What you need to know
- We asked our readers if they prefer to have support for expandable storage in their smartphones.
- More than 75% of responses indicate that they'd prefer to have the option.
- Recent cloud server outages may have affected trust in the cloud.
Over the weekend, we asked if our readers cared if their smartphones included support for expandable storage. Between more devices dropping support for microSD cards like the Galaxy S21 and recent outages affecting users' access to cloud services, we wanted to know exactly where our readers leaned towards when it came to expandable storage.
Of nearly 2500 responses, 76% voted that they would rather have the option for expandable storage than not. This is interesting because support seems to be waning amongst the best Android phones, similar to the 3.5mm headphone jack. That said, nearly 17% of responses indicate that internal storage is enough, which makes sense now that more devices are launching with 128GB and go up from there.
Fewer responses seemed happy to rely on cloud services like Google Photos.
One reader, M1DLG, comments that microSD cards help them skirt the various entities pushing for cloud subscriptions to save and access files you own.
No SD card means no sale. I have 1.5TB and I use it well. With applications, phone manufacturer's, and OS developers pushing you into using cloud storage for a subscription more and more, and restricted access to certain files and folders on grounds of security, especially when that security reason is of tenuous grounds, the need for an SD card slot is more important than ever.Buying home based SSD storage is essential to ensure free access to practically unlimited storage is very economical in the long run.
However, some readers highlight how not everyone needs tons of storage and that the newer smartphones tend to have enough for them to get by.
As long as the phone has 128 gb of internal storage or more as the IPhone 12 mini I have does, I don't care.
But if it has less than that, then I would need a phone with a microSD slot.As long as the phone has 128 gb of internal storage or more as the IPhone 12 mini I have does, I don't care.
But if it has less than that, then I would need a phone with a microSD slot.— Jovan #RepealFOSTA (@CSRA_prsn) December 12, 2021December 12, 2021
And while some users are content relying on the cloud, there are arguments against it. Outages, for one, are a significant factor in whether or not someone wants to trust their files to companies like Google and Amazon. However, as one user points out, the lack of adequate broadband access in part of the U.S. makes this option less feasible for many.
Of course, fewer phones supporting expandable storage via microSD cards limit one's options when it comes to backing up data. However, there are plenty of microSD alternatives for Android phones that offer robust storage options.
That said, moving away from microSD cards seems to be as concerning for many users as the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack was as OEMs continue stripping away features from their devices.
Small, fast, and versatile
This SanDisk USB stick is the perfect storage companion for someone looking for a microSD alternative. It's compact but powerful, with 512GB of storage and read speeds of up to 150MB/s. Additionally, it features USB-C and USB-A ports and can be hooked to a keyring so you won't lose it.
