Best Android phones with expandable storage 2025

When you get the best Android phones with expandable storage, you can carry your media library with you, shoot a lot of 4K videos, or download a couple of movies ahead of a long commute, all without having to worry about running out of space. If you're on the hunt for one of these devices, you've come to the right place: I've collected all my favorite Android Central-approved devices in this guide.

Thankfully, plenty of options are still available, although most of them are budget phones or mid-range devices with a few compromises here and there. Still, you might be surprised by the quality of the phones I've gathered for this guide. Some of these devices may even come with features you didn't expect, such as 3.5mm headphone ports and 120Hz displays.

For the best Android phones with expandable storage, all you need is a stellar microSD card and you'll be all set to store as much data on your device as needed. With the right memory card, you can even store your apps on the external storage.

Namerah Saud Fatmi

Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart knickknacks. After writing about consumer tech for nearly a decade, she has become an expert in the Android accessories space. She spends her free time guzzling coffee, writing some more, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends.

At a glance

Best overall

Expandable storage has been relegated mainly to budget-tier phones in the past few years which normally means boring designs with disappointing performance, but with Nothing CMF Phone 1, you can get microSD expansion in a phone with a flashy and unique design, great cameras, solid performance, and a nice AMOLED display. With a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 SoC you’d be forgiven for thinking performance will struggle, but performance is solid with little lag, and even solid gaming performance. It’s not the fastest chip you can get, but it's more than powerful enough for average day-to-day usage.

The main 50MP camera on the back and the 16MP front camera both punch above their weight with a responsive app and overall good quality. The battery is also good at 5,000mAh with quick 33W charging. The phone is also set to receive two Android updates with three years of security updates, which is solid for this price.

One thing to keep in mind, especially if you’re in the U.S., is that this phone isn’t really designed for the Big Three carriers but will work on T-Mobile if you don’t mind a few connection drops here and there. The problem is that the phone just doesn’t support all of the bands common in North America and is more suited to the European market. Still, if you’re looking for something unique and have a carrier using T-Mobile, the CMF Phone 1 is an impressive device.

Best value

Samsung might be primarily known for its flagships and foldables, but the South Korean behemoth also makes a wide range of (relatively) affordable smartphones under the A-series. Among them is the Galaxy A35 5G, our choice for one of the best cheap Android phones for anyone who likes Galaxy smartphones. Usually priced just under $400, it can often be had for even less during sales and festive-season promotions.

Driven by Samsung's Exynos 1380 chipset and 6GB of RAM, the Galaxy A35 5G is more than capable of handling just about everything except the most resource-intensive of workflows. You also get 128GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot that makes storage expansion a walk in the park. The smartphone has a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for games, web browsing, and a lot more. You even get an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.

For photos and videos, the Galaxy A35 5G comes with a triple-lens rear camera system having a 50MP wide-angle sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro module. It runs Android 14 (with One UI 6.1 overlaid on top) out of the box, and thanks to Samsung's excellent software update policy, is guaranteed to receive four major OS updates and five years of security patches. Some other noteworthy additions include stereo speakers, NFC, and a 5,000mAh battery with support for 25W wired charging.

Best premium pick

Memory card expansion and 3.5mm headphone jacks have become all but extinct in high-end Androids. Good thing Sony doesn't seem to be bothered by what the rest of the industry is doing and has release the Xperia 1 V with both. This phone comes with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC that was common in flagships from 2023, but it's still plenty powerful for any app you'll find on the app store. It's got 12GB of RAM and ships with 256GB of built-in storage.

Available in either green or black, this is a sleek phone with three cameras on the back. It has a 48MP main cameras with a 12MP telephoto and 12MP ultrawide camera playing backup. Another rarity this phone ships with is a 3.5mm headphone jack. Headphone jacks aren't necessarily a budget feature and many of the best Sony headphones ever made use a wire, so it's nice that Sony has kept it around.

Software support could be better on this phone, though it has been updated to Android 14 already. Sony's phones are often targeted at creators, and if you want to get high-quality video off of your memory card in a hurry, you've also got a USB-C 3.2 port with 5Gbps speeds supported.

Best with stylus

The Moto G Stylus 5G (2024) is a popular budget phone thanks to its solid performance with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM. This phone has a nice AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and 1,200 nits of peak brightness so you can see it outdoors. This phone comes with a 5,000mAh battery pack that can charge at up to 30W wired and 15W wireless.

