Comparison of microsd cards. Which memory card should I choose for my smartphone? The best memory cards for a smartphone

It would seem that there is nothing difficult about buying a memory card. We decided on the required volume and found profitable proposition and bought it. It is because of this approach of users that some manufacturers offer flagship smartphones with expandable memory. If you have a microSD card at hand, take a look at how much stuff is written on it. This information will help you make the right choice.

Why bother with all this?

This is the question to start with. Imagine that you bought a new modern flagship smartphone with memory card support, for example, LG G4. Such a smartphone should easily cope with all tasks, but suddenly you notice that the camera and other applications of your smartphone are not working as fast as you expected. This is possible if you don't use enough quick map memory on which photos are saved and from which your applications take data. However, nothing prevents you from paying a little attention to the issue and choosing the memory card with which your smartphone can please you constantly.

What is the difference between SDHC and microSDXC?

When buying a memory card, you should pay attention to these big four letters, but the difference between these two standards is only in the supported amount of data. SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) allows you to store up to 32 gigabytes of data, while SDXC (Secure Digital Extended Capacity) can handle 64 gigabytes and above. The problem is that not all devices support SDXC cards and such a large amount of memory. Check the capabilities of your smartphone before purchasing a 64 or 128 GB memory card.

What does the memory card class mean?

Cards microSD memory could be grades 2, 4, 6 and 10 and this is what you really need to pay attention to. These numbers indicate the supported data transfer speed, and while a microSD memory card can write data at a minimum speed of 2 MB/s, a Class 10 memory card works at a minimum speed of 10 MB/s. Not that difficult. It is important to understand that we're talking about namely the minimum write speed, and with good memory cards the data read speed can reach up to 95 MB/s.

What does UHS mean?

Another information about the memory card that you may notice is UHS-1 or UHS-3 compatibility. Such microSD memory cards began to appear in 2009. In theory, a UHS card can support data transfer speeds of up to 321 MB/s, but you should focus on the minimum speed: 10 MB/s for UHS-1 and 30 MB/s for UHS-3. In fact, if you plan to use the card in a smartphone, you should not focus on this, smartphones do not support UHS.

What else is important to know?

It would be a good idea to purchase a memory card from one of the trusted manufacturers, for example, SanDisk, or Kingston. It is also worth paying attention to the cost. If you suddenly find a suspiciously cheap memory card, you should be wary of it.

Based on materials from AndroidPit

Today, almost no equipment can do without a memory card, because all multimedia files are of sufficient size and require a lot of storage space. When choosing one, we often choose the cheaper option, wondering why some of them cost a little more.

Few users pay attention to the class of the flash drive when purchasing.

It's all about not only the brand, but also the class of the memory card. Let's figure out what it means and which of them are needed for certain purposes.

This concept applies to micro, mini equipment and full-fledged SD cards. As you might guess, their name determines the size - the smallest ones are used in mobile phones and tablets, great in photo and video equipment. We are mainly interested in compact microSD, since they are the most popular among users.

All cards have a class that determines the guaranteed data writing speed. That is, this indicator determines how quickly files and information will be exchanged when recording to an external drive.

Accordingly, the higher the class, the faster the data transfer occurs, which is the main advantage of those microSD cards that cost more for the same capacity.

What classes are there?

There are the following indicators: 2, 4, 6, 10, 16 and Ultra-High Speed ​​Class. Further, if you have a card class 2, then the guaranteed data transfer speed is at least 2 MB/sec, in the case of class 10 - at least 10 MB/sec, and so on. In the case of UHS, the situation is slightly different - these drives have very high parameters and are used exclusively in devices that support this format.

How to choose a class?

It all depends on the purpose for which you are buying external memory. Please note the following recommendations:

• If the card will be used exclusively for, for example, music or photos on the phone, grade 10 does not play a special role. You will only see the difference when you reset files from your computer, and it will be that at the lowest rate the data will take a few minutes longer to move.
• To play music in the player, you do not need an overly powerful microSD card - this does not affect the quality of work.

This indicator is of great importance when files of this type will be recorded on the card, such as streaming video or a series of photos, in general, the following voluminous multimedia tasks:

• When recording Full HD video, you need at least a class 6, and preferably class 10, memory card so that recording doesn’t slow down and you don’t miss a good shot because the device didn’t have time to process it.
• To shoot moving objects with high quality, professionals buy cards with speeds of 30 MB/sec. Naturally, such equipment is more expensive, but it will do its job reliably.
• And if your goal is to make your shooting work continuous and always be ready to do a large number of images, spare no resources and choose drives with speeds up to 100 MB/sec.

Important! Before you buy a microSD card or other format, check the owner's manual for the hardware you're using for the part—it will likely tell you the recommended settings for your external drive. If the required class is indicated there, you will be able to navigate the purchase more easily.

