Database Users

[Q] SD Card Worth It?

I am going to pick one of these up, but before I did, had a quick question (anyone with a WP7 can answer)
Do you feel that 8gb is enough space? Or do you wish you had more? Should I get an SD Card?

Most definitely. I have loaded most of my music and a few videos and I already used over 6GB. That's pretty much all the stock phone has. Now, I have over 14GB still left. Might put some movies on it.

My only disappointment in the focus is the 8GB stock NAND. For a $199 on contract device, 16GB really should be the minimum, especially considering a few other WP7 phones, to say nothing of Android phones and the iPhone, all start at $199 with 16GB.
That said, adding the SD card isn't that big a deal as long as you do it before you've filled the device up. For some reason there seems to be no ability to do a full backup of the phone by any means I've been able to find.

The problem with the SD Cards is that there's intense confusion/miscommunication about which cards work well. Just because it works with 6GB doesn't mean anything. What seems to happen is once you get to 8GB filled, the phone's performance takes a nose-dive, sometimes leading to losing all data.

"Enough space" depends on you, not us. I have an iPhone, iPad and iPod, all 16GB units, each with some 14GB or so of music & apps on them so it the first thing I did when I brought the Focus home was slap an 8GB card in there, format it and load it up. I have maybe 2GB free and it's worked without a single glitch for the past two weeks. For reference, mine is a Sandisk class 2. People seem to have problems with cards other than Sandisk and other than class 2 and I noticed absolutely no performance problems so if you're going to try it, try that and keep the receipt in case you need to return or swap it should something go sour.

Enough Space?
I agree with Mark, whether there is enough space or not really depends on what your usage requirements are.
I had a 32GB Zune and when I bought my Samsung Focus the Zune had over 20GB of data on it. So for me adding and 32GB SD card to the Focus was not only a desire but a very strong selling point for the Phone.
And yes, I am seeing a few issues with the Sandisk Card that is in it. Currently they are not enough to make me yank the Card because I (again) bought the device to specifically be a convergence device for myself and I am at heart a tester and tinkerer so figuring how exactly how WP7 works.doesn't work with an SD Card and the statement that MS and Samsung are working on a fix is enough for me right now.
Smaller Sized Cards seem to be more reliable than larger cards (not to mention less expensive) but that appears to anecdotal evidence as well. My 32GB Sandisk only causes freezes and resets when on Battery for example and I've not had anyone else confirm if they are seeing the same.
Not great answers but, hey, this is the fun of learning as we go along...
- MEK

FishFaceMcGee said:
The problem with the SD Cards is that there's intense confusion/miscommunication about which cards work well. Just because it works with 6GB doesn't mean anything. What seems to happen is once you get to 8GB filled, the phone's performance takes a nose-dive, sometimes leading to losing all data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have more than 11GB on my Focus with no issues at all. No slow-downs, no hiccups, no data loss period. I am currently using a PNY 16GB Class 2 card. I previously had a Centon 8GB Class 6 card with the same results.
If you read the thread on MicroSD cards, it seems there are some cards that have been working pretty much flawlessly. Both of the cards I mentioned have worked perfectly for me. I gave the 8GB to a friend and he is using it in his Focus as well.

For me, to really make a portable phone/audio/video device be best for me it would need at least 150GB of storage... and a few TB if i wanted to listen to music lossless and a few movies.