The camera system is also solid with a 50MP main shooter and a 13MP ultrawide camera. You can take some nice pictures in good lighting, but keep an eye on storage. You can get it with either 128GB or 256GB of storage, so expanding this phone with a microSD card will be a must for some. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack so you may also want the storage to hold your favorite music so you can save some data.

This phone ships with Android 14, and its performance is solid, however, Motorola is only planning to give this phone a single Android version update. With phones from Samsung and Google offering much longer support, it’s a bit disappointing that Motorola is sticking to just one. Still, if you don’t mind the older operating system, strong 5G band support makes this a great phone to bring to other carriers.

Best cheap Samsung

Craving that signature Samsung look and feel but can't afford much? Don't worry, the Samsung Galaxy A25 5G is a fine choice when hunting for phones with expandable storage. The Galaxy A25 gives you a FHD+ Super AMOLED panel that measures 6.5 inches wide and has an impressive 120Hz screen refresh rate.

Now this is nearly an entry-level device, but it has just enough going for it that it sits a notch above that banner. For instance, the Samsung phone is kept alive by a gigantic 5,000mAh cell. You also get a headphone jack and a 50MP main camera, even though it doesn't hold a candle against the photographic capabilities of the Galaxy S series of Samsung phones.

You get the Exynos 1280 chipset from the old Galaxy A53 5G, which is okay for everyday usage and light multitasking but stutters during intensive gaming sessions. Still, if you must have a cheap Samsung within a very tight budget, the A25 5G is a decent option.

Best value T-Mobile

Motorola has gained quite a reputation for itself over the past few years, delivering devices that offer incredible value for money. The new Moto G 2025 is yet another feature-packed phone from the company that not only excels at the basics but also manages to have some nice extras thrown into the mix. Undeniably one of the best phones under $200, this one is not to be missed if you use T-Mobile and don't want to splurge on a flagship.

Thanks to the vegan leather back panel that we've all come to love, the Moto G 2025 looks and feel far more premium than what its price tag might have you believe. Up front, there's a 6.7-inch IPS LCD panel that works quite well for everyday tasks like media streaming and web browsing. Yes, the HD resolution is a bit low by today's standards, but you do get a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC and 4GB of RAM, which should be sufficient for casual usage and even some gaming. There's also 128GB of onboard storage, as well as an expansion slot that can take up microSD cards of up to 1TB in size.

If you were to compare Moto G 2025 vs. Moto G 5G 2024, you'd immediately notice the improvements in the camera department. Photos are captured almost instantly, and the software has also seen quite a few enhancements. The smartphone runs Android 15 (with Motorola's Hello UI overlaid on top) and is set to receive two OS updates and three years of security patches, which is quite good given its price point. All essential connectivity and I/O options (e.g., Wi-Fi, NFC, and 3.5mm audio port) are here, along with a 5,000mAh battery with 30W wired charging support.

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How to choose

With most of the best Android phones moving away from expandable storage, you might think the format is becoming a dying breed, but don't panic just yet. There are still plenty of great phones with microSD support, though the vast majority of them are budget offerings. Grab some of the best microSD cards, and you'll be able to expand your storage with ease.

While its limited availability and carrier support mean it's not the right pick for everyone, the CMF Phone 1 is a surprisingly great phone, especially when you remember it's just over $200. The phone has a quick MediaTek SoC, a strong camera, and solid battery life. With three years of updates planned with two Android updates, this phone punches above its weight in several categories.

In terms of full-blown flagships that offer expandable storage, you're out of luck with the latest releases. You won't find a microSD slot in the Galaxy S25 lineup or the Pixel 9 series. You're better off with mid-range value phones such as the Moto G 2025 or the Galaxy A35 5G. You'll find the internals to be solid in both phones, pushing out smooth performance consistently. Both devices are great hits in the camera and battery departments, too.

Not everyone that wants expandable storage is shopping for a cheap Android phone. The Sony Xperia 1 V is an expensive phone that's hard to recommend over the like of Samsung Galaxy and OnePlus, but it's one of the few high-end phones to keep the memory card expansion around. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack making it a strong pick for content creators, or headphone enthusiasts.