Galaxy s4 sd card can't be used to store apps

[GMJeff]

Honestly, arguing storage space on a N4 or Galaxy Nexus is a moot point.

I can take hour long video with the 13 MP camera and save the GBs of data to the 32GB sd card. Then when I have time, I can download the video to my laptop and save it for future posterity. That could also include copying it to external media or burning it to cd/dvd media.

As people have mentioned before, as far as cell phones go, the alloted amount of storage, in this case, 16 GB may not be enough for some users, but for average consumer, as well as global sales, the 9 or 10 GB "should" be enough.

People would buy 8 GB iphones every day. Apple just went away from them this year for 16 GB minimum. How much room do they have after fotmatting and OS install.

Should Samsung have made the S4 a minimum of 32 GB, sure, but they have a bottom line as a company, and their profit margin is at stake if they use bigger memory chips.

As computer manufacturers can attest, a pc with a 500 GB hard drive will be lacking around 10% of their hard drive space after formatting. The OS then takes 4 GB of space minimum for caching, virtual memory, system files etc.

Also, as for people seeming to be condescending in their posts is solely out of frustration of having to read posts like this multiple times for an issue that started to come to light in Android 3.0 Honeycomb. At least that was where I first saw it, on my tablet.

We have been through at least two or three Android releases over the past few years and all have seen the same thing. No apps to sd card. Even device salespeople, unless they use iphones all of the time, should know this. If they do not, they are obviously not trained properly or dont care.

Also noted is that the OP said they had an S3 with 32GB, but didn't realize the apps couldn't be moved to sd card. Hard to imagine that is realistic. As foe the Tom Tom app, you should contact them to figure out why the map data isnt saving to sd card, sounds like an app bug.

Sorry for the long post, just a lot of data streaming from my mind about this lengthy 6 page post.

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[Jaycemiskel]

One thing I don't get is this, for everyone that's saying well HTC didn't put out a 16gb, why didn't you get the HTC? Unless you're on Verizon of course. If you chose the Samsung, then it has to be cause of some of the features right? An if so, those features take up space. I wish they had a 32gb on Verizon but I figured out how to make it work for me. If it's not possible for you to make it work, you should definitely take the phone back.

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[SenseMonkey]

Re: Galaxy s4 sd card, a fraud?

Calling someone or a company a fraud is pretty serious and I disagree with you. You may be new to android but you should have exercised some judgement before plucking down a couple hundred dollars. There is no device that has 16GB of memory when that is listed so the term fraud is not applicable since I am certain somewhere it says formatted space is less. Granted the S4 OS takes up more than others, but 9GB is a lot of space for apps. It is the android OS not the OEM that removed app to SD. Any android device wth an OS above 4 would have this issue.

I disagree here, my old evo 3D still was able to move apps to sd when it got updated to ICS. The Gs3 couldn't do it even though it was running ICS before it got updated to Jb too.

Courtesy of My LT3VO

 

[SenseMonkey]

Re: Galaxy s4 sd card, a fraud?

It's not that it has any less space than any other 16GB phone so it really isn't fraud. It's that more space is now being used by the OS/system than what has historically been used on other phones, leaving less usable space for the user.

You'd NEVER get 16GB usable space on any device that is advertised as 16GB. The OS has to take up some space.

But yes, I agree that it's not the greatest situation to be left with under 10gigs.

I got 64Gb of unpartioned storage when i had my one x+

Courtesy of My LT3VO

 

[return_0]

Re: Galaxy s4 sd card, a fraud?

I disagree here, my old evo 3D still was able to move apps to sd when it got updated to ICS. The Gs3 couldn't do it even though it was running ICS before it got updated to Jb too.

Courtesy of My LT3VO

This is not an opinion that you can "agree" or "disagree" with. It is a fact that moving apps to SD was removed from Android 4.0 itself. In your case, HTC probably readded the feature.

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[SenseMonkey]

Re: Galaxy s4 sd card, a fraud?

This is not an opinion that you can "agree" or "disagree" with. It is a fact that moving apps to SD was removed from Android 4.0 itself. In your case, HTC probably readded the feature.

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Not just my case, ALL htc evo 3d's could move apps to sd card lol. And you say htc probably readded the feature; so would it not be logic for Samsung to have done that with the Sgs3? Note 2? Sgs4?

Courtesy of My LT3VO

 

[rushmore]

Re: Galaxy s4 a fraud?

Why make a thread like this, you should have researched it before buying,not being able to move apps to an SD card has been discussed thousands of times.

Considering carriers like Verizon and Samsung are leading with the misleading about storage, the fault is IMO 100% with them. They are on a blatant and overt effort of collusion by scripting responses and statements that the 16gb IS fine using expansion.

All probably because Samsung focused production on the 16 model, with a small allocation of 32gb models. Reason being to strive for the semantics game of selling into their channels, 10 million units for initial global launch. They are not selling out yet. At least not per my Verizon bud and Best Buy and the fact that stock is available.

BTW, HTC added nothing as far as apps2sd for Jellybean. The feature was removed with glee by Android team. They absolutely despised the feature and it would not exist in he first place if Apples buyers did not secure most allocations of flash in the early iPhone days.

