The Real Reason Why Micro SD Card Slots Are Disappearing from Smartphones

[vbdwork]

1. The failure rate of SD cards is far, far worse than Internal storage. How does that make them perfect for backups? For effective backups see #4 in post #12.

2. I touched on this a bit but not in detail. Not gonna 'cause I don't have patience now, but the problems with FAT are well known. It's slow, fragments badly, lacks journalling, corrupts easily - jeez it's an old dog of a filesystem. Worked fine in computers? What about all the infamous Blue Screens of Death in Windows 9x caused by failure of the FAT filesystem? Why do you think M$ replaced it with NTFS?

1. Please provide stats for SD card failure rate vs total device failure rate to support your opinion. Otherwise it's just talking. I personally NEVER had SD card issues. Different manufacturers, different sizes, all work perfectly fine in all mu phones, cameras, car PVR devices, even my experimental Raspberry Pi media player.

2. I'm an IT guy. Please feel free to explain what exactly issues YOU have with FAT, FAT32 or exFAT file systems. Because I have none and never had file loss because of corrupted file system. Had some failed hardware in the past, but it's nothing to do with the file system. What file system you use in your digital camera for example? Just curious.

 

[vbdwork]

And for American cars, the parts always readily available because it is made in America.

You sure about that?

Many "original" parts in my American car assembled in Canada are actually made in China - from suspension and brakes, alternator and relays, to interior plastics and electronics. American cars used to be made in USA... back in 60s probably, but not anymore.

 

[Crashdamage]

1. You've gotta be kidding. Google failure rates. I'm not bothering for something so utterly, ridiculously obvious.

2. I already listed a few of my issues with FAT. If you've never had a FAT file get corrupted you're very lucky - very lucky. My phone is my camera. It uses ext4.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[A895]

You sure about that?

Many "original" parts in my American car assembled in Canada are actually made in China - from suspension and brakes, alternator and relays, to interior plastics and electronics. American cars used to be made in USA... back in 60s probably, but not anymore.

If that is the case then the multiple Ford plants across the country are a hoax. Or the fact that car manufacturing used to be the biggest employer of labor in Detroit, and would not have directly attributed to Detroit losing money and becoming a wasteland. Car manufacturing in America is still a thing.

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[vbdwork]

1. You've gotta be kidding. Google failure rates. I'm not bothering for something so utterly, ridiculously obvious.

2. I already listed a few of my issues with FAT. If you've never had a FAT file get corrupted you're very lucky - very lucky. My phone is my camera. It uses ext4.

1. So you have no data to support your opinion, just a belief based on Google search? No more questions here, thanks.

2. If you don't want FAT based file systems, then what's the problem to format the SD card in ext4, ntfs or some other file system?

 

[vbdwork]

If that is the case then the multiple Ford plants across the country are a hoax.

No, they still manufacture most parts in USA and Canada and assemble the vehicles here, but also use many parts made in China and Mexico. Same as GM, nothing is different. Do you want some pics from a GM parts factory in China and Ford factory in Mexico? I still have them on SD card...

 

[Crashdamage]

1. I can find plenty. I just freely admit I refuse to bother. What data have/can you supply to support the wonders of FAT? Now that would be interesting...

2. That would be blasphemy against the great god FAT of 32. I dare not.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[vbdwork]

I just freely admit I refuse to bother.

Don't bother then. Why you're trying to convince other people that SD cards are bad? I see no technical background of your statements, just beliefs what's good and what's bad based on Google search. You know people with issues tend to complain a lot online, do you? You see 1.000 complaints, but you don't see 1.000.000 users with no issues.

Are we going to discuss technical details or it's just a teenage fan style argument of some sort?

 

[Ed Briggs]

1. They almost never report memory failure like with SD cards. They report damage - dropped, wet, run over, stepped on, etc. Not failure.

2. FAT is bad and was always bad. If people would just get rid of it then we could all finally move on to something better.

3. Speed matters. Every time you load a photo directory with a couple thousand photos or open a large database file, speed matters.

