As you know, memory cards (flash cards) are used to store information and significantly expand the capabilities of the phone. In general, a mobile phone itself in its pure form does not need additional memory; the minimum provided by the built-in memory is enough for it. The first phones had an address book and the ability to receive or send messages, and kept a log of recent calls and messages. Even modern models are sometimes limited to built-in memory, while having an additional, extensive set of new functions. The fact is that recently a mobile phone has ceased to be just a means of communication. New functions are increasingly being added to it, such as built-in MP3 players, cameras, and the situation has begun to change radically. Many new tasks require more memory to function. And now you already want to increase the memory capacity of your phone.
Often a memory card is not supplied with the phone, but it is usually of insufficient capacity, or maybe you just want to exchange the old one for a more capacious one. It is worth noting that not every flash card will be compatible with your phone model. There are a huge number of types of memory cards and adapters for them: CompactFlash, xD-picture and Memory Stick SD/MMC and others. Look for this information in the manual or on the manufacturer's website. Sometimes it happens that the old phone firmware (the program inside it) does not support cards larger than a certain size. Sometimes a simple flashing helps - and now the phone happily accepts the new card and you can safely use it.
When choosing a card, it is a good idea to pay attention to the manufacturer of this card. There are a number of manufacturers that have proven themselves very well: such as Transcend, Apacer, Kingston, Kingmax, SanDisk, Sony. They usually have the following guarantee:
- Transcend – 2 years;
- Apacer – 3 years;
- Kingston – 3 years;
- Kingmax – 2 years;
- SanDisk – 5 years;
- Sony – 1 year (a warranty of up to 5 years can be found abroad).
It should be noted that when purchasing a card, for example, with a capacity of 1GB, you will only get 900-950 MB available for work, since part of the card is occupied by information to protect the card from failures, file data, file system markup and other service information.
One of the important parameters of the card is information about the speed of the card. It is easy to translate the mysterious designation, for example, 20x, it means 3 MB per second. That is, the average size of an mp3 file. How is this calculated? Elementary: “1x” is approximately equal to 150 kb per second. Well, then the multiplication table works.
Well, the card has been purchased. You can stop here and start using it, but there are some nuances here too. Of course, there are Bluetooth, IrDA, GPRS and other options for data transfer. But to connect your phone with your home computer (or laptop), you will need either the same Bluetooth adapter, or a Card-Reader (a card reader is a device for connecting a flash card). The card reader will provide higher data transfer speeds and is quite universal, that is, you can easily use it for different types of memory cards, and not only for mobile phones. Therefore, you should not save 10-15 USD. on purchasing a mid-range card reader. Please note that a modern model must support USB 2.0 or FireWire.
Let's look at some common problems. If your phone does not “see” the memory card or gives an error like “Memory card access denied”, this is not yet a reason to run to the store or service center not to replace it. Initially, you should check whether it is inserted well. Oddly enough, the “remove and insert” procedure helps in half of the cases. Well, if that doesn't help, you can format the card. If the phone simply does not see it, then you will definitely need a card reader, otherwise formatting can be done from the phone. How to do this is usually described in the phone manual.
It's another matter if you use a card reader. We connect to the computer and if the OS is Windows, then right-click on the icon of your card in My Computer, and Properties->Tools->Check Disk [Run a scan, correcting damaged sectors]. Most often, this will fix file system errors and allow your memory card to work normally. Well, if that doesn’t help, then right-click on the icon -> formatting. If this does not help, then perhaps your phone does not support FAT32 and repeat the formatting by selecting the FAT file system. Sometimes it happens that after formatting the memory card in the card reader, you need to format it in the phone.
ATTENTION: formatting will completely destroy the information on the media, so before doing this, if possible, save all data from the card.
In order for your memory card to properly serve you throughout its entire resource (about 5 years of use), follow several rules:
Physical damage is contraindicated (the card cannot be bent, thrown, etc...);
Do not keep the card near heat sources, direct sunlight, or humidity;
the card is sensitive to electrostatic discharges (be careful with it when you pick it up);
Never disconnect the card while transferring information (you may lose both the information and the card).
