SanDisk boosts mobile microSD cards to 200GB
New boost for mobile storage as SanDisk unveils ultra-high capacity memory card
Smartphone or tablet owners running short on storage space might be interested in the latest microSD card from SanDisk, which squeezes an extraordinary 200GB into a card smaller than a fingernail. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the card could boost the memory found in the average high-end smartphone by six or seven times.
SanDisk’s 200GB Ultra microSDXC UHS-1 memory card is a big step up from last year, when capacity topped out at 128GB. Despite the higher capacity, it’s still capable of transferring data at speeds of up to 90MB/sec, which is fast enough for capturing even 4K video.
The bad news is this little oasis of digital storage could well end up costing more than your smartphone or tablet did in the first place. It will ship in the next couple of months for the wallet-slicing price of $400 (around £260), which would be enough to buy you a couple of Microsoft’s low-end Lumias and still give you enough change to buy dinner for two.
It’s worth noting that many smartphones and tablets – especially low-end models – will only support a limited quantity of memory expansion from the microSD slot, so check your phone’s specs carefully before you rush out in hope of boosting your device by another couple of hundred of gigabytes.
Transferring photos
SanDisk also has a couple of new drives for those who don’t have a microSD card slot lurking under the case of their smartphone. The Ultra Dual USB drive for Android devices uses the new, reversible USB Type-C connector which is expected to become widespread in phones and tablets this year. You plug that into your phone or tablet to copy off space-hogging photos or videos, and then use the drive’s other regular USB 3 connector to dump them onto your PC. The 32GB Ultra Dual USB drive will go on sale soon for around $40 (£26).
iPhone and iPad users, meanwhile, are catered for with the iXpand Flash Drive, which effectively replaces the USB Type-C connector with an Apple Lightning connector. It will be available in capacities ranging from 16GB to 128GB, at prices ranging from $60 (£39) to $150 (£97).