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Nexus 7 Hardware mod to add storage

I was thinking about the Nexus 7 storage issue, what with not having a microSD slot and 16gb being the max, and I was wondering; would it be possible to compile android for the Nexus 7 onto a 64gb SD card, pry open the Nexus, and replace the one in it with the 64gb SD card slot with Android? I'm not into hardware modding, so I don't know if this is even possible, but if it is, I think it'd be great.
Also, yes, I know there's a microUSB slot and developers will add USB host support and all that, but I'm talking about the microSD slot, not microUSB.
Moderators - I don't know if this is the right place to post this, so please move it to the proper place if necessary. Thanks

Unless I missed something, the memory inside the device is not a Micro SD slot. It's most likely memory soldered on to the mainboard.

Aaah... I see. Well, that's a shame... So definitely no way to do this then?

There's a few teardown pics over at iFixit. The flash is a surface - mount flash chip from Kingston, not an internal SD card slot or anything like that. If you had, like, supernatural skills with a soldering iron, maybe you could remove it and solder in Kingston 's 32GB eMMC chip and it might work? Most likely you'd destroy the tablet. I've been soldering for years and I wouldn't try it.
If sales are strong someone will probably make a case that provides storage on the USB port without an ugly dangling drive. Or you could just upload all your music to Google and stream it.

Not possible, I also don't think it's worth the hassle.... just forget about the Nexus 7 and go buy a tablet with more storage!

Got it, thanks. Well, good thing I use google music then, so it shouldn't be an issue. Thanks for the info!

You can..
baldeagle76 said:
I was thinking about the Nexus 7 storage issue, what with not having a microSD slot and 16gb being the max, and I was wondering; would it be possible to compile android for the Nexus 7 onto a 64gb SD card, pry open the Nexus, and replace the one in it with the 64gb SD card slot with Android? I'm not into hardware modding, so I don't know if this is even possible, but if it is, I think it'd be great.
Also, yes, I know there's a microUSB slot and developers will add USB host support and all that, but I'm talking about the microSD slot, not microUSB.
Moderators - I don't know if this is the right place to post this, so please move it to the proper place if necessary. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a way by using the usb host functionality. But "replacing" the existing flash isn't a practical option I believe..
I really can't afford screwing up my nexus (I haven't even received it yet!), but soldering a usb memory card reader chip to the usb connector would be an effective way of adding external storage with minimal to no drawbacks while possibly keeping it inside the case.
I really don't understand why google didn't include a slot.. I hope it wasn't a decision from the design department because if so they could avoid everyone being pissed at this.
If you don't want (and I am shure you don't) the hassle of picking up a soldering iron and cutting your nexus you can just buy an OTG usb cable and connect any external hardware/usb stick to the nexus 7.

serjts said:
I really don't understand why google didn't include a slot..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From Google:
We got tired of seeing OEMs include many GB of internal storage for music, while users were still running out of space for apps and data. This approach lets us merge everything on one volume, which is way better.
– Dan Morrill, Android engineer at Google
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That said, it doesn't explain why they didn't add 16GB internal storage AND an SD slot.
Edit:
Seeing that the Nexus 7 is the Asus Memo ME370T, and the ME370T was reported as having an SD card, before the Nexus 7 took its place, it's likely that the SD slot solder pads are on the device somewhere. Perhaps J1? CON3 was likely for the rear facing camera the Nexus 7 lacks.

Google drive. $4.99 a month for 100gb. That's why they didn't include it. It's a really good deal though, and it works great. Plus, your HDD won't take a sudden crap after two years(like my 1tb Seagate drive did).
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

jdyowa said:
Google drive [...] and it works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Until you're on an international flight and don't have access to it, or didn't/couldn't download before you boarded....

Yeah, not everyone has a constant fast wireless connection to use in all situations.