Another feature is that SD and MMC cards, as well as adapters for these standards, can be blocked for rewriting or deleting. This is done manually on the memory card/adapter itself. So if you suddenly can’t write something to the card, check to see if it’s just blocked.
And finally. If your memory card begins to require a password, but you do not know it, then there are specialized programs for restoring it. N So you don’t have to rush to the service center. Leave this in case you were unable to restore it yourself.
In many devices that we use every day. At the same time, memory cards are lost and damaged much less often - if only because they are usually left in the slot, and not carried in a pocket or with keys.
The main characteristic of a memory card is capacity. Of course, read/write speed is also important, but only for solving certain problems. How to choose a suitable memory card? Let's figure it out.
Main and main
When choosing a memory card, you need to follow two key rules:
1. The type of memory card must match the type of slot in the device.
Of course, you can take a microSD card complete with an adapter, for example, a proprietary 64 GB KNOW-HOW model, and use it in both types of slots.
But it is better to purchase your own card for each device - firstly, adapters are often damaged and are not sold separately, and secondly, they are usually needed only in emergency cases - when you need to quickly copy information from one device to another.
Devices that most often support microSD cards:
Smartphones
Tablets
Book readers
Navigators
Action cameras
Devices that usually have an SD card slot:
Cameras
DVRs
Car radios
external HDs
Receivers
2. The capacity of the memory card should not be greater than the maximum supported.
What happens if you insert a memory card of a larger capacity into the device slot than it supports? An error will occur: either the device does not recognize the card, or will not “see” the data recorded on it. The device may also prompt you to format the memory card - this will erase all data on it and change the available capacity to the maximum allowed. As a result, you will, for example, pay for a 128 GB card and receive an 8 GB card.
Volume depends on content
What will you use the memory card for? What data do you plan to store on it? This is largely determined by the device you are buying the memory card for.
It is necessary for users of smartphones and tablets, as well as car radios, to store their favorite songs and other audio files on a memory card. Most often, music is recorded in MP3 format, for which there is a conditional rule - 1 minute of audio takes up 1 MB of memory on average. The length of the composition rarely exceeds 3-4 minutes. Thus, more than 1000 songs will fit on a 4 GB memory card. Agree, you are unlikely to need more space for your favorite music.
It all depends on the format and quality of the recording. If your smartphone or action camera shoots in 4K resolution, feel free to take a 64 GB or even 128 GB memory card. For DVRs that record in FullHD resolution, a 32 GB card is on average sufficient, but it is better to immediately take a 64 GB SD card (Transcend Ultimate or Transcend Premium). For models shooting in HD, you can buy a 16 GB card, but it’s better to play it safe and choose the 32 GB option. By the way, if the DVR records cyclically, replacing old videos with new ones, we recommend ordering cards with the maximum supported capacity - there are different situations on the road.
Compact cameras and smartphones today take photos in resolutions from 5 to 20 MP or more. Consider three points: what format you shoot in (standard, HDR, RAW), what is the maximum number of frames you take per day, and how you are used to storing photos. In the standard format, each file takes up less space; in HDR and RAW, its volume increases several times. If you don’t take photos very actively, a small memory card (4 GB or 8 GB) will be enough; if you go on a trip and are unlikely to be able to immediately copy pictures to a PC or upload them to online storage, take a card of the largest possible capacity and with an adapter. A microSD of substantial capacity will also come in handy for those who like to show photos and videos on their smartphone to friends and family.
Applications
The more powerful the smartphone or tablet, the larger the memory card capacity for it should be. The logic is simple: higher performance means you can play complex games that take up several gigabytes.
Even if the application size on Google Play is less than 100 MB, do not be surprised when the game offers you to download a gigabyte or two of additional materials when you first launch it. So check the maximum memory capacity your cool smartphone supports and choose 32 GB, 64 GB or 128 GB cards. Well, if you are not too keen on the latest games, then 8 GB or 16 GB will be enough to install all the necessary applications.