4. I move everything around with cloud storage. Changes, additions and deletions automatically sync to all our devices and computers. Everything is always automatically backed up, up to date and fully cross-platform compatible. No copying files to cards or swapping them around.

6. Ask any phone designer how much every bit of space matters.


Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

I hear ya. Loud and clear. I bet the people who want removable storage are also the ones who cried when floppy disks started dying off. Times change. You can either roll with it, or continue to complain the rest of your life. (life is too short for that) Here's a classic tune some might like like, just for this occasion:

 

[vbdwork]

I bet the people who want removable storage are also the ones who cried when floppy disks started dying off.

You bet wrong. No comparison between the two from technical point of view. SD is a common storage media in many devices, offering good reliability, large storage capacity and high speed data transfer rates. It's not a dying technology by any means. You guys better spend some time to read Secure Digital standards and specifications and educate yourself.

 

[Ed Briggs]

You guys better spend some time to read Secure Digital standards and specifications and educate yourself.

I'll get right on top of that sir.

 

[illdini]

1. Buy from a reputable seller (for example, directly from Amazon - they have a very good return policy). If a deal is too good to be true on Ebay, it's probably a ripoff. I have not had a problem with an SD card in my phone, tablet or laptop in at least 5 years.
2. Most phones can read/write exfat, f2fs and/or NTFS natively. If rooted and/or running a ROM, you can use ext3/4, etc.
3. While slower than internal memory, SD cards are fast enough for file storage & retrieval, especially for media. Speaking of internal memory: how do you propose I recover data if/when my phone dies? And don't say I should use the cloud - see my response to #5 below.
4. A lot of people are on metered data plans, or are not always near an accessible hotspot.
5. They're not making *me* any money. If anything, for the capacity of a 128 GB MicroSD card, cloud services can get expensive. Also, consider the risk of a government monitoring/shutting down a cloud provider. Or, if your cloud provider decides one day that you've violated your Terms of service, & terminates your account without giving you a chance to retrieve your data.
6. 15.0×11.0×1.0 mm (the dimensions of a MicroSD card) is *not* a lot of space, especially considering the amount of data one could store (the largest size available is 200 GB, and the theoretical maximum is 2 TB). It's a smaller surface area (albeit slightly thicker) than my pinky's fingernail.
7. You consider this a valid point? If anything, it's an argument *for* SD cards, given that the price disparity between different storage capacities for the same phone model are so great.

Here's a fact: I (and many others) would rather have my data available in a form factor that allows me to quickly, easily & securely move it to a different device.

 

[Crashdamage]

1. Good advice.
2. Good advice. But many users may not understand it.
3a. Fair enough. But still slow enough to bug me.
3b. Backups, which you should have regardless of the type of storage.
4. That's unfortunate for them, but less and less of a problem as things change.
5a. They're not trying to make you money. For my money, cloud services deliver speed, convenience and capabilities nothing else can.
5b. I'm not concerned at all.
6. Every little bit counts.
7. I forgot...

You like 'em - fine. I don't much trust 'em. But even if I did, SD cards simply *cannot* do what I do with cloud storage.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[vbdwork]

You like 'em - fine. I don't much trust 'em. But even if I did, SD cards simply *cannot* do what I do with cloud storage.

You *cannot* do with any cloud storage what we can with simple SD memory card for $20. It was explained many times above, but you just refuse to read and understand. Feel free to pay much more for hardware and services, install additional software and wait much longer to move your files between devices. It's just your way and that's fine. Hardware manufacturers and service providers want customers like you.

 

[Crashdamage]

How could it possibly be faster moving around files using a card? I can upload a file and it will become multiple copies on multiple devices before you can load it on one card on one device.

Whadaya mean you can do more with a SD card? What does a SD card do I can't using the cloud? There's SO much more possible with even a few gigs of cloud storage that you can't duplicate with a card. And since you're not limited by card capacity, your possibilities go nuts when you get more storage.

You don't get it because you're letting the limits of the SD card limit your thinking. You look at a new 128GB card and think about what it will do...