 

[fantom305]

To add an example to my last post, I have the Nexus 4 with 16gb (because I wanted to make sure I had as much available storage as possible) and earlier this month was somewhere and a rare op came up and captured it on vid... 38 minute video and the file was 1.8 gb... from a N4 with an 8mp camera. I wonder how big a 38 minute vid would be on a 13mp S4? that memory doesnt look like that much to me after a couple of vids like that.

But the great thing about it is that those videos you are talking about it ...........you can save them in your SD Card ..........and not in your phone ...........

 

[gabbott]

To add an example to my last post, I have the Nexus 4 with 16gb (because I wanted to make sure I had as much available storage as possible) and earlier this month was somewhere and a rare op came up and captured it on vid... 38 minute video and the file was 1.8 gb... from a N4 with an 8mp camera. I wonder how big a 38 minute vid would be on a 13mp S4? that memory doesnt look like that much to me after a couple of vids like that.

Just a nitpick, It doesn't matter if you are shooting 1080p from a 5MP camera, 8MP camera or a 13MP camera. 1080P is much lower resolution than a 5MP, 8MP or a 13MP camera uses at their respective native resolution. So barring any differences in compression the file sizes should be quite similar.

The size difference between those different MP cameras is only for still images.

 

[donm527#IM]

i know and that's cool but question... can you record directly to the sd card? that would be really helpful if so.

and i understand the ability to move pics and vids to sd to keep the main memory free for apps... but i'm telling ya from experience as IT where our phone of choice is the iphone... 'the phone for old people cause its so simple'... we deploy to doctors, ceo, cfo, coo, directors and they are the worst users lol... many still cant figure things out and they wont care why when their phone doesnt work or why it ran out of memory after installing everything under the sun and shooting a gazillion pics and vids and they dont want to deal with how to move files into an sd card and figure out how to find it in there sd...

anyways... taking practically half of the available storage and still in good conscious sell it as a 16gb unit is silly... but they know they can sell 10 million... and more... units and they'll get away with it cause many wont figure it out until they've sold 60 million. and to charge another $50 for an extra 16gb... smh. that being said, the s4 is still on my short list for next phone... but it certainly wont be the 16gb unit even if i do have the option for sd.

But the great thing about it is that those videos you are talking about it ...........you can save them in your SD Card ..........and not in your phone ...........

 

[donm527#IM]

interesting info... will have to look into it. made me recheck my vid i shot and my N4 shot the video at 720p and again about 1.8gb for 38 minutes. if the s4 shoots in 1080p... still wonder what a 38 minute vid will be on the s4 in 1080p.

Just a nitpick, It doesn't matter if you are shooting 1080p from a 5MP camera, 8MP camera or a 13MP camera. 1080P is much lower resolution than a 5MP, 8MP or a 13MP camera uses at their respective native resolution. So barring any differences in compression the file sizes should be quite similar.

The size difference between those different MP cameras is only for still images.

 

[return_0]

interesting info... will have to look into it. made me recheck my vid i shot and my N4 shot the video at 720p and again about 1.8gb for 38 minutes. if the s4 shoots in 1080p... still wonder what a 38 minute vid will be on the s4 in 1080p.

N4 can shoot in 1080p too.

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[gabbott]

interesting info... will have to look into it. made me recheck my vid i shot and my N4 shot the video at 720p and again about 1.8gb for 38 minutes. if the s4 shoots in 1080p... still wonder what a 38 minute vid will be on the s4 in 1080p.

Now there will be a size difference between a 720p and a 1080p video.

But the same video shot from the 2 phones at 720p (or both shot at 1080p) should be quite similar.

 

[donm527#IM]

very cool... just checked the phone and guess it defaults at 720. gonna have to test and see how different in 1080 in quality and size. Thanks!

N4 can shoot in 1080p too.

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[Jaycemiskel]

i know and that's cool but question... can you record directly to the sd card? that would be really helpful if so.

Yes you can, I did the other day for a program my son was in. 7 min was about 850mb.

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[return_0]

Yes you can, I did the other day for a program my son was in. 7 min was about 850mb.

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With a Nexus 4?

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[Jaycemiskel]

With a Nexus 4?

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No, the S4. The Nexus 4 doesn't have an sd card slot.

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[return_0]

No, the S4. The Nexus 4 doesn't have an sd card slot.

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Oops, thought you quoted a different post.

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[smooth4lyfe]

When I bought my Galaxy s4 with 16GB internal memory I felt comfortable to give away my S3 to a family member.
I was convinced that when Samsung in their ads told me that 16GB internal memory was sufficient due to the external memory slot I could buy a 32 GB ext. and all would be fine.
It isn't. It is impossible to move applications to the external card. I just got a message from the Samsung store where I bought the phone saying: It is impossible to move applications installed from Samsung to the external card. It is also impossible with other downloaded applications according to our supplier.
This is FRAUD in legal terms.
Can anyone can suggest a good attorneys office for all of us who feel victim of fraudulent marketing and sales ? - or a better solution - a quick solution to this problem?
Chaim

Its actually possible...just root your phone

 

[Farish]

I have a feeling soon that Google is going to find a way to lock out SD card usage out of the Android system. I am discovering that this is more about avoiding the Fat file system (Royalties and Patents) and also appeasing the movie industry on DRM (file permission not available on Fat format). It is also the same reason why they won't allow you to download play purchased movies to the SD card.