Modern flagship phones have an internal storage of at least 8-16 GB, but for some users this is not enough. In this case, you can solve the problem using additional flash memory. But you need to know how to choose a memory card for a smartphone so that it lasts a long time and does not fail at an unexpected moment.
Why is it needed?
A memory card is needed to expand the memory on a smartphone when the internal storage capacity is not enough to store existing data (photos, audio, video recordings, etc.). It is connected to a special connector in the case.
Modern smartphone models have a slot for MicroSD memory cards. It allows you to reduce dimensions and make the most efficient use of useful space inside the case.
Some smartphone models have a universal slot in which a nano-SIM is installed in one cell, and either MicroSD or a second nano-SIM in the second.
Before buying a MicroSD card, make sure that your gadget supports it. This information can be found:
- on the website of the smartphone manufacturer;
- in the instructions for the model;
- looking through the case for the presence of a slot on which “MicroSD” is written or a memory card is drawn.
Characteristics
If you are sure that your smartphone supports MicroSD card connection, you should know what characteristics to look for before purchasing it.
Memory type
There are three standards for MicroSD memory cards.
MicroSDXC cards are compatible with regular MicroSD slots, but are not recognized by the OS if it does not support this standard. Therefore, before purchasing, make sure that the removable media is supported by your gadget.
Recording class/speed
The speed of data exchange with the device (file read/write speed) depends on the class of the memory card. There are models of three speed classes on the market:
- Speed Class (denoted by the letter C);
- UHS Speed Class (U);
- Video Speed Class (V).
| Write speed | Speed Class | UHS Speed Class | Video Speed Class | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| from 2 MB/s | Class 2 (C2) | — | — | Standard Definition Video Recording |
| from 4 MB/s | Class 4 (C4) | — | — | HD and FullHD video recording (from 720p to 1080p/1080i) |
| from 6 MB/s | Class 6 (C6) | — | Class 6 (V6) | |
| from 10 MB/s | Class 10 (C10) | Class 1 (U1) | Class 10 (V10) | FullHD (1080p) video recording, HD burst shooting, streaming and large HD video files |
| from 30 MB/s | — | Class 3 (U3) | Class 30 (V30) | 4K video recording (60/120fps |
| from 60 MB/s | — | — | Class 60 (V60) | 8K video recording (60/120fps) |
| from 90 MB/s | — | — | Class 90 (V90) |
The read speed of information for most memory cards is always higher than the write speed.
Volume
The capacity of modern MicroSD cards varies between 1 GB – 2 TB. The higher this indicator, the higher the price.
Each smartphone has a limitation on the size of the memory card connected to it: if the gadget is designed to work with a card up to 16 GB, it will not recognize a model with a capacity of 32 GB, or it will recognize it, but it will not work correctly.
The amount of removable memory your phone supports is written in the instructions or on the manufacturer’s website in the model description.
Manufacturers
- Kingston;
- Transcend;
- SanDisk.
Recently, SanDisk and Silicon Power have become popular due to the fact that they offer inexpensive but high-quality solutions.
File system
The disadvantage of the FAT32 file system, in which most modern memory cards are formatted, is that it does not support volumes larger than 4 GB, which limits the amount of data that can be written.
In the exFAT file system, this limitation is removed. But to connect such cards you need a smartphone with backward compatibility.
Durability
Data in memory cards is stored in cells that have a limited rewriting resource. It varies between 10,000 – 1,000,000 thousand cycles. In practice, this figure is much lower.
The longevity of a MicroSD card depends on the environment of use and build quality. Models from little-known or unknown brands are not subject to strict quality control during production, so they may fail within a few days or weeks of use.
If you don’t want to lose the data stored on your smartphone’s memory card, buy a model from a popular manufacturer.
The best choice
*- a 256 GB card will be released soon.
