These days, smartphones are released with more powerful processors and cameras. Even batteries are getting better. However, space still remains a problem.
The internal storage for most phones is rather good but they can always do with an upgrade in the form of a micro SD card.
Of course, cloud storage is an option but not many people are fond of accessing the internet every time they need to access some file.
As a result, the demand for micro SD cards has not decreased by any great margin.
On the other hand, you need the best micro SD card if you want your external storage to be a useful addition to your Android smartphone
Tips for Selecting the Right Micro SD Card
There is a diverse range of Android smartphones in the market today.
As a result, it is vital that you understand how to select SD cards for Android phones.
Otherwise, compatibility issues can arise rendering your purchase a waste. Here a few tips that you need to take care of.
Does Your Phone Support Micro SD?
Before you get a micro SD card, you should take the effort to find out whether your phone actually supports one. The fact is that there are quite a few Android phones which do not have a slot whatsoever for a micro SD card.
There are also phones that have a hybrid slot. These are special slots which can be used for a SIM card or for a SD card.
Therefore, if you are going to use a second SIM in that slot, you will not have any space for inserting the card. Make sure of these details before you proceed.
Understanding the Card Formats
The fact is that the term micro SD card refers to the form of these storage devices. As such, all of these cards will fit into a slot meant for micro SD cards. However, all of them will not work.
This is due to the difference in card formats. There are three formats to these cards. They are referred to as micro SD, micro SDHC and micro SDXC.
In simple terms, micro SD cards have a maximum storage space of 2GB while micro SDHC will have a maximum of 32GB.
Micro SDXC cards start at 32 GB and go all the way up to 2TB. Micro SDXC slots will support all cards but micro SD slots work with only micro SD cards.
Micro SDHC cards work on both micro SDHC and SDXC slots. As such, you will actually end up purchasing micro SDHC cards generally.
Micro SD cards are rarely used these days considering the small storage space available.
Don’t Forget The Capacity
Now that you understand the formats, you can easily select the right format while searching for the right capacity micro SD card.
Typically, the capacity you opt for will be determined by your needs. If you are going to use your Android phone to take lots of high quality photos or to listen to a lot of songs, you need to keep your capacity requirements high.
At the same time, you should check the maximum supported capacity of your phone.
Some phones can support a maximum of 32GB while others can support a maximum of 64GB. There are also others that go up all the way to 200GB.
Check the Class of the Card
Checking the class is crucial to getting the best micro SD card for your phone. There are quite a few classes available. They are class 2, class 4, class 6 and class 10.
The numbers of each class represent the minimum rates that the card is capable of sustaining when transferring data.
Therefore, a Class 10 card will read and write data at a minimum rate of 10MB/s while a Class 2 card will do so at 2MB/s.
However, it is important to remember that these are just the minimum speeds. Cards from top manufacturers typically run at higher speeds.
Understanding the Concept of UHS
Micro SD cards manufactured after 2009 feature a class known as UHS. UHS stands for Ultra High Speed. They can be considered to be another class for the card.
There are currently two UHS classes, UHS 1 and UHS 3. Theoretically, these cards can reach a maximum data transfer speed of 312MB/s. However, most phones do not support the UHS standard.
Therefore, the minimum rates for these cards are the usually what you will get in your phone. UHS 1 has a minimum speed of 10MB/s while UHS 3 has a minimum of 30 MB/s.
These cards are meant for use by professionals. As a result, they are generally not the best micro SD cards for Android phones.
Can Better Cards Improve Your Phone’s Speed?
The short answer is that it is certainly possible to improve the speed of your phone by using the best micro SD card. This is especially true if you are going to store apps on the micro SD card.
After all, your phone will be rigorously reading and writing data when it is accessing the apps stored on the micro SD card.
By using a card with higher speeds, you can drastically improve the performance of the apps and, thereby, your phone. This is also applicable when you are storing the photos you click through the phone’s camera directly.
Selecting the Right Micro SD Card
The fact is that the best micro SD card available in the market might not always be the correct choice for your needs.
For example, UHS 3 cards, although the best will be far too much for regular users. They will be useful if your phone can shoot videos at 4K resolution.
However, a class 10 card will be enough if your phone takes full HD videos only. This keeps your budget reasonable and the card is properly utilized.
With the help of these tips, you can certainly start using the external storage capabilities of your phone in a much better way than before. You will now know what kind of micro SD you exactly require.