MKohlman said:
I agree with Mark, whether there is enough space or not really depends on what your usage requirements are.
I had a 32GB Zune and when I bought my Samsung Focus the Zune had over 20GB of data on it. So for me adding and 32GB SD card to the Focus was not only a desire but a very strong selling point for the Phone.
And yes, I am seeing a few issues with the Sandisk Card that is in it. Currently they are not enough to make me yank the Card because I (again) bought the device to specifically be a convergence device for myself and I am at heart a tester and tinkerer so figuring how exactly how WP7 works.doesn't work with an SD Card and the statement that MS and Samsung are working on a fix is enough for me right now.
Smaller Sized Cards seem to be more reliable than larger cards (not to mention less expensive) but that appears to anecdotal evidence as well. My 32GB Sandisk only causes freezes and resets when on Battery for example and I've not had anyone else confirm if they are seeing the same.
Not great answers but, hey, this is the fun of learning as we go along...
- MEK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, I was thinking about this the other day...the phone has 8GB of internal memory and if you put in an SD card it stripes data across it and the internal memory. If the card is 8GB or smaller that's fine but what happens if the SD card is larger than internal memory? It doesn't stripe the first 8GB and set the rest up as another partition and it does appear to use but it can't be striped. Now you've mentioned that smaller sized cards work better and my 8GB card works perfectly. I wonder if the file system's attempt to work with a larger card is inherently unstable? I know that if you put two different sized drives in a Windows box and stripe across them you will only end up with double the size of the smallest drive, not the actual sum of the two. Might be an interesting poll...indicate the size of your SD card and if the phone has been 100% stable since inserting it.

markgamber said:
You know, I was thinking about this the other day...the phone has 8GB of internal memory and if you put in an SD card it stripes data across it and the internal memory. If the card is 8GB or smaller that's fine but what happens if the SD card is larger than internal memory? It doesn't stripe the first 8GB and set the rest up as another partition and it does appear to use but it can't be striped. Now you've mentioned that smaller sized cards work better and my 8GB card works perfectly. I wonder if the file system's attempt to work with a larger card is inherently unstable? I know that if you put two different sized drives in a Windows box and stripe across them you will only end up with double the size of the smallest drive, not the actual sum of the two. Might be an interesting poll...indicate the size of your SD card and if the phone has been 100% stable since inserting it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not totally convinced based on comments in blogs that the disks are "striped". I think a lot of people are saying this and maybe using the term out of context and everyone just keeps using it. Has Microsoft actually come out to say "WP7 performs RAID 0 configuration"? For a phone OS which was never intended to see anything other than a single drive, don't you think throwing a RAID controller in there just for kicks is a little absurd?
The other term is "span" and if I had money, I'd bet that the two disks were spanned as a single partition, as opposed to striping like RAID 0 does.
Despite all of that, I have tried a 16gb class 4 with more issues than I cared for and currently have an 8gb class 4 with negligible issues. Any card you get, I'd run on Vista/Windows 7 and test for ReadyBoost. That at least tests the card for random access speed, which is important. My 16gb failed readyboost and had lots of issues in my Focus, whereas the 8gb passed and the only issues I've seen with that one are issues that other people might have experienced on their own phones sans sd card.

hyperzulu said:
I'm not totally convinced based on comments in blogs that the disks are "striped". I think a lot of people are saying this and maybe using the term out of context and everyone just keeps using it. Has Microsoft actually come out to say "WP7 performs RAID 0 configuration"? For a phone OS which was never intended to see anything other than a single drive, don't you think throwing a RAID controller in there just for kicks is a little absurd?
The other term is "span" and if I had money, I'd bet that the two disks were spanned as a single partition, as opposed to striping like RAID 0 does.
Despite all of that, I have tried a 16gb class 4 with more issues than I cared for and currently have an 8gb class 4 with negligible issues. Any card you get, I'd run on Vista/Windows 7 and test for ReadyBoost. That at least tests the card for random access speed, which is important. My 16gb failed readyboost and had lots of issues in my Focus, whereas the 8gb passed and the only issues I've seen with that one are issues that other people might have experienced on their own phones sans sd card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've read both, striped and spanned...who knows. Considering how slow SD memory always was in old WinMo devices, I didn't think it absurd to stripe data to provide the same kind of speed boost you get when striping hard drives. Hard as it might be to believe, it may have just been that WinMo was slow. I hadn't thought of the readyboost test, that's a good idea. Readyboost is pretty picky.

Micro SD card slot means no need for 32gb model?

So I'm wondering if there is a micro SD card slot then do you really need to buy the 32gb version? It appears that the current math among tablet manufacturer's is $100 for 16gb of memory which is obviously a joke. So if i buy the 16gb version and then buy a 16gb sd card ($25) do I effectively come out with the same thing for $75 cheaper?

