If you don't want to regret your purchase, make sure you avoid these mistakes when buying MicroSD cards.
MicroSD cards may seem like a simple thing to buy, regardless of whether you need them for a phone, a camera, or some other device.
However, there is much more to them than you might realize. It's surprisingly easy to get caught in a number of traps: overpaying, experiencing awful performance, or having the card not work at all.
Are all microSD cards the same? Far from the case. Continue reading to learn more.
1 When buying incompatible SD cards: microSD vs. microSDXC vs. microSDHC vs. microSDUC
All microSD cards fit in all microSD card slots; are all SD cards the same? In addition to SD cards, SDHC cards, and SDXC cards (as both micro and full-sized cards have the same specs), are also commonly used. The fourth format is SDUC.
In the SD specification, each format is defined, but they don't all work the same way. Therefore, these formats are not backward-compatible. A newer microSD card cannot be used in hardware that only supports older formats.
There are significant differences between the formats:
microSD: can hold up to 2GB of data and is compatible with any microSD slot.
microSDHC: Supports more than 2GB and up to 32GB and can be used on either SDHC or SDXC hardware.
microSDXC: Supports capacities of up to 2TB and is only compatible with SDXC-compatible devices.
microSDUC: accepts cards up to 128TB and requires a compatible device.
In addition to ensuring that the format of a card is compatible with your hardware, you need to check a few other details.
Capacity
First, hardware supporting microSDXC slots does not necessarily support all types of microSD cards.
For example, the Samsung Galaxy S9 supports microSD cards up to 400GB. Buying a microSD card adapter might be a good idea if your 512GB card doesn't work with other microSD card types.
In order to use your microSD card with your Mac, you'll also need to make sure the computer supports the file system that the card is formatted with - for example, to transfer files. By default,
microSDXC cards use the exFAT file system. It has only been supported by macOS since version 10.6.5. It has been supported by Windows for over a decade.
Ultra-High-Speed
MicroSD and SDXC (and SDHC cards, too!) differ in their speed of data transfer.
SDHC and SDXC support Ultra High Speed (UHS) interfaces, which give the devices the ability to move data at a fast rate. Among the three versions of UHS, the fastest is UHS-I (up to 104MBps), the second is UHS-II (312MBps), and the third is UHS-III (624MBps).
A UHS-compatible device is required to take advantage of its increased performance. UHS memory cards, for instance, can be inserted into older slots, but at a reduced bus speed of 25MBps.
2.The Wrong SD Card Speed: MicroSD Card Speed Difference
It is even more difficult to determine the differences between microSD cards in terms of speed. It's not uncommon for manufacturers to use all six ways to demonstrate how fast a card is.
Speed Class
Memory cards are classified by their minimum speed class in megabytes per second. There are four speeds available:
Class 2: at least 2MBps.
Class 4: at least 4MBps.
Class 6: at least 6MBps.
Class 10: at least 10MBps.
The manufacturer can communicate whether a card is suitable for your needs by showing the base-level performance differences in microSD cards.
It is technically possible for a Class 2 card to be faster than a Class 6 card since this attribute tells you nothing about the SD card's maximum possible speed. In contrast, Class 10 cards, with a bus speed of 25MB/s (compared to 12.5MB/s on Class 2 to Class 6 cards), should be faster always. Details are the devil, of course.
UHS Speed Class
For microSD cards that support UHS-I, UHS-II, or UHS-III bus speeds, UHS Speed Class indicates the minimum write speed. Due to some manufacturers listing both classes on their cards, we're listing it separately. UHS Speed is divided into two classes:
U1: at least 10MB/s of write speed.
U3: at least 30MBps write speed.
Application Performance Class
As specified by the Application Performance Class, both sustained write speed and input/output operation speed (IOPS) in input and output operations must meet 10MBps. It guarantees a high level of performance when Android apps are stored and run.
There are two classes:
A1: 1500IOPS minimum random read speed; 500IOPS minimum random write speed.
A2: The minimum random read speed is 4000IOPS; the minimum random write speed is 200IOPS.
