If you are reading this article, it is surely because you do not know which microSD card to buy for your new phone, camera, recorder, etc. And, if you look closely at one of these cards, you may have doubts about each and every number and symbol you can read. Quiet. Today I will explain how to choose the best microSD card according to the use you are going to give it and, incidentally, recommend some of the best options you can buy.
Which microSD card you should buy: know its parameters
When choosing one of these small storage systems, several details must be taken into account: the type of card , the class , maximum writing speed , if we want this card to record video or run applications from it (with the specification corresponding for this particular task). We will know each of these parameters.
Types of microSD cards
The main capacity labels are microSD (up to 2 GB), microSDHC (over 2 GB to 32 GB), microSDXC (over 32 GB to 2 TB), and microSDUC (over 2 TB to 128 TB under the standard). These are standards’ capacity ranges, not a promise that every card size is available or works in your device.
Check your phone or camera’s supported card type and maximum capacity first. If you are buying a card for an Android phone, our guide to using a microSD card to free up phone storage explains file transfers and app-storage limitations. The SD Association’s capacity reference gives the formal ranges.
Kind of a microSD card
The next parameter that you must analyze when buying one of these memories is its “class” . This parameter focuses on the minimum performance you can give or, for you to understand easier, the minimum speed at which you work.
The conventional Speed Class markings are Class 2, 4, 6 and 10. The number inside the C-shaped symbol indicates the minimum sequential write speed in MB/s:
- Class 2 : with a minimum speed of 2 MB / s
- Class 4 : with a minimum speed of 4 MB / s
- Class 6 : with a minimum speed of 6 MB / s
- Class 10 : with a minimum speed of 10 MB / s
Read the card’s stated speed markings and match the requirements in your device’s manual. A familiar brand or a low price does not establish a card’s speed class.
UHS interface and minimum write speed
UHS-I, UHS-II and UHS-III describe bus interfaces. U1 and U3 are separate UHS Speed Class markings: U1 assures at least 10 MB/s sequential writing and U3 at least 30 MB/s under the standard’s conditions. Do not infer a card’s maximum speed from U1 or U3.
Match both the interface and speed class required by your device. The SD Association’s speed-class reference explains these distinctions.
Specifications for video and applications
Finally, an important detail that you should keep in mind when choosing a card is the use that you are going to give it. It is not the same as you want to use it to record video, store multimedia content or to run an application directly from the card.
For this reason, there are two different specifications that the SD Card Association divides as follows:
Video Speed Class (V) : it is represented on the memory cards with the symbol of a letter “V”, which indicates the appropriateness or not (depending on the magnitude of the number that accompanies this symbol) which is the memory for a certain resolution of video This parameter acts according to its minimum writing speed. Here is a table created by the aforementioned association that describes all the possibilities.
Aplication Performance Class (A) : it is represented on these cards with the symbol of a letter “A”, which indicates the appropriateness or not (depending on the magnitude of the number that accompanies this symbol) which is the memory to store applications or data in she. This parameter acts according to the minimum writing and reading speeds in random and sequential mode. Here is a table that shows all the possibilities.
As an addition to all this, you should know a parameter that you can also find printed on one of these memories. This is the maximum “peak” speed that a card can reach. Normally it is usually represented with a writing speed in MB / s and, sometimes, it has a higher value than everything I just explained. Do not be fooled, so to speak abruptly, for this higher value of writing because, what continues to prevail, is the rest of the parameters.
What microSD card to buy?
After having explained each and every one of the symbols, parameters and values that you can find in one of these memories comes the big question, what microSD card should I buy? Well it depends on the use you want to give it.
Choose the capacity, interface and speed class specified by your device’s manufacturer. Video requirements depend on resolution, frame rate and bitrate, so a general claim such as “suitable for 4K” is not enough. A faster card can be useful when the device supports it, but paying for a higher interface speed does not make an incompatible device support that speed.
SD card or microSD?
In this article I have told you everything you need to know about microSD cards but, of course, this information is exactly the same for an SD memory.
Choose a card that fits the device’s slot. If you use a microSD card in a full-size SD slot, check that the card type and adapter are compatible with the device. An adapter does not change the card’s capacity or speed-class rating.
Product examples from the original article
The following retailer listings and displayed prices come from this article’s original publication and have not been rechecked. Confirm current availability, specifications and price with the retailer, and use the compatibility guidance above before buying.
