Editing SD card (section)

=== Mobile phones ===
The microSD card has helped propel the smartphone market by giving both manufacturers and consumers greater flexibility and freedom.

While [[cloud storage]] depends on stable internet connection and sufficiently voluminous [[data plan]]s, memory cards in mobile devices provide location-independent and [[privacy|private]] storage expansion with much higher transfer rates and no [[network delay]], enabling applications such as [[photography]] and [[video recording]]. While data stored internally on [[Brick (electronics)|bricked device]]s is [[data loss|inaccessible]], data stored on the memory card can be salvaged and accessed externally by the user as [[mass storage]] device. A benefit over [[USB on the go]] storage expansion is uncompromised [[ergonomy]]. The usage of a memory card also protects the mobile phone's non-replaceable internal storage from weardown from heavy applications such as excessive camera usage and portable [[FTP server]] hosting over [[WiFi Direct]]. Due to the [[#2009–2019: SDXC|technical development]] of memory cards, users of existing mobile devices are able to expand their storage further and priceworthier with time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Understanding Life Expectancy of Flash Storage |url=https://www.ni.com/en-nz/support/documentation/supplemental/12/understanding-life-expectancy-of-flash-storage.html |website=ni.com |language=en |date=2020-07-23 |access-date=2020-11-30 |archive-date=2023-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913042854/https://www.ni.com/en-nz/support/documentation/supplemental/12/understanding-life-expectancy-of-flash-storage.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=12 Advantages & Disadvantages of Using SD Card in Smartphone |url=https://www.datanumen.com/blogs/12-advantages-disadvantages-using-sd-card-smartphone/ |website=Data Recovery Blog |date=23 November 2017 |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130140603/https://www.datanumen.com/blogs/12-advantages-disadvantages-using-sd-card-smartphone/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ali |first=Mudassar |title=Benefits of Using an SD Card |url=https://medium.com/@mudassarali143/benefits-of-using-an-sd-card-fc9f3e477e05 |website=Medium |language=en |date=27 November 2018 |access-date=30 November 2020 |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130135021/https://medium.com/@mudassarali143/benefits-of-using-an-sd-card-fc9f3e477e05 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Recent versions of major operating systems such as [[Windows Mobile]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] allow applications to run from microSD cards, creating possibilities for new usage models for SD cards in mobile computing markets, as well as clearing available internal storage space.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.androidcentral.com/inside-marshmallow-adoptable-storage|title=Inside Marshmallow: Adoptable storage|publisher=Android Central|date=2015-11-15|access-date=2016-02-23|archive-date=2016-02-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221152352/http://www.androidcentral.com/inside-marshmallow-adoptable-storage|url-status=live}}</ref>

SD cards are not the most economical solution in devices that need only a small amount of non-volatile memory, such as station presets in small radios. They may also not present the best choice for applications that require higher storage capacities or speeds as provided by other flash card standards such as [[CompactFlash]]. These limitations may be addressed by evolving memory technologies, such as the new SD 7.0 specifications which allow storage capabilities of up to 128&nbsp;TB.{{efn|name="here, 1&nbsp;TB = 1024"}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sdcard.org/consumers/choices/speed_class/index.html |title=Speed Class Standards for Video Recording |website=SD Association |access-date=21 November 2018 |archive-date=7 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407123207/https://www.sdcard.org/consumers/choices/speed_class/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many personal computers of all types, including tablets and mobile phones, use SD cards, either through built-in slots or through an active electronic adapter. Adapters exist for the [[PC card]], ExpressBus, [[USB]], [[FireWire]] and the [[parallel port|parallel printer port]]. Active adapters also let SD cards be used in devices designed for other formats, such as [[CompactFlash]]. The [[FlashPath]] adapter lets SD cards be used in a [[floppy disk]] drive.

Some devices such as the [[Samsung Galaxy Fit (smartphone)|Samsung Galaxy Fit]] (2011) and [[Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0]] (2013) have an SD card compartment located externally and accessible by hand, while it is located under the battery cover on other devices. More recent mobile phones use a pin-hole ejection system for the tray which houses both the memory card and [[SIM card]].