There is a guy on eBay selling the first 80GB Nexus 7 he claims to have added a 64GB micro sd card to it....he doesnt show any pictures so do you think its just hanging off the bottom? Or is there a way to add it internally? eBay item # 140821188316

AZImmortal said:
Yeah, not everyone has a constant fast wireless connection to use in all situations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Google Drive and puush for minor backups, but I can't imagine using anywhere near 5GB of the free space I get, especially on my low-speed DSL connection :/

neverlift said:
There is a guy on eBay selling the first 80GB Nexus 7 he claims to have added a 64GB micro sd card to it....he doesnt show any pictures so do you think its just hanging off the bottom? Or is there a way to add it internally? eBay item # 140821188316
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read the description...?
It is the 16GB model with a tiny little 64GB USB flash drive (brand name, probably Patriot). Handling time is 1 day if you dont want me to root and mod it. The 64GB flash drive however will not work with the device if it is not rooted, and will simply be bundled alongside.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Don't even consider modifying the hardware. SMT is not for the casual hacker.
If USB storage does not work for you, and you really need more storage - the Nexus 7 is the wrong device for you.

Never add micro sdcard
I have ME370t schematic,
Real J1
In design schematic
it 's just debug connector !
No microSD card Interface
So we have no way to mod microsd card :crying::crying:

tuananh15986 said:
I have ME370t schematic,
Real J1
...
In design schematic
it 's just debug connector !
...
No microSD card Interface
...
So we have no way to mod microsd card :crying::crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Shame about the SD pins not coming out to test points or pads. Debug UART on J1 is interesting though.
Do you have the rest of the schematic? If so, can you make it available?

Hey guise.
Not that this is an internal mod, but it's kinda close.
I took a sandisk cruzer fit, disassembled, removed the flash chip/pcb, and soldered a male microsub onto it, along with the OTG mod.
The small size makes it light, less likely to snag/snap, and ultra portable. Would fit in your wallet or perhaps in a nexus folio with some work.
I posted it on reddit r/nexus7 and the response was nil, even though I've seen people ask for solutions a million times there.
Anyways, pics. I can't post a link to imgur yet per forum rules since I'm a n00b - but I'll leave it up to your imagination how to complete this l i n k. Someone else can reply with the pics so they're in the thread, fine by me.
imgur dot com /a/iTsAU

Hey guys
I ordered the OTG cable for my N7 but i also explored the fact it's very possible to Solder a storage inside the device specially there's a lot a free room for it .
i added a screen shot from tear down on Ifix it.
what you need for this project:
N7
32 GB usb
motherboard cable type very slim connection
solder gun
Iron
Please don't do this if you not an expert in soldering its very tiny area
make sure to remove the speaker before you start
i added a screenshot on how the cable has to be soldered
all what needed is solder the cable to the storage card could be USB or SD but has its connector
and solder it to the micro USB input as per the picture.

*edit - pic shows up now, sorry
very cool marakji.
Personally I may use the extra space inside the nex to install an inductive charger/touchstone, since extra storage is something mostly useful when travelling. carrying the little microusb drive to store/playback that media is easy enough. But easier charging is useful every day.

[Q] External Storage

Hello,
I'm thinking about getting the Nexus 10, currently have an iPad 2 but the screen of googles tablet is just too tempting.
One of the things I want to use it for is viewing media, I'll be getting the 16gb version and I'm a little bit worried the storage will get filled up pretty quickly. I have about 75gb worth of dropbox storage but was wondering if there's anything I could use if there's no wifi?
I'm thinking of just a small flash drive to plug into the microUSB port with loads of films on it, basically like a usb drive but compatible with the nexus 10, is there anything out there that'll do that?
Cheers.

There are ways to make that happen but you will need to root your device. This can be done with the use of apps, or with a custom rom but definitely possible. gaming...I don't think you can yet. mainly because its early and 4.2 is still pretty new.

I have no problem rooting the device, was probably going to anyway. I just wanted to know what the best/smallest external storage options were?
Maybe this thread would be better in the Accessories thread.

so many threads on this already, have possibilities of micro sd, sd, usb thumbdrive, some portable hdd enclosures and wireless hdds.
Dont need to be rooted, just use nexus media importer

64GB class 10 microSDXC should do the trick, they come with super small USB converters. Too bad for the lack of microUSB microSD reader, how much money one could make off it!

BoneXDA said:
64GB class 10 microSDXC should do the trick, they come with super small USB converters. Too bad for the lack of microUSB microSD reader, how much money one could make off it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Making one :laugh:
Shame the reader only support sdhc so max 32gb cards for me, but can get a few!

No SDcard... is it really that big of a deal...

