Some users may have had this confusion: wanting to add an SD card to their phone but not knowing how to choose one.
There are many types of MicroSD cards on the market, but not every card is suitable for our Android phones and tablets. Here, how do we choose between SDHC, SDXC, Class 10, and UHS-1 storage cards?
What Capacity Do You Need?
Here we often see two standard types of storage cards: SDHC and SDXC. Their main difference lies in the supported capacity size.
SDHC standard storage cards have a capacity of 2GB to 32GB, while SDXC standard cards can reach from 32GB to 2TB. To measure in terms of photos, a photo taken with a 16-megapixel camera is about 7MB in size. Based on this calculation, a 32GB storage card can store at least 4500 photos. On the Samsung Galaxy S7, this number varies, as it supports shooting RAW format photos, which are much larger in size.
Seeing this, you might be tempted to choose the card with the largest capacity. But before that, you need to clarify the maximum storage card your device supports. Here are a few examples from excellent phones selected by CNET in the past:
Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge: 200GB
LG V10: 2TB
Moto G 2015: 32GB
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact: 200GB
Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3: 32GB
How Fast Do You Need It?
After determining the required storage card size, the next step is to choose how fast you need it. The speed class of the storage card determines its write speed. If you need to handle videos or burst photos, the faster, the better.
Most newly launched phones support three speed specifications: Class 10, UHS-1 Class 1, and UHS-1 Class 3. UHS stands for Ultra High Speed, and depending on the bus interface (the way the storage card connects to the phone hardware), there are currently UHS-1 and UHS-2, which mark different speed limits of storage cards. Although UHS-2 cards are already on the market, they have an extra row of pins, and currently, only a few phones support this specification.
Both MicroSDHC and MicroSDXC cards support the three specifications mentioned above, as the capacity of the storage card is not directly related to its speed. Considering that manufacturers only print the maximum speed on the packaging, here are the minimum speeds for these three specifications along with their suitable uses:
Class 10: 10MB/S, suitable for burst photos and video files not exceeding 1080P
UHS-1 Class 1: 10MB/S, suitable for live video and 1080P video files
UHS-1 Class 3: suitable for live video and up to 4K video files
What Information Is on the Storage Card?
The storage card will directly indicate whether it is SDHC or SDXC, as well as its capacity. The three speed specifications mentioned above can also be seen on the card; Class 10 cards are marked with C10, while UHS-1 Class 1 and Class 3 are marked as U1 and U3 respectively. You might also see the Roman numerals “Ⅰ” or “Ⅱ” on the card, which represent the bus speed of the UHS storage card.
Overall, you should decide on the capacity and speed of the product based on what tasks you need the memory card to handle. Given a certain price range, it is important to understand the specifications above to avoid slowing down your phone’s user experience, while the capacity should depend on the maximum supported by your phone, which you can consult with your phone manufacturer.