Depends how you use it. I think it will behave like the Samsung Galaxy S in that the built in memory will appear as a different location to the external memory. Files cannot span both locations and thus your file may not fit even though the total combined free space you have left is larger than the file you are trying to copy.

well if thats the case then in general it will work just fine. Chances arent very good that i'm going to have some massive file on there.

Internal memory is probably faster than 25$ microSD card.

You could spend $90 on a Class 10 32GB card and be looking pretty good.

there you go, 32 gb for the price they are offering 16gigs. sounds good to me. not only that but you can spread that cost. Drop the $499 now, wait a couple months and get the micro sd later. thanks for the info

Magnesus said:
Internal memory is probably faster than 25$ microSD card.
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Click to collapse
On my galaxy s, my class 4 micro sd card is as quick is the internal memory. I'm sure the tab will allow quicker speeds but it's worth noting that a class 4 card is sufficiently fast enough to play back 1080p without problems. If you want to save time transferring files between tablet and pc then fair enough but I would personally save money and get a class 4 and make a cup of tea while it copies

Just but the 16GB, as long as it has a micro SD slot you won't need anymore than that.

Thats pretty much what it mean, the question now is whether it will actually have an SD card slot, I have read conflicting reports that it does and does not have one.

Blueman101 said:
Thats pretty much what it mean, the question now is whether it will actually have an SD card slot, I have read conflicting reports that it does and does not have one.
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Click to collapse
I think the conflicting reports are due to two different versions of the Tab 10.1. The version shown during the MWC does not appear to have a MicroSD card slot. The newer version shown at CTIA does have a MicroSD card slot. Most reviews are consistent with this but a few have gotten it wrong which has probably led to the confusion.
There's a number of differences between the versions but the easy to identify differences are thickness and MP of the rear camera. The first version (MWC) is 10.9mm thick and has an 8MP rear camera. The newer version (CTIA) is 8.6mm thick and has a 3MP rear camera.

Techno79 said:
I think the conflicting reports are due to two different versions of the Tab 10.1. The version shown during the MWC does not appear to have a MicroSD card slot. The newer version shown at CTIA does have a MicroSD card slot. Most reviews are consistent with this but a few have gotten it wrong which has probably led to the confusion.
There's a number of differences between the versions but the easy to identify differences are thickness and MP of the rear camera. The first version (MWC) is 10.9mm thick and has an 8MP rear camera. The newer version (CTIA) is 8.6mm thick and has a 3MP rear camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i figure thats about what happened. Hopefully we will see some detailed(confirmed) specs soon so we can know what is really driving this thing. Also, perhaps finally review the optional UI question.
Dear Samsung,
Y U NO INFORM EXCITED PUBLIC OF FINAL SPECS!

Actually, what I want is 64GB internal memory model, with or without microSD card
I prefer without, if the space can be used to a little bit more battery and/or reduce the weight!.
I am now getting used to Nexus S, the one without microSD card. To my surprise, I can live with it, comfortably

true, you probably can live without an SD card. But the reason most people will probably get a 16gb plus a 32gb SD is because its cheaper (even with the extra 32gb SD card purchase) then paying an extra $100 for a mere 16GB

I actually have a 16gb class 4 sitting around collecting dust. I'll just stick it in 16gb model
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

jvs60 said:
I actually have a 16gb class 4 sitting around collecting dust. I'll just stick it in 16gb model
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there ya go

gogol said:
Actually, what I want is 64GB internal memory model, with or without microSD card
I prefer without, if the space can be used to a little bit more battery and/or reduce the weight!.
I am now getting used to Nexus S, the one without microSD card. To my surprise, I can live with it, comfortably
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't have thought removing a MicroSD card slot would save much space or weight. A MicroSD card is tiny as too the housing for the slot.
For me, the want of a MicroSD card slot is not for expanding storage space cheaply but more for being able to transfer files to/from MicroSD easily. There's many situations when I would want to do this with a MicroSD card from my other devices or it is a MicroSD card from someone else I am with. In those situations, it's sometimes easier than faffing around with cables, bluetooth or Wifi. So the slot just gives another option.