So I see this conversation taking over a few other threads. I am not trying to play clean up I just think we need a thread for it since it is a heated debate.
So no SD card... What to do... some say online storage and others say OTG.
I currently use both. I am on Sprint and running the Epic 4G Touch. I am lucky enough to be on a WiMax area so I can take advantage of the unlimited data that Sprint offers. But even with that I still use OTG.
If I take some pics and vids I usually start putting them on Picasa and Youtube pretty fast. This keeps my internal 14Gb memory a little more open for new pics and vids. I have an 8Gb SDcard and it is full of music. to this date I have only ever ran out of space once and I was shooting a 30 min HD movie on top of what I had not cleared off. I then started carrying a 32gig USB stick to help alleviate the lack of space but even that can get cramped so I have a 500Gb 2.5" hard drive and it works very well so far.
The other thing I have done, because we all know that Youtube recompresses your video's, was setup an Android on a stick TV device with an FTP server. Attached to that guy it a couple 1Tb harddrives. I can throw my vids up there as well when in a crunch.
As you can see there are lots of options to replace a missing SDcard slot that can only ad 32Gb of space unless the company paid the extra buck to allow 64Gb. That to me is still limited and I find it just as easy to OTG some movies off and on my phone as the USB sticks are easier to manage than opening my phone up to remove the Micro SDcard and put it into a USB adapter.
Again this is not a deal breaker for me as there are far to many options to a SDcard and some are way more convenient.

No SD is not really a problem for me, though a 64gb version of the handset would have been welcome, to many others aswell. I know one is due to be coming to the uk but not soon enough for some.

Not an issue for me as I have very little music/pictures on my phone and just apps.

USB OTG is more than enough for me
Sent from my DHD

I have 100GB Dropbox so it is definitely not an issue for me.
I always had the 32GB iPhone and I never had storage issues.

I have a 16 GB nexus 4. Its ok
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

No sd card... Not a deal breaker for me... I think 32gb is enough for me... And yeah USB OTG can help u out...

32gb its good for me
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

Its only a problem when you have 16gb or less space, games like gta and need for speed take alot of space.but great htc making 32gb and 64gb versions. .
Sent from my SGH-I317M using Tapatalk 2

No big deal at all for me.

So all in all looks like a non deal breaker for most. But there are a lot out there that refuse to buy it because of this omission. LOL
I really hope that the 22nd is the date for the US carrier's because this baby will be in my pocket that very day!

It's not a deal breaker for me, the thing I like about the sd I'd if something happens to the phone how would you get your backups, photos, etc. off of it. I plan to keep it backed up to my computer or ex hard drive. Just saying
Sent from my EVO using xda premium

At the end of the day, the only people that will struggle are those who are used to using devices with a lot more storage.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

For me it's not an issue at all. I used to only believe in sd card storage but then I started to realize I've never even filled up an sd card to it full capacity and I've only ever had an 8gb card so 32gb is more than enough for me I can't even see my self getting close to 16 gb.
Not to mention I've had an iPhone for about 2 years now so I've gotten used to not having an sd card anyways.

with my phone history realistically whether the phone had memory card or not I haven't even used 11gb of memory ever! especially when I get bored of things I delete them. I have a 32gb memory card (29gb was free space) and I still have 23gb left! and I have tonnes of videos and music and pics on my memory card. Just generally if I want to watch HD content etc I put it on my laptop which has 750gb hard drive plus a bigger screen to watch things on.
In terms of backing everything up, my most important things are backed up on my laptop and my memory card and memory stick so even if the phone was to die, I would have everything available anyway as when I take pics and videos etc I put them on my laptop then memory stick or memory card. I suppose having a card slot makes thing easier but i am not fussed. Have had xperia S, One S and One X with no memory card and hasn't bothered me.

Never took the SD card out of my Nexus One in almost 3 years. So to me the SD card is pretty much just a potential security problem, I don't care about that at all. A removable battery is nice, though. This is actually the only real problem I have with the HTC One, that the battery is not removable and it doesn't have a waterproof-excuse for this like the Xperia Z.

I've been saying this since the One X was announced last year. Is it a big deal? No. Simple.
In a year or 2 there won't be any expandable memory. Apple made it a standard years ago and clearly survived. I hate to compare to them but it's a simple concept that works.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

cpcrazyfly said:
In a year or 2 there won't be any expandable memory. Apple made it a standard years ago and clearly survived.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's mainly because they increased the internal memory. With greater onboard memory it does negate the need, plus switching is just clumsy.
I'm coming from a 16GB iPhone 3GS and never filled it.

