (more on this below).
Memory capacity, GB
Memory cards with a capacity of less than 16 GB are hardly worth buying - their cost has already dropped to a very low level, and 16 GB is not so much for high-quality photos and videos. If you plan to get serious about photography or video shooting, you'll probably want to use a card with at least 32GB of memory, or better yet, 128GB. If you just want to increase the memory of your smartphone, then 32 GB will be quite enough in most cases.
Data writing and reading speed
The write speed of a memory card may be a very important parameter for you. The fact is that when taking photos and videos, cameras transfer the received data to the internal memory buffer, and from there the photos and videos are transferred to the card’s memory. If this buffer fills faster than the data can be written to the card (for example, when shooting in burst mode, when the camera takes a series of high-quality images), then it will simply be lost.
Read speed is not that important, but the higher it is, the faster you can work with the data that is recorded on the card. For example, if you want to watch high bitrate video on your tablet in FullHD or higher resolution, then you will need a pretty good card.
You can see examples of maximum and satisfactory card speeds below - in the " 10 best SD and microSD cards".
UHS interface support
UHS is a faster interface that is supported more expensive cards memory standards SD and microSD. UHS-I allows you to transfer information at a speed of 50 MB/s or 104 MB/s, and UHS-II - at a speed of 156 MB/s or 312 MB/s.
Speed class
A designation of the form "Class x" or "Ux", which indicates the minimum standardized data transfer rate of a particular card. Memory cards can have the following speed classes:
- Class 2 - at least 2 MB/s, you can record SD video.
- Class 4 - at least 4 MB/s, you can record HD video or FullHD video.
- Class 6 - at least 6 MB/s, you can record HD video or FullHD video.
- Class 10 - at least 10 MB/s, high-quality FullHD video recording.
- UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) - at least 10 MB/s, high-quality FullHD video recording.
- UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) - at least 30 MB/s, video recording in resolution up to 4K.
In addition, manufacturers often designate the speed of their memory cards with a multiplier such as "100x" or "600x" in the name. Several of these multipliers correspond to speed classes (13x - Class 2, 26x - Class 4, 40x - Class 6, 66x - Class 10), and the fastest ones are this moment the cards have a 633x multiplier and can transfer data at speeds of up to 95 MB/s.
Adapters included
Special adapters may be supplied with the memory card for use in devices that do not support its original type. In most cases, this is an SD adapter for microSD cards - a plastic housing for a microSD card that allows you to insert it into a slot for SD cards, which are much larger. If you plan to use one card on several devices that support different types, then the adapter included in the kit definitely won’t hurt.
USB card reader included
You can transfer captured photo and video files to a PC not only by connecting the camera itself - it is much more convenient and sometimes faster to use a special card reader that is inserted into the USB port of the computer. The presence of such a card reader in the kit is a very nice bonus, which usually does not cost too much.
10 best SD and microSD cards
An SD card that will do an excellent job of recording high-quality FullHD video and taking large photos in burst mode. Those who record 4K video will want to use models that are recommended by their camera manufacturer.
A cheaper SD model, which should also do an excellent job of recording FullHD video and taking high-quality photos.
A very high-speed and quite expensive SD model that can easily cope with recording 4K video and has a large enough capacity for its temporary storage.
A slightly faster SD card than the first two models on this list. It also does an excellent job of recording FullHD video and has twice the capacity.
Unfortunately, the lack of space on the internal storage of Android devices has been felt quite strongly lately, because with the development of the capabilities of the operating system itself, many programs and games have become much more demanding of free resources and the amount of memory of gadgets. That's why many people use removable SD cards. But they don’t always want to install Android applications on a memory card.
General installation information
In any version of the Android OS, installation of applications on the memory card is disabled by default. In principle, if the device itself and the OS version support this feature, as they say, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. After digging a little into the settings, you can set your own parameters.
This is a relatively short and simple process, which will be discussed a little later. You can install applications on the memory card in other ways. Let's focus on these situations for now.
Downloading applications to a memory card
Before solving the installation problem, let's consider downloading content to a removable device. The fact is that in Android, installing applications on a memory card in most cases should be in close connection with the process of downloading installation distributions, since they can also have quite large volumes.
Almost all Android devices support downloading content to an SD card, regardless of the version of the OS itself or the installed firmware. To set the location for saving files on the memory card, just log in, for example, to an Internet browser and in the advanced settings specify removable media as the storage location. The same can be done in the case of creating photos, when you need to use the settings of the application itself to configure it.