That's true. Having microSD is handy. Especially if you want to transfer a lot of files or big files.
But, my point is that no-microSD will not stop me buying a tablet
After I owned Nexus S, I don't think it is important anymore as long as the internal storage is big enough.
Again, this is my own preference
Techno79 said:
I wouldn't have thought removing a MicroSD card slot would save much space or weight. A MicroSD card is tiny as too the housing for the slot.
For me, the want of a MicroSD card slot is not for expanding storage space cheaply but more for being able to transfer files to/from MicroSD easily. There's many situations when I would want to do this with a MicroSD card from my other devices or it is a MicroSD card from someone else I am with. In those situations, it's sometimes easier than faffing around with cables, bluetooth or Wifi. So the slot just gives another option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Blueman101 said:
Yeah i figure thats about what happened. Hopefully we will see some detailed(confirmed) specs soon so we can know what is really driving this thing. Also, perhaps finally review the optional UI question.
Dear Samsung,
Y U NO INFORM EXCITED PUBLIC OF FINAL SPECS!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one released in Aust. last week is a 16GB no SD slot model. I haven't seen a confirmation of the one that has the SD slot but have heard rumours that it will be thinner and up to 32GB.
I thought the internal memory was available to both system & data doesn't this mean that the internal memory would be an ext flavour rather than a FAT?

I see your point and I have to agree that it does seem a bit cheaper just to get the 16gb model and buy a 16gb sd card unless u plan on being a data/movie packrat on ur Tab in which case you will want to get the 32gb model as well as a 32gb sd card.

I want the highest storage available period!
I don't care if it cost more. I would rather get a 32 GB and have another 32 GB of SD card storage.
I wish that there is a 64 GB version with SD card slot so that I can have 32 GB SD card to make the total of 96 GB.
I can never have enough space because I have so many HD movies that I want to store in my tablet.

32 GB vs 16 GB

what are you guys getting? I ve pre-ordered for the 16gb but thinking to maybe switch to 32gb, for I ve heard 32gb is noticeably faster cuz of bigger storage Idk if that is true... This is my first time using android tablet, ditching ipad finally. I know there is an extended sd card option but still would you buy 32 gb for $50 more?

32gb... Some of these games coming out are over 1gb each, and some are approaching 2gb. I like to have things installed and not have to do the install/uninstall shuffle. Plus to have space for other things. All Media and storage go on the 64gb micro sd card though.

I pre-ordered a 16GB black from Best Buy, then changed my mind to a 32 GB white.
Best to have too much than too little.

They kind of want you to buy the 32gb version since the 16gb version is only 50 bucks less. That being said, I think it matters less on a tablet than on a phone because I always root my tablets. There's less downside from voiding warranty because my tablet is always safe and secure in it's case inside my bag while I'm on the run whereas my phone can be accidentally dropped at any time. That's just me though.
The faster speed from having a larger internal sd card is of somewhat miniscule benefit. For something like a 128gb and 256gb ssd, the improvement will be mildly noticeable but not so much on a tiny sd card. Get the one that fits your needs.
I really want a black one because I prefer understatement (don't want to get robbed too). So if I get a 32gb version, it will be because the 16gb version is only available in white in the states right now.

I got the black 32GB from Best Buy always nice to have extra, also have a 64GB sd card for it.

changed to 32 gb...lol

I was on the fence about getting which one to get too. I decided to get the 16gb because of the Amazon $50 gift card promotion. I don't game alot, so the huge app sizes are not as much as an issue for me. I will put in a 64gb sd card for videos and pictures.

i never game as much as i think i'm going to and always have tons of space left over, lol. i bought just about every emulator and a bunch of games, most of which i've never played or never installed.
i did preorder the 32GB for two reasons - 1: if i want black and by the 11th there's only one choice
2: i swear i'm gonna start playing those games i bought, lol
i also bought another 64GB sd for media. i got a 64 in my ativ 500t and 700t but only a 32 in my gn8. the only reason my phones have 32gb is b/c tw roms are crazy huge compared to AOSP and nandroids are taking 4GB a piece! otherwise 16GB would have been enough.