We tried to select a line of memory cards with the best price/quality ratio so that they satisfy the needs of any user, regardless of what actions he will perform with the card: save photos or audio files, or record high-resolution video on it in extreme conditions.
ADATA Premier microSDHC The best choice!
Price: 500 rub.(16 GB model)
MicroSD cards of this series are excellent in terms of price/quality ratio for use in smartphones. They are durable, reliable and can record video in resolutions up to 1080p.
The maximum volume of the line, limited to models up to 128 GB, reduces the scope of their application, since some users store huge amounts of data on smartphones.
Advantages
- high recording speed;
- reliability;
- lifetime warranty;
- protection.
Flaws
- limited range in terms of volume.
Transcend MicroSDHC (Premium)
Price: 400 rub.(16 GB model)
In terms of characteristics, Transcend TS*USDHC10U1 corresponds to the previous memory card, but due to the fact that it costs more, it took second place. At the same time, Transcend has long established itself in the flash memory segment, so there should be no problems using this model.
At high data exchange rates, the model has one limitation - volume. The maximum capacity for this line is 256 GB.
Advantages
- high recording speed;
- reliability.
Flaws
- price.
SanDisk Extreme MicroSDHC
Price: 2,100 rub.(32 GB model)
The memory card is durable. Shockproof, waterproof, heat-resistant, X-ray resistant, it is perfect for use in extreme conditions. At the same time, the user is not limited by the amount of memory for recording data (the line has 16-128 GB). In addition, an adapter for SD is included in the package.
The main disadvantage of the SanDisk Extreme microSDHC is the price. But if you take into account the characteristics that the memory card has, it becomes clear why it costs so much.
Advantages
- protection;
- high recording speed;
- limited lifetime warranty;
Flaws
- limited range in terms of volume;
- price.
SanDisk Extreme Pro MicroSDHC
Price: 4,500 rub.(64 GB model)
Another card from the manufacturer SanDisk, designed to be used in extreme conditions. It differs from the previous line in increased data transfer speed, thanks to which the user can record video faster and in better quality.
But due to the fact that the line is represented by only two memory options (64 and 128 GB), not every user will want (decide) to purchase it. Therefore, it is ranked below SanDisk Extreme in the ranking.
Advantages
- protection;
- high recording speed;
- limited lifetime warranty;
- ability to use in extreme conditions.
Flaws
- price;
- The line is very limited in volume.
SanDisk Ultra microSDHC
Price: 350 rub.(8 GB model)
The memory card is suitable for installation in smartphones and cameras due to its technical characteristics. Due to the fact that this line is not intended for use in extreme conditions, the cost of a memory card is significantly lower than other models. But this limits the scope of its application.
At the same time, the buyer has access to models with different amounts of memory, which will allow him to choose the option that completely suits the buyer.
Advantages
- protection;
- high recording speed;
- limited lifetime warranty.
Flaws
- price.
Samsung EVO MicroSDHC
Price: 500 rub.(16 GB model)
The Samsung EVO line of memory cards is designed for use in everyday life and in extreme conditions, since it has moisture and thermal protection, as well as protection from X-rays and magnetic fields. In addition, it has a high data exchange speed.
Almost every new flagship device from well-known companies is released without a MicroSD slot. This is because manufacturers are increasing the capacity and speed of built-in memory, but we will focus on devices that support MicroSD memory cards. How well an SD card will work depends on several things: class, speed, and the capabilities of your phone. Here we will tell you everything you need to know to choose a MicroSD card for your Android smartphone.
MicroSD memory card support
As mentioned above, many smartphones do not have MicroSD slots, and instead, manufacturers claim that the built-in memory is already sufficient. If you still do not have enough free space on your device,you can check it yourselfis there a MicroSD slot? If you're having trouble, check your phone's manual to make sure you can use MicroSD cards.
Difference between SDHC and SDXC
The memory card says "micro SDXC" or "SDHC". The main difference between these two formats is the amount of data they can store. SDHC stores up to 32GB of data, while SDXC can store 64GB or more.