I'm just glad HTC went with a 32 and 64gb variants. Because if they would've made the one with just 16gb storage capacity, I don't care how good the device would've been, I still would have not consider it.
I rather have an sdcard slot. But with a 64gb internal storage, I'm good with.
I have a 32gb in my mytouch 4g and I'm already way over half of storage taken.
Sent from my HTC Mytouch 4g using xda premium

The smartphone obviously isn't a replacement for a desktop (or media content server), but is sure has become a replacement for all the other portable computerized devices we used to carry: PDA, GPS, camera and mp3 player, etc. So, what kind of storage would one need to replace all those devices? Camera storage of 8 - 16 GB is not unreal for a collection of photos and videos, and music player storage of 16 - 32 GB is not uncommon for a collection of music. That's pretty conservative these days.
And ya, cloud storage is great, but c'mon, let's be realistic, we want all of our music and video content available locally so that when we don't have connectivity (like on a plane) we can still access our collection of music and videos.
32GB is almost NOT enough for many users. It is good that a 64GB version is available. I only wish the 64 GB versions were more readily available.
With ~ 25 GB of user space left over on a 32GB phone, that's not enough for me. I could make it work, but I would have to make some serious compromises about what I would have to leave out of my music collections, just to add a movie or two to watch on a trip.
An SD card slot would have solved the whole thing.
Just because Apple makes lots of money selling products targeted to users who care less about options than your average techie, doesn't mean it is a good idea to copy them.
I'm seriously considering the HTC One, but the lack of SD card and battery replacement has ALWAYS been a negative point against the whole prospect. The screen resolution is a plus, but they are starting out with points against them with the SD card problem.
And I really don't understand why they would do that.

Idea for possible solution to no SD card.

As we all know by now, the Note 5 does not come with an SD card slot. There are USB OTG adapters that will allow you to plug in a micro sd card reader and use the storage. My issue is they are bulky and cannot be kept on the device during daily use. My thought is, if the adapter is slim enough you may be able to plug into the micro usb slot and have the card wrap around the back of the phone behind a case. If anyone has seen something like this please let me know. Check out the link below to get a better idea of what i mean. The link is for a universal wireless charger that will link to your phone via micro usb. Instead of the cable linking to a qi charger, maybe it could link to a thin micro sd card reader. Please let me know what you think, maybe improve upon the idea.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=UTF8&psc=1&tag=androidcentral00-20&m1k=vb_ac
This is a good idea here as well, but it is still too thick to fit behind a case.
http://www.amazon.com/Idmix®-Chargi...7&sr=1-16&keywords=micro+usb+to+micro+sd+card

I think the best solution would be to rethink your workflow/usage scenario for the SD Card and find other ways to achieve what you want. You can also wait to see if they come out with the 128gb version, but between the 64gb storage option and changing how you do things, it should be achievable.
I know for a time the WiFi Drives were popular with iPhone users, that's not really a bad option either...

kevroc said:
I think the best solution would be to rethink your workflow/usage scenario for the SD Card and find other ways to achieve what you want. You can also wait to see if they come out with the 128gb version, but between the 64gb storage option and changing how you do things, it should be achievable.
I know for a time the WiFi Drives were popular with iPhone users, that's not really a bad option either...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I did this a few years ago when I switched to a phone with no mSD slot, moved all my pictures and videos and **** to cloud storage, now I pay $10 a month and have 1TB of storage space I can put anything I want on. I back up all my photos to the cloud and delete them from my phone once I get a decent number accumulated.
I also have been streaming my music, I dont listen to music a TON, but when I do I generally am only getting 30-60 minutes of listening in, that's not all that much data to stream so it doesn't effect my data usage all that much.
All in all, I felt fine on 32GB of internal storage with no mSD card, 64GB is a breeze.

kevroc said:
I think the best solution would be to rethink your workflow/usage scenario for the SD Card and find other ways to achieve what you want. You can also wait to see if they come out with the 128gb version, but between the 64gb storage option and changing how you do things, it should be achievable.
I know for a time the WiFi Drives were popular with iPhone users, that's not really a bad option either...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do actually have a wireless option that reads sd cards, my use case, i would like to the storage attached so pics and videos can be directly stored. I pre-ordered the 64gb, i didnt want to hold out lol. I found another item that is getting me closer but now i have to figure out a way to read the ribbon cable lol
http://www.amazon.com/Manufacture-S...8297&sr=8-1&keywords=Micro+SD+Extension+Cable.