madsquabbles said:
i never game as much as i think i'm going to and always have tons of space left over, lol. i bought just about every emulator and a bunch of games, most of which i've never played or never installed.
i did preorder the 32GB for two reasons - 1: if i want black and by the 11th there's only one choice
2: i swear i'm gonna start playing those games i bought, lol
i also bought another 64GB sd for media. i got a 64 in my ativ 500t and 700t but only a 32 in my gn8. the only reason my phones have 32gb is b/c tw roms are crazy huge compared to AOSP and nandroids are taking 4GB a piece! otherwise 16GB would have been enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel you about the size of the tw roms. Hopefully, there will be root and a streamlined tw rom to help out a bit with that.

Diogenes5 said:
The faster speed from having a larger internal sd card is of somewhat miniscule benefit. For something like a 128gb and 256gb ssd, the improvement will be mildly noticeable but not so much on a tiny sd card. Get the one that fits your needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For SSDs why is there any benefit to speed based on size at all? I assumed the OP was just confusing RAM with storage.
For magnetic HDDs, bigger is faster for the same amount of data because on a bigger drive more of that data can be stored towards the edge. The edge of the platter moves quicker, so you get faster R/W times.
Why would different size SSDs have different speeds?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Qzic said:
For SSDs why is there any benefit to speed based on size at all? I assumed the OP was just confusing RAM with storage.
For magnetic HDDs, bigger is faster for the same amount of data because on a bigger drive more of that data can be stored towards the edge. The edge of the platter moves quicker, so you get faster R/W times.
Why would different size SSDs have different speeds?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
You get faster speeds on larger SSD drives because of the way the controller works. There are more cells working in parallel which increases speed. Each individual bit of information acts rather slowly in emmc and is pretty consistent across devices as long as the type of Nand is the same. It's the controller which makes the difference in speed and the controller is better when it has more parallel units working in tandem. So in the SSD world, bigger is better.

32g enough for video games
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[Q] Note 3 has fried two micro SD cards.

I have had my Note 3 for less than a month. In the time it has managed to kill two micro SD cards. I thought the first one was just and old card, but the second was brand new. Is this a common thing for these phones? Will T-Mobile replace my phone? Will they replace the SD cards their possibly defective phone killed?

Have you already tried connecting the SD's to the PC?
Try anyway to get swapped the phone when the micro SD aren't working on the PC. This seems to be very unusual!!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

Limlik said:
I have had my Note 3 for less than a month. In the time it has managed to kill two micro SD cards. I thought the first one was just and old card, but the second was brand new. Is this a common thing for these phones? Will T-Mobile replace my phone? Will they replace the SD cards their possibly defective phone killed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you live in a warm tempreture ?
Do you run games on it for extended periods of time ?
Are they a decent brand of memory ?
Does your phone run/feel hot most of the time ?
Lots of things could affect this, be sure to alert your carrier and make them aware that it keeps happening.
Ive had my Note 3 since release and a new 32GB sandisk Class 10 and its used A LOT, with no problems whatsoever.
Hope you get this resolved :good:

Usually warm temperatures don't harm that easily the SD, my note 2 hadn't had any issue regarding temperatures. Although when abroad in hot countries then phone heats up to 50°c without frying the interior. (I know it's not good but no other choice.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app

It's cold here at the moment. Middle of winter. I don't run games on my phone very often at all. I mostly just read e-books and take pictures which are stored in the now dead card. My phone doesn't really stay in any extreme temperatures. Texas winter is mild. Also they are good SD card brands. I can't remember the name at this second.

s0xiik said:
Usually warm temperatures don't harm that easily the SD, my note 2 hadn't had any issue regarding temperatures. Although when abroad in hot countries then phone heats up to 50°c without frying the interior. (I know it's not good but no other choice.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No the warm temps, cause the phone to heat up faster ( and stay warmer longer) thus*maybe* killing the SD card :angel::angel:
---------- Post added at 01:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 PM ----------
Limlik said:
It's cold here at the moment. Middle of winter. I don't run games on my phone very often at all. I mostly just read e-books and take pictures which are stored in the now dead card. My phone doesn't really stay in any extreme temperatures. Texas winter is mild.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What cards have you been using ? Cheap ones or well known brands ?
Texas #jelous !