You can do it even easier by downloading applications using a laptop, and then copying them to an SD card. In principle, the download location can also be changed in any file manager.
Methods for installing and relocating applications to SD cards
Now about the most important thing. Use installed or already installed installed applications from a memory card is not that difficult. First of all, you need to see whether the device itself supports such capabilities. It also happens that the transfer, and even more so the installation, of applications to removable media is simply blocked by the gadget manufacturer. What to do in this case?
For the Android OS, installing applications on a memory card can be done in several ways. For example, you can first install a program or game standard method to your internal storage and then move it to another location (in this case, an SD card).
For direct installation on the card, you can use third-party utilities. It is clear that creating applications for Android in most cases implies the ability to install or transfer them to another location.
Using System Settings
If you really need to install an Android application on removable media, you first need to take into account several aspects. First of all, you need to go to the settings, where you select the “Applications” item, and then go to the application settings themselves. There is a special line “Move to SD card”. If the device or application installed on the internal memory supports this function, the transfer will be completed within a couple of minutes, after which an active “Move to phone” button will appear for each transferred program or game.
As is already clear, in Android OS the application will be launched from the memory card after the transfer process is completed.
But don't rush to rejoice. Sometimes both the mobile devices themselves and the creation of Android applications simply do not provide for the use of such functions. In addition, you may even need root rights or use of “super user” mode.
Best programs
Today there are a lot of programs for transferring either direct games or games to removable media. As a rule, almost all programs of this type are classified as freeware. True, here it is worth paying attention to the fact that some utilities are very easy to use, and with some professional programs you will have to tinker with it to understand what’s what.
Among the simplest means of transferring programs to removable media are popular packages like AppMgr Pro.
This application automatically analyzes the data of installed applications, and then provides the result in the form of a sorted list, which separately identifies Android applications that can be easily transferred to the memory card. After selecting the required applications and confirming the actions, the transfer will be carried out automatically without any damage to the system.
No less interesting is the Link2SD utility. But the average user will have to deal with it for quite a long time, because he will need to split the card into partitions from the computer, for example, using the MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition software package, one of which should have (Primary), and the second - ext2 (depending on the device and version "OS" it can be ext3/ext4). It is in the second section that portable or installed programs will be stored.
The most extreme case is the use of a mobile device connected to a computer or laptop via a USB interface. To install applications on a memory card, you will first need to install the program on both your smartphone and your computer. After connecting and synchronizing, you can install applications directly from the control program window from a computer terminal.
There are a large number of software products of this type. We should also highlight, say, Mobogenie or My Phone Explorer, and the second utility supports not only Android devices. Working with such programs is quite simple. You just need to select the installation file and indicate the installation location of the program (again, if such support is available for both the device and the program).
Forced installation of programs on a memory card
In some cases, you can try to use another non-standard way. In Android operating systems, installing applications onto a memory card using this method is called forced installation.
The essence of the process itself is to install the ADB RUN program on the PC. On a smartphone, when connecting via a USB port, it must be enabled.
After launching the application on your computer, you will need to enter the following commands:
Su - if present (if not, the command is skipped).
pm getInstallLocation(“0” by default).
pm getInstallLocation 1- installation into the device’s own memory.
pm getInstallLocation 2- installation on a memory card.
pm getInstallLocation 0- return to default settings.
In principle, there are few commands, but you can see for yourself that this is not the most convenient way. Although in some cases it can be used quite effectively when other methods do not help.
Application performance issues
It is believed that in the Android OS, installing programs on a memory card is not all. After installing or migrating an application, you need to run and test it. If the launch does not occur, or the program does not work as it should, you will have to repeat the above steps from the beginning. You can try moving the application to the initial location and check its performance there. If everything is fine, then the problem is either in the program, or in the memory card, or in incorrectly performed transfer or installation operations.
Conclusion
To summarize, we can say that the simplest and most common methods of transferring and installing applications to removable memory devices have been discussed here. Naturally, each utility has its own characteristics, as well as portable or installed programs. Even different modifications of mobile gadgets, not to mention Android OS versions or firmware, can play a very significant role. But in most cases, at least one method will be effective for many.
Of course, many people know about memory cards. Some may even be surprised why an article about them is needed at all. However, not all so simple. Among my friends there are many people who don’t really know anything about memory cards. And yet they do not live in a hut in the forest, eating fir cones. They use the Internet quite actively, mobile phones, sometimes even communicators and tablets. Therefore, I consider it necessary to first talk about what memory cards are. And then I will move on to consider their varieties, classes, brands.