I was just looking at Wifi Drives on Amazon, looks like they've come a long ways... They actually seem pretty cool.
---------- Post added at 08:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:08 PM ----------
sdakidd88 said:
I do actually have a wireless option that reads sd cards, my use case, i would like to the storage attached so pics and videos can be directly stored. I pre-ordered the 64gb, i didnt want to hold out lol. I found another item that is getting me closer but now i have to figure out a way to read the ribbon cable lol
http://www.amazon.com/Manufacture-S...8297&sr=8-1&keywords=Micro+SD+Extension+Cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That cable is pretty cool. I know you can't beat direct storage, that's why I had the 128gb iPhone But honestly, managing that much space via usb sync etc. is kind of a hassle. Maybe the cable adapter is good for batch offloading, but do you really need that much local storage, I think you'd get tired of the extra bulk and the potential hassles of "mounting" the external card, read/write limitations, etc. that go along with all of that.

I got this monster on the go cloud from Sam's club for 10 bucks a few months back, really good deal.
http://www.monsterdigital.com/wireless-streaming/otg-cloud

By the way, have you guys seen this deal? Maybe i missed the price drop but this seems like an excellent deal to me!
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Adapt...=UTF8&qid=1439928867&sr=1-7&keywords=micro+sd

I would just buy a wifi UsB drive if your looking for something compact. Or just Dropbox it

sdakidd88 said:
By the way, have you guys seen this deal? Maybe i missed the price drop but this seems like an excellent deal to me!
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Adapt...=UTF8&qid=1439928867&sr=1-7&keywords=micro+sd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that price drop popped up a week or two ago on slickdeals. If you can go up to SD Card, they're a bit cheaper/faster.

If they make this for the Note 5 like they did for the s6 and s6 edge it could solve the battery issue and the sd card problem
http://www.incipio.com/chargers/off...-extended-battery-case-samsung-galaxy-s6.html
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app

Good grief. The note 5 is big enough as it is. Last thing I would ever do is put a huge battery case on it.

There are always ideas. It's unfortunately that Samsung made that choice (Or maybe the Note Edge 2 supports it and they're trying to encourage people to go for the more expensive Note Edge 2? idk, Just a thought)
Solutions?
As mentioned previously, maybe there might be a case manufacturer that provides the support without the battery so it's lighter (or Samsung could surprise us with the S view case?)
Dual USB drive or NFC SD Card/ FD? sure you have to carry something extra that might get lost and all, but it's quite portable indeed :good:
Get a Note 4, install ported Note 5 ROM and voila!
Buy Cloud Storage or get an unlimited amount of cloud storage's

I'd use the battery /SD case in a minute! I have a note 2 with a 9300 mah zerolemon battery and I love my giant brick. That's why I don't care about design this, pretty that, glass this, feels good in hand that.
I just want my forever lasting brick phone! Whatever phone I get is getting either a zerolemon extended battery or a battery case.
Doesn't matter if the phone is pretty cause I'm never gonna see it!
I don't care because thinking about plugs and chargers something I never want to go back to!

I had been using this 64GB with my ex S6E - works very well. Is mini size and not bulky at all. It is auto detect by the phone and N5 users had reported it works well with it too
http://www.sandisk.com/products/mobile-flash-drives/dualdrive/

