It seems that everyone has a mobile phone or tablet today, as there compact so many individual things (music player, e-reader, camera, GPS, and phone just to name a few) into one small portable device. The problem with many of them is the limited (and expensive) storage premium, and keep in mind that the operating system can take up a good bit of this space, depending on your OS allegiance.
Even when you have expanded storage options, you can still be limited by what can be put on this memory, but that is a topic for another article.
Most people use micro SD cards to house their digital media (music, photos or videos), and for that purpose a plain-Jane micro SD card works just fine. A problem arises when you need a faster card, such as when recording HD video, taking camera snapshots in burst mode, or loading a large game.
Thankfully micro SD storage costs have come down in price considerably within the past year. Most modern devices now support micro SDXC, which currently tops out at 64 gigabytes (as of this writing).
The new SDXC specification expands on the SDHC spec (32GB max) by supporting up to 2 terabytes. It is also UHS (Ultra High Speed) Class 1, meaning that it certifies a 10MB/s minimum transfer rate, but is optimized for high-bandwidth uses.
Why SanDisk?
There are several choices when it comes to maxing out your phone or tablet’s storage slot, but SanDisk is a brand name that can easily be found in most retail stores. Generic cards are usually very cheap and have a high failure rate, so choose a brand-name card if you value your data. There’s also a risk of counterfeit cards, so if you buy online, make sure it’s a reputable dealer. Honestly, micro SD cards are so cheap today that there’s really no reason to take a risk from a site you’ve never heard of.
I’m just saying that if you’re in a retail store then SanDisk is probably the only recognizable name brand choice available.
While there are faster microSD cards, the SanDisk Ultra is the sweet-spot when it comes to price and performance. “Regular” SD cards (those that don’t specify a Class rating) can have abysmal write speeds (anywhere from 4MB down to 500K per second). The Ultra is a Class 10 card that boasts speeds up to 30MB per second (more on this later). Additionally, the card is waterproof, X-ray proof, shockproof and temperature proof.
The card also has a bunch of environmental protection (waterproof, X-ray proof, shockproof and temperature proof). As far as these claims go, if a microSD card is left in your pants pocket and goes through a wash cycle then you’ve probably lost it anyway. We dropped the card in a glass of water for 30 seconds and pulled it out, and the card performed just fine. Dropping this card is like dropping an ant from a cliff… it doesn’t have enough weight to cause any damage. Temperature-proof is relative as every material has its thermal breaking point, but I’m sure that as long as the thing doesn’t melt then it should be fine. We didn’t test the shock properties of the card, but I wouldn’t recommend performing your own hammer test.
Class 10 Speed Rating for Seamless Video Capture
This memory card features Class 10 and UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) video ratings — the fastest classifications available for a microSD card. You’ll be ready to capture cinema quality 3D and Full HD** video (1080p) without dropouts and stuttering.
Fast Photo Capture and Data Transfer
With transfer speeds of up to 30MB/s** , the card brings faster read and write speeds to your camera or HD camcorder. Up to twice as fast as an ordinary memory card, the SanDisk Ultra microSDHC and microSDXC memory card enables you to quickly snap continuous pictures so you’ll never miss a moment.
Storage Capacities Up to 64GB
Available in sizes up to 64GB**, the SanDisk UltramicroSDHC and microSDXC card has plenty of room to accommodate HD videos, high-resolution photos, and other memory-intensive files.
SD Adapter for Versatility
This microSD card comes with a convenient SD card adapter, so you can capture and access data on the card with any device with an SD card slot. You’ll be able to use your card with SD enabled cameras, camcorders, tablets, and laptops.
Durable Design
The SanDisk Ultra microSDHC and microSDXC UHS-I Memory Card captures photos in all conditions with its shockproof**, waterproof**, and X-ray-proof** design. You’ll never have to miss those moments even in extreme temperatures from -13 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
Warranty
The SanDisk Ultra microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I Card is backed by a lifetime limited warranty** .
Features
- Twice as fast to catch your best shot
- Featuring Class 10 for Full HD video (1080p)
- Available in capacities up to 64GB
- Waterproof, X-ray proof, temperature proof, and shockproof
- Includes an SD card adapter
The thing that will probably interest you most is the performance of this card. We tested the SanDisk Ultra 64GB microSDXC card against other SD cards in different devices. It was tested in an LG Optimus F7 Android phone, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 edition tablet, Acer netbook computer (witth SD adapter). The cards were formatted using a FAT32 file system at the default allocation settings.
We recorded very different results from the PC than we did with the Android devices. A regular SanDisk 32GB micro SD card had a minimum read speed of 11MB per second and a write speed of 17MB per second. The SanDisk Ultra fared a little better at 17MB/s for reads and writes, far below the 30MB per second advertised. When we tested with the A1 SD Bench on our Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (arguably one of the fastest tablets out now) we saw a read speed of 32MB/s and a write speed of 8MB per second.
Conclusion
The card’s performance is better than a standard microSD card, and does meet SanDisk’s claimed 30MB per second rating, but only with read speed. The write speed of the card did not meet a Class 10 minimum in our phones or tablets, but did reach that in a netbook PC.
Still, 7MB minimum the SanDisk Ultra 64GB micro SDXC card delivers can easily keep up with demanding write operations such as HD video recording. This card is mostly used for read operations, and the 30MB per second read speed is more than adequate for that.
Honestly the main attraction to this card is its price and massive storage. The card is found for $35 online (even at reputable dealers), and about $60 in retail stores.