Speed ​​check

Not all microSD cards indicate the class, and in some cases the stated rating is not true. How to check the performance of a memory card? For this purpose, the H2testw utility was created - quite simple and understandable for any user. After checking, the program will show you real speed your drive, and if, for example, the number 10 is indicated on it, and the process showed a result of about 5 MB/sec, then the manufacturer decided to deceive you.

As already mentioned, the class does not greatly affect the case when microSD is used in a phone or tablet as information storage. If you know that you often dump files and have a fairly large volume, the highest level 10 card will not hurt. This way, you can save a few minutes each time you transfer, which you can spend with greater benefit for yourself.

It would seem that it does not affect such a small thing as a microSD card or another format, but choosing a trusted brand when purchasing will make you more confident that the memory will work properly and smoothly. After all, the safety of your information and multimedia files directly depends on this. Therefore, it is better to pay a little extra than to lose the equipment with all the information stored on it at an unexpected moment.

Now you know what a card class is, and also in what cases it is advisable to pay attention to it in order to purchase good external memory at the best price.

After many hour-long speed studies, as well as price analysis in Russian stores, we can say that the updated Samsung Evo+ (or simply Evo) flash drive with a capacity of 32GB or 64GB is the best MicroSD card for a smartphone and tablet. It has high read and write speeds for both sequential and random sectors, while being cheaper than its competitors. Until recently, we called the Sandisk Ultra card the best flash drive, however time is running, prices are falling, technology is improving and we have a new leader.

Why should you believe me?

For the last 10 years I have been writing about technology in any of its manifestations. I tinker with the technology itself even longer. As you understand, during this time a sufficient number of memory cards from different manufacturers have passed through my hands. But you are absolutely not obliged to take the word of a stranger. Therefore, this text is based not only on my personal impressions, but also on the analysis of other authoritative sources.

How we chose

Most important characteristics MicroSD cards are their speed, price, reliability and warranty. When using MicroSD for a phone or tablet, the random sector read/write speed test is of paramount importance, since applications save data in small chunks and write (read) them in different areas of memory. Sequential (also called linear) reading is also important, but not so critical.

A quick aside: Linear speed is very important when taking photos and recording video directly to the card. Actually, if you are choosing a memory card for an action camera like GoPro or a DJI Phantom drone, then all you need is to decide on the video resolution (U1 class cards are suitable for FullHD, U3 class for 4K video) and then select card from the list of recommended ones. Most likely it will be SanDisk Extreme. In all other cases, the card we write about in this review will be enough for you.

Since most modern phones record video in FullHD format, we considered cards of at least U1 class, which also provide high speed reading of random blocks. We specifically focused primarily on 32GB and 64GB cards as the best in terms of price per gigabyte. Alas, 16 GB cards gradually dropped out of the race due to lower speeds and too high price in terms of capacity.

Thus, the final list included cards from manufacturers such as Sandisk, Samsung, Kington and Adata. The cards were tested when connected to a computer using the CrystalDiskMark program, essentially the industry standard for testing memory cards and SSDs. Additionally, the cards were tested on the author’s phone, the 3rd generation Moto G, one of the most interesting budget smartphones of last year.

Test results

As can be seen from the graphs presented below, Samsung Evo or Evo+ cards have the best random sector recording speed. Yes, the reading speed of the Kinston U1 will be higher, but this card also costs more. At the same time, Samsung is not much inferior. Sandisk, once a favorite in this price category, unfortunately shows the worst results.

Subjectively, Samsung cards were also shown better speed device operation. At least, moving from my previous favorite - Sandisk Ultra 32GB to Samsung Evo+ 64GB, seemed quite comfortable. Speed ​​measurements on the phone also show the superiority of Samsung products. Taken together, this allows us to conclude that the MicroSD card data is best choice for smartphone and tablet.

As can be seen from the graphs, with a slight difference in price, Evo cards with a plus at the end show a slightly higher operating speed. Therefore, if the difference in cost in the store you choose is insignificant, it’s worth buying the plus ones.

P.s. If you have decided on a card and want to order it in an online store, be sure to read our material about.

Almost everyone knows what memory cards are and how to use them. The only difficulty, it would seem, may arise only in inserting it correctly into the slot. However, nothing is simple in the world of technology. Same with flash cards. They are different types(MicroSD/TransFlash, MicroSDHC), each type has its own characteristics. It is also important to understand special devices that make working with cards easier. A memory card (Secure Digital Card) is a miniature plastic plate with a built-in memory module (flash memory). The memory module stores information that can be deleted or overwritten. Cards can last for many years, making them one of the most popular ways to store information.