You have files. You have a card. It can hold xxx files in yyy device. You can access them easily on that device. You can put that card in another device, but only if it has a slot. Life is good. You want a card slot.

But if you think past the card and think in terms of 2015 technology, you understand you can do far more in far less time and with far less effort. The limitations of cards melt away. I have 1TB of cloud storage and think about what I can do..

I have files. I have cloud storage. It can hold xxxxxxxxx files and sync them to 6 yyy devices, load them all at once and access and share them from anywhere with anything. Life is sweet! I have no use for a card slot.

IOW, what I want and need - and what I get for not much money is:

A terabyte of space in one remote location, plus about 80GB spread over 3 other locations,
Immediate, real-time upload and backup, including all photos, documents etc,
Completely cross-platform compatibility,
Synced to 2 tablets, 2 phones, 1 Linux PC, 1 Win7 PC
All 4 remote locations cross-synced to each other,
Sharable with others,
Accessible from anywhere using anything with a browser,
Local backups plus backups in 4 separate remote locations, just in case of theft, fire or natural disaster.
And, I need all that to happen automatically, with no user effort.

I get all of the above for $220/yr. Read that list again. That's cheap for all that. And knowing that all our personal and business files always have up to the minute backups, multiple copies in multiple locations, really makes that low cost convenience and peace of mind.

Now, true I can't do all that for $20 but a shoebox full of SD cards can't do that list above at all. None of it. Well, I guess you could share the card, let someone borrow it. But then you don't have it so it's really not the same...

OK, sure it requires a internet connection for cloud storage to work. This just has not been a problem. Simple as that.

Now, tell me again why a SD slot in my phone is such a cool thing to have...

You like SD cards. Fine. Android is all about choice. I think it's time to move on and that they're about to replace floppy disks in junk drawers.

And that's all I'm gonna say on this.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

 

[lmr18]

I think it's because we just don't use them as much anymore and not having one has become acceptable.

 

[A895]

How could it possibly be faster moving around files using a card? I can upload a file and it will become multiple copies on multiple devices before you can load it on one card on one device.

Whadaya mean you can do more with a SD card? What does a SD card do I can't using the cloud? There's SO much more possible with even a few gigs of cloud storage that you can't duplicate with a card. And since you're not limited by card capacity, your possibilities go nuts when you get more storage.

You don't get it because you're letting the limits of the SD card limit your thinking. You look at a new 128GB card and think about what it will do...

You have files. You have a card. It can hold xxx files in yyy device. You can access them easily on that device. You can put that card in another device, but only if it has a slot. Life is good. You want a card slot.

But if you think past the card and think in terms of 2015 technology, you understand you can do far more in far less time and with far less effort. The limitations of cards melt away. I have 1TB of cloud storage and think about what I can do..

I have files. I have cloud storage. It can hold xxxxxxxxx files and sync them to 6 yyy devices, load them all at once and access and share them from anywhere with anything. Life is sweet! I have no use for a card slot.

IOW, what I want and need - and what I get for not much money is:

A terabyte of space in one remote location, plus about 80GB spread over 3 other locations,
Immediate, real-time upload and backup, including all photos, documents etc,
Completely cross-platform compatibility,
Synced to 2 tablets, 2 phones, 1 Linux PC, 1 Win7 PC
All 4 remote locations cross-synced to each other,
Sharable with others,
Accessible from anywhere using anything with a browser,
Local backups plus backups in 4 separate remote locations, just in case of theft, fire or natural disaster.
And, I need all that to happen automatically, with no user effort.

I get all of the above for $220/yr. Read that list again. That's cheap for all that. And knowing that all our personal and business files always have up to the minute backups, multiple copies in multiple locations, really makes that low cost convenience and peace of mind.

Now, true I can't do all that for $20 but a shoebox full of SD cards can't do that list above at all. None of it. Well, I guess you could share the card, let someone borrow it. But then you don't have it so it's really not the same...

OK, sure it requires a internet connection for cloud storage to work. This just has not been a problem. Simple as that.