Maybe Limlik, always used Kingston and they never died! When I had my Xperia Arc S, the phone was permanently running with over 40°c and nothing fried ^^ I think his phone kills Dr SD completely not by heat :/
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The latest card was Lexar High-Performance microSDHC 600x 32GB.

Limlik said:
The latest card was Lexar High-Performance microSDHC 600x 32GB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never seen that brand here where I live... ^^
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.

s0xiik said:
Never seen that brand here where I live... ^^
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lexar, at this time, are the fastest class of sd cards. They are a pretty decent brand . I know the 256gb class 1 sd card retails anywhere from $499 - $1000+...

Have you rooted? If you have, maybe the cooling control has gone wrong - processor running too high too long
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

ultramag69 said:
Lexar, at this time, are the fastest class of sd cards. They are a pretty decent brand . I know the 256gb class 1 sd card retails anywhere from $499 - $1000+...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is some serious stuff. Next time when I'm in Germany I'll have a look for these! Here (Luxembourg) the choice is extremely limited...
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.

When the first card fried I was not rooted.

Limlik said:
When the first card fried I was not rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does your phone gets hot when there is no SD Card in it?
I've read some posts on overheating of the N3 but only if there is a SD card in it. Have you tried to factory reset your phone?
There are people saying that simply turning on the Power Saving mode helps, and others claim that Samsung Knox is the troublemaker and by uninstalling it the issue was gone.
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.

The second card fried overnight while charging. Knox is disabled via root,

Then use it for a certain time without SD (an hour or so while playing or watching videos.) Then try with Power Saving. When not working try factory reset.
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.

Samsungs kill SD cards. Anecdotal evidence is that Samsung's own MicroSD's seem to be more resilient. There is little to no benefit in using super-fast high end cards as the internal interface speed isn't fast enough to benefit from it.
Googling turns up many threads concerning newer model (S3, S4, Note 2, Note 3) Samsung devices frying MicroSD's.

knightnz said:
Samsungs kill SD cards. Anecdotal evidence is that Samsung's own MicroSD's seem to be more resilient. There is little to no benefit in using super-fast high end cards as the internal interface speed isn't fast enough to benefit from it.
Googling turns up many threads concerning newer model (S3, S4, Note 2, Note 3) Samsung devices frying MicroSD's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I read enough posts, most of the people were using a Class 10 memory card and faced this issue.
samsung told me over the phone class 10 is above the sdcard reader spec's so corruption is likely, they also said 64gig is not supported. Thats one reason I got a samsung branded 32gig class 6 card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see any other possibility, except for an hardware issue.
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.

No samsung phone of mine has ever fried the SD card inside of it ! I've always used Class 10 most of the time its been Sandisk too :good:

Ry2mkk said:
No samsung phone of mine has ever fried the SD card inside of it ! I've always used Class 10 most of the time its been Sandisk too :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's what I got, and I think that's right. Just to make something clear, S3, S4, Note 2 and Note 3, aren't supposed to support class 10. If you haven't got that issue good for you I don't have that issue either so I'm quite glad
XDA developer App. Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. Using CyanogenMod 10.2.

For those hoping for a MicroSD card with the rumoured active S6, We're doomed.