Types of SD Memory Cards

SD were the very first memory cards to appear on the market. Used primarily in computers and laptops. Their maximum capacity is 4 gigabytes, so they are not so popular now. But their price is quite low.

An SDHC card is no different in appearance from an SD card. The differences are in the filling. The capacity of SDHC cards is always above four gigabytes, the maximum reaches 32 GB. The speed of information exchange is also higher. The only drawback is that not all older devices read this type of card.

For SDXC card external differences from SD cards is not observed, the difference is in the amount of memory and operating speed. The maximum capacity of SDXC cards is two terabytes, that is, 2048 gigabytes (the minimum volume is 64 GB), the file writing speed is almost twice as high as on SDHC. Finding a 2 TB card is quite difficult. Also, not all operating systems support SDXC.

Types of MicroSD memory cards

MiniSD were the first memory cards that, due to their smaller size, began to be used in mobile devices. They quickly disappeared into the shadow of MicroSD, which replaced them.

MicroSD/TransFlash differ in size; there are no smaller flash cards. Slots for cards of this type are found in almost every modern device, from smartphones and tablets to video cameras. At the same time, they cost no more than regular SD.

MicroSDHC has the same story as SD/SDHC. MicroSD flash cards with a capacity of more than four gigabytes (and up to 32 GB) are called MicroSDHC. The most popular type of cards now.

MicroSDXC officially has a maximum memory capacity of two terabytes, but on sale you will most likely find cards of this format with a capacity of no more than 128 GB. Which is also not bad, considering the amazing data transfer speed of up to 156 megabytes per second.

Other types of cards

Memory Stick is a type of flash memory card developed by by Sony. Its format is closed. This means that only original Sony cards are guaranteed to work properly. There are two varieties: large and small. The maximum volume is sixteen gigabytes. Most often used for PSP (Sony PlayStation portable game consoles).

It is no longer possible to find SmartMedia cards. And it's not necessary. The maximum capacity of these cards is only 128 GB.

The MuliMedia Card (MMC) format is obsolete, but has not yet completely fallen out of use. MMC cards are compatible with SD slots (but not vice versa). It is very difficult to find them for sale.

XD cards only work on Olympus and Fujifilm devices, so they are not very popular. The capacity of these cards does not exceed two gigabytes.

CompactFlash is another legacy format. Cards of this type stand out large sizes, they are even larger than SD cards. Still in use, because they have high speed, and the maximum memory capacity is 256 gigabytes.

What does a memory card class mean?

The class of a flash card is usually indicated on the card itself. Or study the packaging to find out. The class displays the data recording speed, indicated by a number. The higher the number, the higher the speed. There are five classes of memory cards:

• class 2 (for recording standard definition video, recording speed 2 MB/s);
• class 4 (for recording high-definition video, recording speed 4 MB/s);
• class 6 (for recording high-definition video, recording speed 6 MB/s);
• class 10 (for recording video in Full HD (1080p), recording speed 10 MB/s).

Adapters

A MicroSD/TransFlash memory card differs from SD in size, but not in technology. Therefore, you can easily use a microcard in devices with a slot only for “large” cards. For example, you only have a micro-card, and you need to transfer the information to a camera that does not have a MicroSD/TransFlash slot. To do this, you will need a special adapter. It is a dummy SD card, similar in appearance to it. A smaller card is inserted into it, then it is placed in the SD card slot.

Adapters are often sold bundled with MicroSD/TransFlash, which is another explanation for the popularity of this format. Buying a MicroSD is more profitable due to the versatility that the adapter gives to this type of card. If the device is not included in the kit, then it is easy to buy it separately. It costs no more than a hundred rubles. The manufacturer doesn't matter.

Card readers

In order to connect a memory card to a computer or laptop without the required slot, card readers are used. This is a small device with a slot(s) for flash cards and USB output. The card reader is connected to the computer via a USB port. This device is very useful in a situation where you store photos on MicroSD/TransFlash that now urgently need to be transferred to SD. If the card reader has several slots for different types of cards, then in this way you can transfer information from one card to another, using a computer as an intermediary.

Disadvantages of memory cards

First of all, you should warn that flash cards consume a lot of energy. Consequently, the devices in which the card is inserted will discharge faster. They are also rather fragile and easily lost. There are also compatibility problems. This could be due to shortcomings software device in which the card is used. However, all these are little things that should not confuse a potential buyer. It is now almost impossible to live without memory cards.

Have you ever wondered why most manufacturers in given time began to limit the possibility of installation SD memory cards? It all started, of course, with very profitable and profitable marketing by Apple, profitable, first of all, for Apple itself. For example, a MicroSD card with a capacity of up to 16 or 32 GB could easily cost you up to 1000 rubles. That is, for 1000 rubles you could take a card for more than high class, and this is regardless of the dollar exchange rate, which was then and now.