sdakidd88 said:
As we all know by now, the Note 5 does not come with an SD card slot. There are USB OTG adapters that will allow you to plug in a micro sd card reader and use the storage. My issue is they are bulky and cannot be kept on the device during daily use. My thought is, if the adapter is slim enough you may be able to plug into the micro usb slot and have the card wrap around the back of the phone behind a case. If anyone has seen something like this please let me know. Check out the link below to get a better idea of what i mean. The link is for a universal wireless charger that will link to your phone via micro usb. Instead of the cable linking to a qi charger, maybe it could link to a thin micro sd card reader. Please let me know what you think, maybe improve upon the idea.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...=UTF8&psc=1&tag=androidcentral00-20&m1k=vb_ac
This is a good idea here as well, but it is still too thick to fit behind a case.
http://www.amazon.com/Idmix®-Chargi...7&sr=1-16&keywords=micro+usb+to+micro+sd+card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I Ihave an S6 and I purchased a micro OTG with 64B of storage - you can get larger ones I think - it connects to the USB and sticks out about a half inch - great for additional storage - I keep nandroids on it and connect it when I want to restore a previous nandroid - you can do a lot with it - not as good as an EXT SD card - but it works pretty well. and it is very small

mobile88 said:
I had been using this 64GB with my ex S6E - works very well. Is mini size and not bulky at all. It is auto detect by the phone and N5 users had reported it works well with it too
http://www.sandisk.com/products/mobile-flash-drives/dualdrive/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the solution. I love it. Fast reliable and very nice ...

Ya, my note 3 has 544GB of storage using a 512GB full size sd card. I used a smaller adapter than the amazon one mentioned above and fit it completely inside my zerolemon case with the extended battery. If you are looking at the back of the phone, it fits just to the right of the camera. No bulge or anything. It looks completely normal.

I bought this from Amazon for my S6 - will be using for extra storage on my NOTE 5 http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-connector-Android-Devices--SDDD2-064G-G46/dp/B00RBGYGPG/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1439999149&sr=1-4&keywords=micro+otg
Pretty small - and works well. Best option I found - would love to find one smaller (it is about 3/4 to 1 inch long - and about 1/2 inch wide or so - just guessing about the size but I think it is pretty close to that.

Why not use a wireless external hard drive? Its almost like your own personnel cloud. 4TB for $200. Don't have to worry about monthly payments or being on a network/WiFi.
I'm thinking about getting one myself. Any thoughts/experience with these?
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDA4000100/dp/B00HXAV0X6
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app

Android_Fr3ak said:
Why not use a wireless external hard drive? Its almost like your own personnel cloud. 4TB for $200. Don't have to worry about monthly payments or being on a network/WiFi.
I'm thinking about getting one myself. Any thoughts/experience with these?
http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Portable-External-Storage-STDA4000100/dp/B00HXAV0X6
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya, I use one in addition to the sd card on my phone. It's definitely not as fast as a micro sd card would be, but it's usable. I really notice it when browsing directories. If you have anything over say a 100 photos or movies in a folder it takes about 3-4 seconds to load which is kinda annoying. This is my experience with an N router and USB 3.0. I'm doing a SMB share.

Pro or 16gb?

Hi guys. I have an Amazon fire tv box at the moment. Fully rooted and running some good media stuff. I am selling and upgrading to a sheild tv. My question is this. Which model should I go for? From a rooting point of view, is the 500gb model just the same to do. I have read posts talking of difficulties. If I buy the 16gb model and use an external hdd, is this the same as a pro model? I understand you can use external as internal now? Could someone enlighten me?

16gb of course... Best speed... And yes with the adoptative storage... I got a 500gb external hdd usb 3.0 as internal, no problems.. A cheapest option for more internal storage.