While the headline might seem familiar with the same keywords of Samsung producing 128GB flash storage modules, this story is different from the previous one. Last month, Samsung announced a 128GB storage based on the new and anticipated UFS 2.0 standard and targeted for flagship high-end devices — it made its debut in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. This new module, however, is based on the established eMMC standard and it will appear in mass market mid-range devices.
If you missed the previous explanation about the difference between eMMC and UFS, you should know that eMMC is the de-facto standard for storage on smartphones right now. It differs from the swanky UFS 2.0 in two areas: it can't read and write simultaneously and it doesn't have a Command Queue system to sort and re-order the tasks it needs to perform. By comparison, it is slower than UFS, but it remains significantly faster than external MicroSD storage.
Samsung's new 128GB flash uses eMMC 5.0 (there's a newer 5.1 standard that is slightly faster), and can deliver sequential reading speeds of 260 MB/s, random reading at 6000 IOPS (input/output per second), and random writing at 5000 IOPS. It is a "value-focused" module and the company's aim is for "mid-market smartphones [to] be able to increase their storage capacity to 128GB." There's no word on when this module will start appearing in phones and tablets, but you should hear about 128GB devices from Samsung and other OEMs later in the year.
It's worth noting that Samsung also highlights the speed gains compared to external memory cards in its press release, so you might want to take the hint that the company's devices that will be equipped with this new flash module won't have a MicroSD slot. Financially, it makes a lot of sense given the mark-up difference that added built-in storage incurs compared to external storage. And Samsung can rake in that extra casheesh instead of sending it SanDisk's (or Kingston's or other companies') way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/0...rage-module-for-mid-range-phones-and-tablets/

Complaining about the lack of micro SD is still a thing? I thought we went over this... multiple times...
It's time to accept the reality that all of the S6 versions will not have micro SD. If you need a micro SD then simply grab another phone.

I don't buy it. Does that mean USB OTG isn't going to work, either?

lopri said:
I don't buy it. Does that mean USB OTG isn't going to work, either?
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Why wouldn't it work?

I actually am not bothered by lack if sdcard support as long as bigger storages wont be overpriced like hell. Anyways personally, for me speed and responsivness > sd card support
Sent from my HTC One using XDA Free mobile app

kerelberel said:
Why wouldn't it work?
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Click to collapse
Well, if it's too slow compared to the built in flash...

istperson said:
Well, if it's too slow compared to the built in flash...
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There's nothing in the software which prohibits it from being discovered by a file browser. It works but read/write speed in the music/video player apps is slower than if the files were on the internal storage themselves.

So, is this a confirmation on a feature which may or may not exist, on a phone which doesn't currently exist?

The SD card was an issue when the phone only had 8 or 16 GB of internal storage. Now that the phone has minimum 32 GB with an option of having 64Gb (of much faster storage) for a manageable price I don't think the SD card is a problem anymore. Most people i know only use a 32 GB SD card anyway.

Looks like USB OTG will work fine:
http://www.androidcentral.com/dealing-local-storage-backups-galaxy-s6-and-galaxy-s6-edge

kerelberel said:
There's nothing in the software which prohibits it from being discovered by a file browser. It works but read/write speed in the music/video player apps is slower than if the files were on the internal storage themselves.
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It was supposed to be a joke.

Samsung's Galaxy S6 Active may come with a microSD card slot, but at a high cost
Reddit user “garshol” sat down with a Samsung rep a couple of days ago to discuss the new Galaxies, and the Active was among the topics at the table. The ruggedized version of Sammy's latest flagship will boast “similar” hardware under the hood, according to the report, and will come with an SD card slot. However, it will also come at a cost – according to garshol's posts, the Active's camera will be a lower class than the one on the flagship model, but at least it may still have OIS. Additionally, the endurance model will not have a fingerprint scanner, and will lack a heartbeat sensor.
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sams...-microSD-card-slot-but-at-a-high-cost_id67615

These tradeoffs would be acceptable to me. I'm curious about what the dimensions and weight of the phone will be.
I've read a few comments on some sites that suggest including an SD card slot and its associated controller slow down the overall performance of a phone, even if there's no SD card inserted. I have no idea if this is true, but if so, I can at least understand why the S6 lacks SD from a performance standpoint. I've assumed that Samsung's assertion that SD was too slow for the S6 was because they didn't want benchmarks/comments that the built-in internal storage is lightning fast, but SD card is still slow. More of a "we don't want any suggestions that ANY aspect of the S6 is slow", even though most users are well aware of SD's limitations and are primarily interested in simply having the ability to easily expand the storage space despite it not keeping up with the phone storage speeds.

I definitely will not be getting the S6 due to the lack of removable battery and lack of micro SD slot. I think that HTC and LG are going in the right direction here.