Now, tell me again why a SD slot in my phone is such a cool thing to have...

You like SD cards. Fine. Android is all about choice. I think it's time to move on and that they're about to replace floppy disks in junk drawers.

And that's all I'm gonna say on this.

Android since v1.0. Linux user since 2001.

You are lost. But I'm glad manufacturers have customers like you who are willing to go towards the route that will cost you more in the long run. Line those corporate pockets. It is a shame people more advocate for less choice nowadays. I remember people used to love micro SD Card slots and all that it entails and using all different kinds of devices.

Not if you don't like phablets, you are considered behind the times, and if you don't like no removable storage and non removable batteries you are in the past.

Android fan base has changed so much in the past couple years. Sad.

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[vbdwork]

Now, tell me again why a SD slot in my phone is such a cool thing to have...

Because I want to have everything Cloud services offer PLUS additional options SD card offers. This is why. And stop the "floppy" nonsense because you are clearly unfamiliar with current SD technology.

- my 3 digital cameras use SD cards and have no cloud access
(Phone cameras are not good for me, sorry. Can't come even close to DSLR image quality)
- my car PVR has no cloud access, uses 32GB SD card
- my personal 4TB HD movies collection is not on the cloud and will never be
- my personal 500GB music collection is not on the cloud and will never be
- my SD cards have no "Terms and Conditions" agreements
- my SD cards have no monthly service fees
- my SD cards require no additional software nor internet access
- my SD cards have no maintenance time and don't send me emails about service disruptions
- my SD cards are faster and more reliable than my 20Mbps Internet connection
- my SD cards don't eat my cellular network data
- my SD cards are perfectly usable on any device I have physical access to
- my Raspberry Pi device uses SD card, I create it's OS image on a computer
- my Brother multi-functional printer has SD card slot for direct printing
- my Garmin Nuvi GPS device stores it's map updates on SD card
- my f*king car audio system has SD card slot and works perfectly

Enough reasons why I want my SD card slot back on my smartphone?

In addition I use Dropbox and OneDrive for file sharing, for files I need to share only.
(between 4 computers, 4 smartphones and 2 tablets)

 

[Zoostation]

I hear ya. Loud and clear. I bet the people who want removable storage are also the ones who cried when floppy disks started dying off. Times change. You can either roll with it, or continue to complain the rest of your life. (life is too short for that) Here's a classic tune some might like like, just for this occasion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGgLPriZUSA

Don't agree with the floppy disk analogy. I was thrilled to see them go away but am disappointed with trend regarding SD cards. Cloud storage is not an acceptable alternative to removable storage for me. That being said, I went with the S6 even though I was pissed off about no slot as it had most of the other features I wanted.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[stackberry369]

Because I want to have everything Cloud services offer PLUS additional options SD card offers. This is why. And stop the "floppy" nonsense because you are clearly unfamiliar with current SD technology.

- my 3 digital cameras use SD cards and have no cloud access
(Phone cameras are not good for me, sorry. Can't come even close to DSLR image quality)
- my car PVR has no cloud access, uses 32GB SD card
- my personal 4TB HD movies collection is not on the cloud and will never be
- my personal 500GB music collection is not on the cloud and will never be
- my SD cards have no "Terms and Conditions" agreements
- my SD cards have no monthly service fees
- my SD cards require no additional software nor internet access
- my SD cards have no maintenance time and don't send me emails about service disruptions
- my SD cards are faster and more reliable than my 20Mbps Internet connection
- my SD cards don't eat my cellular network data
- my SD cards are perfectly usable on any device I have physical access to
- my Raspberry Pi device uses SD card, I create it's OS image on a computer
- my Brother multi-functional printer has SD card slot for direct printing
- my Garmin Nuvi GPS device stores it's map updates on SD card
- my f*king car audio system has SD card slot and works perfectly

Enough reasons why I want my SD card slot back on my smartphone?

In addition I use Dropbox and OneDrive for file sharing, for files I need to share only.
(between 4 computers, 4 smartphones and 2 tablets)

did You just say that your CAR has a SD card slot?

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