Largewoodenspoon said:
Hi guys. I have an Amazon fire tv box at the moment. Fully rooted and running some good media stuff. I am selling and upgrading to a sheild tv. My question is this. Which model should I go for? From a rooting point of view, is the 500gb model just the same to do. I have read posts talking of difficulties. If I buy the 16gb model and use an external hdd, is this the same as a pro model? I understand you can use external as internal now? Could someone enlighten me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I recommend the 16GB
however, if you plan to use a lot of internal storage and dont want to mess with figuring out adoptive storage then the 500GB pro would benefit you.
(adoptive storage really inst that difficult in my opinion and works really well making the 16GB far more appealing but since so many people have been having issues with it I thought it should be noted)
Shield Pro:
Pros:
the 500gb is always seen as internal storage
No need to use adoptive storage unless you are putting massive amounts of offline media on it
No real need to use external storage except for transferring files to it.
Cons:
The 500GB hard drive is a normal hard disk which does make a little noise, this bothers some people.
Early models had some issues with defective hard drives
Some people report slight performance issues compared to the 16GB model which they attribute to the hard disk
Bottom line: the Pro is going to be easier to use all around if you plan to install a lot of games or offline media but it is noisier and may have some performance stutters, also note that there were some earlier models with hard drive failure. nvidia has been great about replacing them but it should be noted.
Shield 16GB
Pros:
Smoother performance (Per some reports)
Cheaper
No defective hard drive issues since it doesn't have a hard drive.
Quieter
Adoptive storage in 6.0 gives the option to bridge the storage gap with the pro. (There are some cons to this though, see below)
When using fast external storage media as adoptive storage in my experience there have been no performance issues whatsoever.
Cons:
only 16GB of internal space
When installing multiple large games you will need to use adoptive storage
To use adoptive storage you will need to either purchase an additional SD card, OTG drive or hard disk unless you have one with good write speeds laying around.
if using slower memory as adoptive storage there are some very definite performance issues.
Bottom line: if you wont be installing many large games at the same time and use external storage for music, videos and Game Roms then this model is a no brainer being the cheaper option with generally better performance and no risk of a defective hard drive.
however, if you want to install a lot of large games to it and otherwise heavily use adoptive storage then you have to be very careful to make sure you understand how it works and what you need or it can be a headache. (you can tell this pretty easily reading through the forums with so many people complaining about it) in my own experience it works pretty well though as long as you understand what you are getting into.

I have both and never had a single issue with either... until the 3.0 update... but thats another story... in my experience, they perform the same in regards to the x1 chip... ive never heard the HDD in the pro model and i was a day one adopter... the list above is comprehensive and pretty much hits the nail on the head, but i just wanted to chime in and say that ive never heard the HDD spinning on my pro model.

If the pro model also has emmc for OS and only uses the HD as storage, I'd consider the Pro model. Unfortunately SATV Pro uses the HD for OS and it's impossible for users to clone the HD. HDs are likely to fail sooner than emmcs and make the SATV pro a waste.
SATV should have a standard SATA interface for storage and emmc for OS like the Jetson TX1.

I see little benefit in getting a pro now. If you want the absolute fastest in terms of storage you may as well get an external usb3 ssd and use that as adoptable storage
I'll be honest I didn't consider the pro as it was $100 more expensive for the 500gb hd which is an absolute rip off. If it was $50 I would have probably got one. Depends how OCD you are about clutter, personally I don't mind using an external HD.

Ok thanks guys. I just ordered the 16gb model. Do you think I need the extra stick remote?
First thing I'm gonna do is root it.
Should I upgrade to latest 3 software? And flash a Custom rom?
I've read that something weird happens with the controller not working?
Anyway I'm very excited and consider it an upgrade from my Amazon fire tv box. I hope!?

Largewoodenspoon said:
Ok thanks guys. I just ordered the 16gb model. Do you think I need the extra stick remote?
First thing I'm gonna do is root it.
Should I upgrade to latest 3 software? And flash a Custom rom?
I've read that something weird happens with the controller not working?
Anyway I'm very excited and consider it an upgrade from my Amazon fire tv box. I hope!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would recommend the remote, though it is a bit pricey for what it does.
The biggest place its come in handy for me is when I pair a Bluetooth device (Mouse, other controller etc.) the controller always seems to disconnect for some reason and wont let me hit the "Pair" button.
The remote never has connectivity issues for me and so I can always just grab it and hit the "Pair" button and worry about getting the controller reconnected later.
I also tend to use it when I'm watching movies using headphones because I can plug the headphones into the remote.
this can be done with the controller as well but it has three small benefits that I've found over using the controller:
1. its smaller and lighter than the controller so you can slip it in your pocket and still hear what's going on if you need to run to the kitchen in the middle of a movie or something.
2. it doesn't have any lights where the controller has lights that stay on all the time (Nvidia shield logo, home, start, back etc.) which can be a bit of an annoyance watching movies in the dark.
3. the buttons are much harder to accidentally press
It can also be used as a controller in some games which is a plus for some (I prefer the controller myself but my wife far prefers the remote for simple games like badlands and dragon fly)
I love it and would recommend it for the reasons above but for some people its probably redundant since the controller can perform all of the same functions.
so if the price isn't an issue I would go for it hands down, but if you were planning on using the money for something more pressing (a second controller or more storage etc.) your money may be better off used elsewhere.