When you plan to install Android apps on different types of microSD cards, you can look at the Application Performance Class. A-rated SD cards may still perform well without it, however.
Video Speed Class
When shooting video, the Video Speed Class sets a minimum sequential write speed. If your video has a high resolution, you'll need more speed. Video is divided into five categories:
V6: minimum write speed of 6MBps.
V10: minimum write speed of 10MBps.
V30: minimum write speed of 30MBps.
V60: minimum write speed of 60MBps.
V90: minimum write speed of 90MBps.
Rated Speed
Some manufacturers specify a maximum speed for their products, even though it is expected that a higher Speed Class corresponds to faster overall performance.
These speeds are in megabytes per second and help you choose the fastest microSD cards. The manufacturer tests the speeds, so they may represent a best-case scenario rather than actual performance.
There are other factors that influence the speed of reads and writes in practice. If you want to copy files to your PC, your PC's specs, and even the USB cable you're using, will matter.
Relative Speed
Another way manufacturers indicate the speed of microSD cards is by referring to the old CD writing days. CDs originally had a transfer rate of 150KBps.
MicroSD card manufacturers progressively advertised their cards as being 2x, 4x, 16x faster, and so on, displaying how many times faster than their predecessors they were.
MicroSD cards are often labeled accordingly. A card with the 100x designation operates at 100 x 150KBps, which translates to 15MBps. Those results probably resulted from ideal lab conditions.
3. Choosing the Wrong SD Card
Whenever you buy a microSD card, make sure it is suitable for the purpose for which you will use it. Buying the right microSD card means getting one that's fast enough, large enough, but not necessarily the largest microSD card. High-capacity UHS-II cards generally cost more, and their advantages may not always be apparent.
If you want to install apps on your smartphone, make sure to use a microSD card with an Application Performance Class rating. If you want to shoot a 4K video on your phone, you should prioritize size and speed.
SD Card Association recommends UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) or higher for 4K video recording. It recommends a Class 10 or Class 6 microSD card for full HD video under certain circumstances. Video frames will drop and stutter if your card's write speed is too slow.
A user may prefer using several microSDs rather than one larger one for photography. If the card is corrupted, they are less likely to lose all their photos at once.
For RAW shooting, where files are often 50MB or more, SD cards offering U1 or U3 speeds are best (SDHC format, however, puts one more tally in the microSD vs. microSDHC debate).
In a microSD card adapter, there is no difference between a full-sized SD card and a microSD card. You can still use a microSD card if your camera only has an SD slot.
4. Buying fake microSD cards
While it sounds obvious, buying fake memory cards is extremely easy.
You run the risk of buying counterfeit memory cards if you purchase branded memory cards from a non-reputable seller. As many as one-third of all SanDisk microSD cards are counterfeit, according to a SanDisk microSD card engineer a few years ago. This number is unlikely to have decreased since then.
eBay's buying guides include a section on spotting counterfeits due to how common they are. Amazon Warehouse sellers have also been accused of foul play. Check the reviews first if you're buying from a source you're unsure of.
Counterfeit cards correctly state their capacity on the packaging but contain far less. A card with a small capacity may not be apparent until it fills up rapidly, but you can check this with utilities.
Windows: H2testw
Mac and Linux: F3
5. Buying cheap brands
There may have been more than a few selling points in the very convincing Krecoo SD card review you read online. In spite of that, we strongly recommend that you avoid microSD cards from manufacturers you cannot immediately verify.
It's pretty likely that we have all experienced microSD memory cards that suddenly stopped functioning. MicroSD cards do fail, and when they do, all your data is lost.
This is why buying cards from big brands will always be better than buying cheap, no-name cards. Your cards will perform better, be more reliable, and be protected against shock, water, and even airport X-rays.
Brand names also feature lifetime warranties and access to image recovery software. The Lexar microSD card and the SanDisk microSD card are considered standards.
MicroSD cards are all the same?
It is far from the truth. Everything you need to know is right here.
All you have to do now is find the right one for your needs. speed? capacity? There is truth out there. Now is the time for you to go grab a slice.