What is this - a memory card?
A memory card is a small and rather thick plate with a built-in flash memory module. This module is non-volatile, that is, information on the memory card is saved even when it is removed from any device. Information on the memory card can be deleted, overwritten, and so on. The service life of a memory card is very long - tens of years. The information on some cards can be protected in certain ways.
Types of memory cards
There is a whole bunch of different types of memory cards. I will only talk about the most common ones.
SD (Secure Digital). Perhaps the most popular look. Used in many cameras, video cameras, tablets, old players, communicators and pocket computers. It has a low price. Sold in almost all communication stores, computer stores, many markets, kiosks... Maximum volume - 4GB.
SDHC. All SD memory cards larger than 4GB (and many 4GB) are called SDHC (maximum capacity is 32GB). This format is characterized by faster operating speed (data exchange, data recording) than SD. It is preferable, of course, to purchase SDHC cards, but keep in mind that some older devices may not work with them.
SDXC. A new standard that is not yet widely used. SDXC cards have a very large capacity - up to 2 terabytes (that's 2048GB!) and a very high data writing speed. They are still expensive and are not on sale very often. Moreover, very few devices still support this format.
MiniSD. Similar to SD, but noticeably smaller. These days it is practically no longer used; miniSD has been replaced by the microSD format. Buying miniSD is now problematic, and they are expensive due to their rarity.
MicroSD (TransFlash). It probably currently ranks second in popularity after SD/SDHC, but in the near future it has every chance of becoming the most popular memory card format. Differs from SD in very small sizes; microSD cards are even smaller than miniSD. This is both a plus and a minus: on the one hand, with the advent of microSD it became possible to reduce the size of devices; on the other hand, such a miniature card is easy to lose. Prices for microSD cards are almost identical to prices for SD cards.
MicroSDHC. Cards microSD memory those larger than 4GB (and many 4GB) are called microSDHC (their maximum capacity is 32GB). This format has a faster operating speed (data exchange) than microSD. It is preferable, of course, to purchase microSDHC cards, but keep in mind that some older devices may not work with them.
Memory Stick. Memory card format developed by Sony; is closed. The speed of operation (writing/reading data) is high; maximum volume - 16GB. There are both large Memory Stick cards and small ones - Memory Stick micro (M1, M2). Memory Stick is distinguished by its high price (in my opinion, clearly overpriced). Used in Sony and Sony Ericsson devices. It is often found on sale, almost everywhere.
CompactFlash. An obsolete format previously widely used in PDAs. CompactFlash cards are very large in size compared to SD cards. Currently used by only a few users. The main advantages are very high data recording speed. The maximum volume is 256GB.
SmartMedia. This is a format that has fallen into disuse. It is almost impossible to buy SmartMedia cards, and their maximum capacity is only 128 MB.
MMC. Also an outdated format, which was previously a competitor to SD. It differs from SD by being slightly thinner and more economical. MMC cards can be inserted into SD slots of devices (but an SD card cannot be inserted into an MMC slot!). MMC cards are now rarely found on sale.
xD. Format developed by Olympus and Fujifilm; It is now slowly falling out of use. xD cards have very high prices; Only Olympus and Fujifilm devices work with them. Compared to SD cards, xD is perhaps only worse - for example, the maximum capacity of xD is only 2GB.
Memory card slots
If a device allows the use of memory cards, then it is said to have a memory card slot. A slot is a hole (slotted) where a memory card is inserted. (Of course, this is not a simple slot, but a special one: special contacts are connected to it, with the help of which information is read from the cards). One device may have slots for different types of memory cards, but usually there is only one slot. And in most modern devices - for microSD.
Memory card adapters
As you learned from the above material, memory cards can be divided into two types (according to size): large and small. The most popular large cards are SD and Memory Stick. The most popular small ones: microSD and Memory Stick Micro. It can be said that the technology of SD and microSD is, generally speaking, the same, the only difference is in size and some details. That is why it is possible to use so-called adapters (some call them “shirts”).
An adapter is a device that looks exactly like a large memory card, but in reality it is a kind of miniature box. You can insert a small memory card (for example, microSD) into it, and after that the adapter itself will turn into a full-size memory card (for example, SD). The small card in the adapter can be used with a device that only supports large cards. A classic example is to put a microSD card from your phone into a camera that supports SD cards.