At the same time, the difference between devices with 16, 64 and 128 GB, if we are talking about the same Apple, is much larger, approximately $100 for each doubling of memory. That is, you add 100 dollars, and you already take a card for 64 GB, add another 100 dollars, and you already take it for 128 GB.

Approximately the same pricing policy applies to Apple and most companies that produce smartphones now. In particular, this applies to the Samsung Galaxy S6. For many fans of the company, it was a complete surprise that they had recently abandoned installing a memory card in some of their smartphones. Moreover, you can observe that installing memory cards in cheap smartphones still has this option.

Memory card or built-in storage?

Memory cards now imply up to class speeds. For example, a class 10 memory card means that its speed will be about 10 Mbit/s, which, in principle, is not much, but not little. But at the same time, this is significantly less than the speed of reading and writing the internal memory of the same Samsung Galaxy S6.

And many manufacturers have stopped making it possible to install memory cards, because many people install the cheapest memory cards with the largest capacity they can find, and it actually turns out that the reading speed from them is much lower.

By purchasing, for example, a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge for a little over 40,000 rubles, a person really saves on a very basic memory card. That is, for example, the XC standard does not suit him. He doesn’t want to overpay for 64 GB of memory card, and it will be even more difficult to convince him that he needs higher speed.

If we draw an analogy with Compact Flash memory cards, then the difference between them can generally vary up to 5 times. For example, we take a Compact Flash 133 memory card and a Compact Flash 1067 memory card. If we are talking about conditional 64 GB, then a 133 card can be purchased at a price of about 4000-4500 rubles maximum, and 64 GB for 1067 can even be taken for 10,000 rubles difficult. Although the difference can be even greater, and it is due to speed.

But those people who understand why they need a memory card with such speed - they understand it. For example, in order to record video in Apple Pro Resolution, that is, in a codec that practically does not use compression and allows you to record in the format of the most rich color correction. Photographers can draw an analogy to what it means to shoot in RAW format. Anyone who has ever shot in RAW format will not shoot in any other format.

The main problem is that most people buy the cheapest memory card, then periodically everything in their smartphone slows down, and they begin to scold it: “well, what are you doing, Samsung; Well, what are you doing, Sony, why are you slowing everything down, why is everything so bad? And you know, many may say that this is far-fetched, but now there are a huge number of smartphones with 4K video recording, for example the iPhone 6S. Let's imagine that he had a memory card.

Surprisingly, the majority of those who purchase an iPhone 6S are not very good earners, let's face it. I'm not saying all, but the majority. This, of course, is connected, in principle, with the fact that there is an absolute majority of poor people, and much less rich people.

Imagine that a person takes out a 16 GB IPhone 6S on credit, maybe even on credit for two years, because he is a poor student, and at the same time inserts a memory card into it. But since he doesn’t have much money, he saves and takes a memory card, even a 10th grade one. Do you really think that 10 Mbps will really be enough to record 4K video?

This is not enough at all!

So, if you have a smartphone with more or less decent characteristics, and you bought it because it is a device that you use constantly, and not for show, then splurge on a good memory card! Get a memory card with the fastest speed you can get. There is the HC standard and the XC standard, which has the ability to install a larger capacity of memory cards - up to 200 GB, i.e. There are 200 GB Micro SD memory cards, perhaps there are more now.

Well, splurge on a card, take a smaller capacity, because, in principle, the difference in capacity is small, but the memory speed is higher.

There are a lot of marketing ploys now, so when purchasing a memory card for your smartphone, you should definitely look at the reading speed. Without fail.

No matter what is written, no matter what tricks the manufacturer writes, such as: ultra, super, superspeed, turbo, you must objectively look at the read and write speeds.

SD memory card manufacturers

If we talk about brands, I personally am a fan of SanDisk, in terms of flash drives, I have confidence in this company. But to be objective, I cannot really recommend it, because this is also the influence of people. All the people around me who work with them say that SanDisk are the coolest memory cards - firstly, because they are the only ones that are essentially sold. Secondly, because they are really quite cheap. But I cannot vouch for the quality of this product.

Here you can study the market, look at statistics on defects - this does not seem to me a difficult task, but the only factor that you should pay attention to when buying a memory card is definitely its read speed and its write speed.

The brand is also very important, because various Chinese companies can write any nonsense on the box for you, and it doesn’t matter at all.

Many may now object in the comments, saying, why did he start such demagoguery, after all, it’s a simple thing. So here's mine personal experience says that the simplest things require the largest, longest, most detailed and scrupulous explanation. Moreover, my explanation is based on my own experience, speaking figuratively, what I bought for is what I sell for.

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