10 Best Micro SD Cards in 2022 (SanDisk, Samsung, and More)

And as our phones get fancier and fancier, SD cards are expanding to take in more and more data. Most devices are compatible with SDXC cards. But if you’ve got something that was made before 2010, then it’ll probably take only SD or SDHC.

It’d be rather devastating to come bounding home with a new SDXC card, only to find out your device won’t take it, so check for compatibility before purchasing. The letters SDHC or SDXC should be written somewhere on the device. But if you can’t find them, refer to the instruction manual.

Now, let’s talk storage space. Let’s say you’re planning to load your smartphone with photos, videos, and music. For photos (if each photo is 14 megapixels), you’re going to need:

For photos (if each photo is 14 megapixels), you’re going to need:

• 2 GB – about 340 photos
• 32 GB – about 5,400 photos
• 64 GB – about 10,900 photos

For videos (if video is in full HD), you’re going to need:

• 2 GB – about 20 minutes
• 32 GB – about 5 hours
• 64 GB – about 10 hours

For music, you’re going to need:

• 2 GB – about 510 songs
• 32 GB – about 8,200 songs
• 64 GB – about 16,400 songs

By the way, smartphone apps will take up anywhere between 100 MB to 2 GB. A movie will eat up at least 1 GB. If you only take photographs, 32 GB is more than enough; however–let’s be real–we expect way more from our smartphones. 64 GB is your safest bet.

So, you’re not planning to get the micro SD for your phone. In that case, how much memory do you need, exactly? Generally speaking, you need to know what sort of device you’ll be using the card for, how much space you need to store the stuff you have on it now, and how much more stuff you plan to store in the future.

If you’re shopping around for your Nintendo Switch, for example, you’ll need to know how much space software updates and apps take up. Then, figure out how many games you intend on playing, and just how much extra storage you’ll need for save files and checkpoints.

Final verdict? Most gamers will probably need 128 GB or more. If you like to take pictures and videos in high resolution, and don’t bother uploading them onto your computer, you definitely will need something larger than 64 GB.

So sit down, figure out why you want the card, and do a bit of math. It’ll save you money and time in the long run.

Speed classes are referred to in MB (megabytes) per S (second). Class 2 means data will be transferred at 2 MB/S, and Class 4, at 4 MB/S.

For UHS speed classes, U1 means data’ll be transferred at 10 MB/S and U3, at 30 MB/S. Just for reference, you’ll need at least a Class 10 micro SD card for full HD and U3 for 4K videos. Most cards now, thankfully, are Class 10, which means transfer speeds shouldn't be much of an issue.

If you’ve got a dashcam or outdoor security camera, you may worry about heat and cold resistance. Luckily, SD cards are made to withstand both the heat and cold, with most of them surviving between -25℃ to 85℃ (when in use) and -40℃ to 85℃ (when not in use). There won’t be much difference between different brands, as long as they are consumer grade/commercial grade.