Many low-end devices do not support the SDXC format, so this is something to consider when checking the compatibility of your phone and memory card before purchasing. Most SDXC cards support up to 128GB, but Sandisk recently revealed the world's first 200GB SDXC microSD card.
What does class selection mean?
This is also an important point. MicroSD cards come in several different classes.
Although these numbers don't tell you anything, there's nothing complicated about it. They mostly just reflect the speeds at which these cards transfer data. That is, a “Class 2” memory card reads and writes data at a speed of 2 MB/s, while a Class 10 card does so at a speed of 10 MB/s.
This characteristic directly reflects the minimum recording speed. However, high quality cards support read speeds of up to 95 MB/s.
UHS Class in MicroSD card
The UHS (Ultra High Speed) format is an addition to the SD card and is improved from time to time by manufacturers, and memory cards with this format can record voluminous HD videos of very high quality.
Some MicroSD cards are UHS-1 or UHS-3 compatible. In theory, UHS cards can achieve data transfer speeds of up to 312 MB/s, but in practice, no smartphone currently supports this speed.
Will a MicroSD card improve phone performance?
Many people ask: is choosing the right MicroSD card an important factor in improving device performance? The answer can be given unequivocally - yes.
MicroSD memory cards with faster speeds will save photos faster, run apps stored on it, and improve data transfer speeds when moving files between devices.
Many people probably know that opening applications located on a MicroSD card can be a little slower than if they are launched from the phone’s internal memory. But a memory card that is well compatible with your device will be able to interact better, reducing the time it takes to process various data from it.
Conclusion
There are quite a few criteria to consider when purchasing an SD card. We hope this guide gives you an idea of how best to choose one. It's also worth sticking with reputable brands when purchasing, such as SanDisk, Samsung, and Kingston. It's worth checking prices, if you see a MicroSD card from another company that is five times cheaper than those mentioned earlier, be wary of its quality.
Having purchased a smartphone or tablet computer, you immediately want to try using a variety of interesting applications, download a cool game and much more. But to open an application for a smartphone or other device, you must first download and install it. And for this, of course, you will need a certain space in the internal memory. Music, movies, documents and other files - all this is stored on the device’s resources and sometimes takes up too much space on the built-in storage. You can expand the volume using an SD card. But not all of us know how to choose the right memory card that is not expensive and at the same time high-quality. We will also find out what classes of memory cards there are and what characteristics you should pay attention to when purchasing. This or that gadget supports specific types of equipment - if you buy another one, it simply will not work. In addition, you also need to know how much volume your smartphone or tablet supports - this is of great importance.
Types of SD cards by form factor
Previously, MultiMedia Card (MMC) was used. Then they were replaced by SD memory cards. Their physical dimensions are the same, however, they are made using completely different technologies. SD has a controller and has a security area that will not allow someone to “climb” into the system unnoticed. There is also a special switch installed that can block the ability to delete information (switched manually).
So, what types of memory cards are there and how to choose them? There are three types of SD:
- Standard SD measures 32 by 24 by 2.1 mm.
- miniSD is a little smaller - 21.5 by 20 by 1.4 mm.
- The smallest is microSD – 11 by 15 by 1 mm.
Using special adapters designed for this, any of the presented cards can be inserted into any slot that supports SD drives.
What are the classes of memory cards?
Among other things, drives differ by class. Let's figure out what a memory card class is and what does this parameter affect? So, it determines at what speed the data is written. To put it in slightly different language, the higher it is, the sooner you can record data and play large video or audio recordings without loss of quality.
To help a potential buyer understand the capabilities of flash drives, the SD card association classifies them according to SD Speed Class - what is it? Speed characteristics: on drives, the speed is indicated based on a certain multiplier, where 1 is 150 kb/sec.
Memory cards can be manufactured in the following varieties:
- Class 2;
- Class 4;
- Class 6;
- Class 10;
- Class 16.