All this provides versatility, the ability to quickly and conveniently transfer data from one device to another without the help of a computer. This is why it is better to buy a microSD card - you can always use it with a device that supports SD cards. But the opposite is impossible: the size of the SD card cannot be reduced in any way!
It is worth noting that adapters are usually sold complete with small cards. But even if the adapter is not included in the kit, you can buy it additionally - the issue price is usually no more than 100 rubles. It is not necessary to buy an adapter from the same company that produced the small memory card: there is no difference between adapters of the same format from different manufacturers.
SDHC/microSDHC memory card classes
On the packaging (and often on the cards themselves) with SDHC/microSDHC cards you can read information about the so-called card class. It is designated by a number (number). The higher the number, the faster the card's operating speed (data writing and reading speed). Usually, the higher the power consumption of the card and, of course, its price. Here is a list of these classes:
- class 2 - data recording speed of at least 2Mb/s
- class 4 - data recording speed of at least 4Mb/s
- class 6 - data recording speed of at least 6Mb/s
- class 10 - data writing speed of at least 10Mb/s
- class 16 - data recording speed of at least 16Mb/s
SDHC cards “without a class” are also available for sale - data recording speeds on them usually do not exceed 1Mb/s. Cards with even higher write speeds (of a higher class) have also appeared on sale, but I don’t see the point in buying them - the price is high and the benefits are questionable.
For cameras and video cameras, it is advisable to buy memory cards of at least class 4 (although, in principle, class 2 and even “classless” cards are sufficient for amateur photography). To record video in high resolution A class 6-10 and higher card is desirable. For readers and phones, even the most regular cards"no class"
Memory card capacity
Many people have a question: what capacity memory card should they buy? The answer, in general, is simple - you need to proceed from your own needs. I hope that the following list will help identify them, which shows how much memory different types of files occupy:
- Documents DOC, XLS - usually within 1MB
- Electronic book (FB2, EPUB, TXT, MOBI) - usually within 1MB
- 8-10 megapixel photo of excellent quality - usually within 3 MB
- 5MP photo of good quality - within 1MB
- Song 3 minutes in average quality - about 3MB
- Song 3 minutes in good quality - about 6MB
- Film in more or less decent quality - about 500MB or more
- Film in good quality - usually 1GB or more
I also give you another list that indicates what size cards it makes sense to buy based on the device for which you are purchasing them:
- For a reader (reader) - 4GB is enough
- For a phone - 4GB is enough
- For a communicator (smartphone) - 8GB is better, or even 16GB
- For a tablet - 16GB is better, if you like to watch movies - 32GB
- For a camera - 4GB (if you shoot only photos and not very many), 8-16GB (if you shoot a lot of photos and occasionally video)
- For a video camera or camera that shoots video in good quality - 16GB, or better yet 32GB
Card readers
Memory cards are mainly designed for use in portable devices - digital cameras, players, phones, tablets. But if desired, they can be connected to both laptops and desktop computers. To do this, you need a small device called a cardreader. Some (usually quite expensive) laptops and desktops already have a card reader built-in; for others, you need to buy a separate device, its cost ranges from 150 to 700 rubles (in very rare cases higher).
Card readers are connected to the USB port of a computer/laptop. First you need to insert the card into the card reader, then connect it to the computer. A removable disk will be displayed in Explorer - this is the memory card; work with it removable disk You can do it just like with a regular flash drive. At the end of the work, you need to remove the card reader from the USB port (after “safely disconnecting” the device), and then remove the memory card from the card reader. Such a simple mechanic.
Perhaps more popular are card readers designed to work with only one type of memory card - for example, SD. They are distinguished by their low price and compact size. Card readers for microSD cards, by the way, are very small, and they can be used like regular flash drives - to do this, just insert a microSD card into the card reader. Of course, you can use SD, xD, and so on card readers as a flash drive, but their size is noticeably larger.
Nowadays, so-called universal card readers are also common. You can use memory cards of almost all formats with them: SD, microSD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick micro and so on. They are, of course, larger than regular “mono” card readers, and are somewhat more expensive. But personally, I recommend purchasing a universal card reader - after all, you can use any cards with it.
Some features of memory cards
Perhaps, memory cards have only one drawback: they are quite power-hungry. This means that a device in which a memory card is not inserted will work longer without recharging than its counterpart with a memory card in use. However, the difference in operating time is usually small, and I would not call this minus significant.
Another feature of memory cards is open (in the vast majority of cases) contacts. Accordingly, you need to be quite careful, try not to damage these contacts (not scratch, for example), and not allow dust and dirt to accumulate on them.
