Notice something all the new Flagships have in common?

[JeffDenver]

Force? How so?

By refusing to provide an option for SD.

I use, willingly, all those services you say I am being forced to use

So do I. I resent an option being taken away from me merely for ideological reasons. Nexus phones have had SD before.

For some, it might not work so good... if someone needs to store 48g's worth of casting couch porn videos on their phones because their cabin in the woods doesn't get a data signal, they are free to get down with their bad self and buy a phone with expandable storage. Cool! Whatever works.

Here's the thing...with my way, everyone gets what they want. With your way, that is not true. So which way is better?

If I took options away from you simply because I felt like it, how would that make you feel?

And Google has no f's to give whether Samsung or HTC includes a SD slot or not.

That might change if SD makes a huge resurgence. Google might not have any choice but to cave.

If they didn't want anyone to have one, they control the operating system... *poof* no mountable storage option.... But they didn't. They, like every other software company in the known universe, modified things to patch some glaring, known and published security holes.

I could patch those "security" holes just as easily by simply removing the SD card from the phone. If you are that paranoid about it, that is an option you would have. Removing the entire option for SD is overkill. It is not necessary.

 

[LeoRex]

By refusing to provide an option for SD.

Again, are they the only phone available to purchase? If you have to have an SD card, get something else. If you have to have a unlocked phone, get a GPE edition. Google isn't forcing anything.

Here's the thing...with my way, everyone gets what they want. With your way, that is not true. So which way is better? If I took options away from you simply because I felt like it, how would that make you feel?

I got what I want. It isn't like it had a slot and Google minions came into my house under the cover of darkness and removed it. I new the Nexus 5 didn't have a slot, didn't care either way, and bought the phone anyhow.

That might change if SD makes a huge resurgence. Google might not have any choice but to cave.

Cave to what? They aren't holding anyone hostage here.... Could the next Nexus phone have an SD card? Sure.... They might chose to include one next time around. See.... I fail to detect any kind of pomposity on Google's part here. It isn't like they have a closed architecture where you have only 1 option and they just stuff it down people's throats... They didn't tell Samsung, HTC, et. al. to pound sand... Hardly. They gladly let them and everyone else grab that OS and f it up as much or as little as they want.

 

[LeoRex]

I could patch those "security" holes just as easily by simply removing the SD card from the phone. If you are that paranoid about it, that is an option you would have. Removing the entire option for SD is overkill. It is not necessary.

Yep...and I could guarantee I won't get any viruses or malware by just turning off my router and not connecting to the internet.... otherwise, who needs silly virus scanners and security updates? It's all lies.

 

[JeffDenver]

Again, are they the only phone available to purchase?

If I want Vanilla Android and direct updates, yeah, pretty much.

If you have to have an SD card, get something else.

I decided to buy the phone despite this flaw. That doesn't mean I have to like the flaw or should not be allowed to criticize it.

I got what I want.

It is possible for me to get what I want too, without taking anything away from you.

Cave to what?

Their jihad against SD.

I fail to detect any kind of pomposity on Google's part here.

And I disagree. I think they are trying to push people to use the Cloud. For a number of reasons.

All that is speculation of course, but we know for sure that there is no physical reason why SD could not be included. They themselves have included it before.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Lol.

For those who live in fear, you can spend $50-$100 for 16-32 GB of additional storage. If you're really afraid of hackers and malware and other boogeymen on the internet, maybe you should migrate towards a more walled-garden operating system like iOS or WP8, where nothing can hurt you and everything is controlled for you.

For the other 99.9% of the population who've never experienced a security compromise on their mobile OS, I think paying $35 for 64 GB is more feasible.

Never said I live in fear. I was simply pointing out the security issue in SD cards. You asked what security issues. I answered the question by providing a link supporting security flaws.
While I appreciate the suggestion of changing Operating Systems, I don't find this reply very helpful, or polite.

 

[dctokyo]

I have never had an SD card go bad on me. Not once. I am still using the 16 gig SD card I have from my 2009 Droid 1.

I work in IT, and I have seen so many SD cards and USB drives go bad, I am very happy that you have had very good luck, but they can go bad........... I fully agree with you that we the users should have the option to use a SD card or not. One of the reasons that I changed from the Iphone 5 to my current LG isai is that I can use a 64GB card. and this card is backed up daily so if it does fail I am still safe.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Lol.

For those who live in fear, you can spend $50-$100 for 16-32 GB of additional storage. If you're really afraid of hackers and malware and other boogeymen on the internet, maybe you should migrate towards a more walled-garden operating system like iOS or WP8, where nothing can hurt you and everything is controlled for you.

*Judge Judy voice* That's baloney! Even on WP8 and iOS there's still exploits etc.

Sent from my HTC One using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[abazigal]

How much could it possibly cost if even the cheapest Android phones have it?

These phones are under $100 USD
Best 15 CHEAP ANDROID PHONES for 2013 - Under Rs.5000 to 10,000 Price

Obviously MicroSD is not that expensive...even dirt cheap phones have it.

All those phones appear to use expandable storage as an excuse to get away with bundling lesser internal storage. Many of the phones in that article average at 4gb storage, which would probably suffice for just the core OS and little else.

I would infer from this that expandable storage is possibly cheaper than flash storage (correct me if I am wrong here), but somehow, it feels like cheating. Like I am buying a television and then told that the power cord costs extra (in this context, it's like getting a phone, then realising I have to install a ad-card if I want to store additional files on it) because the phone's practically out of space right out of the box.

 

[abazigal]

What security issues?

And you enjoy paying $100 for 16 GB more storage?

I don't mind honestly, and I did (using a 64gb iPhone 5s here). My rationale is I don't mind paying more upfront for the convenience and ease of mind of more internal storage which I don't have to worry about managing later on. Granted, it's kinda of a superfluous argument since iPhones don't ship with expandable storage. However, if I were ever made to choose between a 64gb iPhone, and a 16gb iPhone with expandable storage, I would probably still go with the 64gb phone.

 

[JeffDenver]

I work in IT, and I have seen so many SD cards and USB drives go bad, I am very happy that you have had very good luck, but they can go bad....

I understand it is technically possible that they can go bad. But the only examples I have ever seen are internet examples, and even those are uncommon. I have never come across friends or family in real life who have had an SD card die on them. It hasn't even happened once for me.

I never rely on them for long term storage...only as a convenience or as a back up. Photos and Videos make their way to a hard drive eventually from my phone...or to the cloud.

 

[JeffDenver]

All those phones appear to use expandable storage as an excuse to get away with bundling lesser internal storage.

Maybe. But it is obviously not that expensive to add it if even the cheapest phones you can find have it.

I would trade my 32 gigs of internal storage for 8 in a heartbeat if it would give me SD instead.

Many of the phones in that article average at 4gb storage, which would probably suffice for just the core OS and little else.

Jellybean requires only about 1 gig of space. The reason internal storage is low on many brand name phones is because of all the extra crap they stuff on there.

I would infer from this that expandable storage is possibly cheaper than flash storage (correct me if I am wrong here), but somehow, it feels like cheating.

I say the same thing about being denied SD support when it is so cheap to add...it feels like cheating.