When choosing a memory card for a DVR or other device, you need to pay special attention to this parameter. Among other things, you need to choose a drive only from a reputable manufacturer. The fact is that many companies indicate a classification that does not correspond to speed indicators. Or it will mean not the speed of recording information, but its reading.
The type will be of no small importance for those who like to watch movies with HD resolution, the difference between them is noticeable. The higher it is, the more stable the data flows will be and there will be no slowdowns. In the documentation for the device where this or that card will be used, you should carefully read the information about the minimum speed for playing HD video.
In general, flash drives with 10th grade are considered the most popular and in demand. The speed of reading and writing information is at the most optimal level and can reach more than 10 MB/s, which is good news.
Memory card capacity
Before buying a memory card, you should check the maximum capacity your device can support. It is also recommended to pay attention to the type:
- Regular SD cards can have a capacity of no more than 4 GB;
- SDHC – up to 32 GB;
- SDXC – up to 2 TB;
- SDXC II, SDHC II, SDXC I, SDHC I – maximum available quantity.
The larger the memory card, the better - as you can store more information on it. For example, a capacity of 8 GB is enough for a thousand songs in mp3 format or 21 minutes of video recording with Full HD resolution.
Read and write speed
The speed of reading and loading information onto the card depends on its class and type.
Different types of memory cards have different data transfer speeds. What does a specific characteristic mean:
- SD – 12.5 Mb/s;
- SDHC – 12.5 Mb/sec (the difference from the previous one is only in larger volume);
- SDXC – 25 Mb/s;
- SDXC II, SDHC II, SDXC I, SDHC I - very high speed (UHS I architecture - 50 Mb/s, UHS II architecture - 156 Mb/s or 312 Mb/s).
How to determine the class of a memory card based on information exchange speed? Class characteristics:
- Class 2 – no less than 2 Mb/s;
- Class 4 – no less than 4 Mb/sec;
- Class 6 – no less than 6 Mb/sec;
- Class 10 – no less than 10 Mb/sec;
- Class 16 – no less than 16 Mb/sec.
Selecting an SD card
Despite the huge range of memory cards, it’s not difficult to figure out which one is better. The main thing is in which device the drive will be used. Standard SD format cards are most often inserted into camcorders and digital cameras. It is necessary to highlight two modifications of SD cards: SDHC and SDXC, which are characterized by increased capacity (32 GB - 2 TB). If you need a flash drive for a mobile phone or tablet, then you should look at miniSD and microSD. Despite their miniature size, these varieties are characterized by the same speed and capacity as a full-fledged SD, and differ only in an increased price.
When choosing a memory card, you also need to take into account the fact that modern formats may not be compatible with outdated devices. It is worth noting that if the gadget contains a slot for a large SD flash drive, then you can use the most ordinary microSD, provided you have a special adapter, which is almost always included with the purchase.
As for the card's capacity, it all depends on what files you plan to store on it, and in what volume. One of the most important characteristics when choosing is the speed with which it can receive and store data. For example, recording burst photos or Full HD video files on a slow card is not feasible. When playing videos, the video will “slow down” all the time. To understand how to find out the speed? You need to pay attention to the special marking - class. As was said earlier, a good memory card has a high class, and in our time it should at least be “10” for comfortable work without delays in writing and reading.
Additional information
If you are the owner of a mobile device or other gadgets, then you should know about other important parameters that need to be taken into account when choosing a memory card. Cells are provided to save all data on a flash drive. During repeated formatting and rewriting of information, these cells can “wear out”; modern drives are designed for 10,000-1,000,000 cycles of data rewriting. As practice shows, this figure can be much less. It depends on the conditions of use of the flash drive, its resistance to influences, etc. Thus, a high-quality card must be resistant to mechanical damage, high humidity, and changes in temperature conditions.
Conclusion
Choosing a high-quality memory card is not difficult. The main thing is to first study their main varieties, classes of memory cards and criteria to which you should pay especially close attention. First of all, you need to start from the device for which the drive is intended. You also need to decide on your needs that the flash drive should satisfy.