Another feature of memory cards is that some models of the same type may not be compatible with specific electronic devices. In practice, this means that the SD card may simply refuse to work with your reader, phone or tablet: the problem here, as a rule, lies in some minor flaws in the device’s software. This feature must be kept in mind, and when purchasing a memory card for a device, you must check its compatibility with this device. Otherwise you may be disappointed.
Manufacturers and brands of memory cards
Many electronics manufacturers produce memory cards. Perhaps the most famous are SanDisk and Transcend. They produce cards in a variety of formats and grades; the prices for SanDisk and Transcend products are quite high. At the same time, SanDisk (and Transcend) cards, for example, do not work with some devices - it is not known who should be blamed here, but the fact remains a fact, and you should not think that high price automatically guarantees absolute compatibility. But in general, the cards from SanDisk and Transcend are very high quality.
Kingston and Apacer memory cards have a lower price. Their compatibility is also not absolute, but I can say that Kingston cards (according to my subjective feelings) are compatible with a large number devices than SanDisk. In general, Kingston is a kind of golden mean, excellent value for money. Apacer cards are usually a little worse in quality, and their level of compatibility is lower, but their price is even more modest.
Of course, memory cards are also produced by other manufacturers: Toshiba, Samsung, Silicon Power, A-Data and so on. The list is very long, I see no reason to list it in its entirety. In any case, all of the above manufacturers produce fairly high-quality products that you can buy without fear (but - preferably - with testing on a specific device).
First, some information about the file system architecture in memory cards.
Memory cards have a file allocation table (File Allocation Table / FAT). If you imagine that a memory card is a book, then the FAT table is its table of contents. When formatting a memory card, we do not erase the card, but simply clear the FAT. That is, only the table of contents is deleted, but the chapters of the book still remain. That's why, using programs such as Lexar Image Rescue or SanDisk Rescue Pro, you can recover images on a memory card even after it has been formatted.
And now tips for using a memory card (in order of importance):
1. Do not delete photos from the memory card in the camera
Many people do this often—even professional photographers—but it's a bad idea. The camera takes excellent photographs, but it cannot be said that it copes successfully with managing data on a memory card. Deleting individual images from a card using the camera – the right way clutter FAT. Do not do that.
You should not delete images to save storage space. Better put it in new map and keep filming. After downloading the photos to your computer, format the memory card to use it again.
2. Format the memory card in the camera, not on the computer
On many sites I came across information that you can format memory cards on a computer. This is a bad recommendation. If the card needs to be formatted, do so in the camera you shot with. You should not move a memory card from a camera of one brand to a camera of another brand and format it there. If you neglect this rule, it will, of course, work, but failures are possible in the future.
I've seen other photographers shoot with a Canon camera, then move the memory card to Nikon camera, where formatting was launched. But each manufacturer has its own formatting algorithm and this must be taken into account.
3. Format the card after each shoot
After downloading images from the card, copying them for safety, format the memory card before next use.
4. Use a good card reader
How many times have I seen professional photographers remove a high-quality flash card from a $10,000 camera and insert it into a cheap card reader? This makes me cringe. When I worked at Lexar and customers came to me with a damaged memory card, the first thing I would ask was “what card reader are you using?”
Card readers have smart controllers, just like memory cards. I've seen a lot more cards, damaged in the card reader than in the camera.
5. Don't fill your memory card completely
Most memory cards have a good structure, but you shouldn’t fill them completely. Once the device is 90% full, it is preferable to use another card.
6. Do not remove the memory card from the camera or card reader while data is being written or read.
If data is being transferred to or read from a card and the process is interrupted, there is a high chance that some or all of the files will be lost. And you can't always trust the red light on the camera to determine whether data transfer has completed. When the light goes off, I always wait a few more seconds before removing the card.
7. If your camera has two memory card slots, record images on two cards for greater reliability
If one card is damaged, you can retrieve footage from the second. I always do this.
8. Buy quality memory cards
As you may have guessed, I use Lexar memory cards, but they are not the only good brand. SanDisk also produces good products. There are other worthy brands.
Always remember that you are entrusting your images to the memory card. Better to pay a little extra and buy best product, which will last a long time.
Common misconceptions about memory cards:
If a memory card falls into water, the data is lost forever
It is not true. Modern memory cards can survive spinning through the washing machine and through the dryer. I would not use a memory card that has passed such extreme tests in the future, but data can be recovered from it.
