SanDisk

Dabs.com Memory Card Guide

The lure of the modern mobile phone is stronger than ever. Sophisticated cameras, music and video playback, web surfing and even satellite navigation have all become common place over the last 12 months. What many don't realise however is nearly all handsets are sold with a catch: they are equipped with almost no storage.

The value of extra storage

Why is this important? Think of storage like petrol in a car. You're at the dealers and you've just bought the latest snazzy sports coupe. It's elegant, powerful and as the keys are handed over you feel great. Moments after starting up the car you notice a problem: it is filled with just one gallon of petrol. Ok, so you will be able to start it and use some of the basic functions but if you want to enjoy it to its full capacity then you're going to need to fill up.

Exactly the same is true of mobile phones. What is the benefit of having music and video playback if you can barely carry one whole album or more than a few minutes of a film or TV episode? How can you capture those wonderful memories if you have to keep deleting the ones already on there? Is GPS really helpful if there's no space for the maps?

Yes the drawbacks are clear, so how do we remove them?

Picking the right memory card

While the mobile phone market was once a dense jungle of different formats and confusing brands today it could not be simpler: Sony Ericsson handsets use Memory Stick Micro, more commonly known as 'M2' and everything else takes microSD and microSDHC (microSD 'Higher Capacity'). The good news doesn't end there either, because following years of research and development prices are lower than ever before and capacities are enormous. Let me give you an example.

Choosing the best size

Currently M2 and microSD cards are available in capacities ranging from 1GB (one gigabyte, which equals 1,000 megabytes) to 8GB. Let's look at 8GB so you know just how capable this storage really is. Based on typical settings, a user can expect a phone equipped with an 8GB card to store approximately 1,000 songs PLUS up to 1,200 photos PLUS an enormous 21 hours of video. Yes, that is one large tank of petrol!

Ease of use

So we are latching onto the idea that extra storage is a very good idea, but that could easily be grounded if you need a PhD in computer technology to use one. Thankfully, that isn't the case. Mobile phone manufacturers know that the memory card has become a fundamental part of enjoying the handset experience. After all, they want to establish a loyal customer base and to do that owners should be able to get the best out of their products.

As a result the vast majority of handsets now position their memory card expansion slots on the outside of the casing, where it is covered by a neat protective flap. To insert a card just push it into the slot, to eject push on it again and it will pop out. Best of all is that modern desktops and laptops are fitted with card readers (if yours does not, one can be purchased very cheaply) meaning the cards can be plugged in and content dragged and dropped between the two. It couldn't be simpler.

One set of products that has been designed for this purpose is the 'Mobile Ultra' line from SanDisk, which as the world's largest supplier of flash memory cards, is the only company with licensing to sell both M2 and microSD/microSDHC. Mobile Ultra cards are designed specifically for handsets and, with card readers included, they not only make transferring video, photos and music between phone and computer easier, but up to 2x faster than standard mobile memory cards.

In short

Brands apart however the irrefutable message is clear. If you are going to commit yourself to either a long network contract or the upfront expense of an unsubsidised mobile phone why wouldn't you want to get the best from it? You wouldn't buy a sports car to never take it out of second gear, don't treat your mobile phone the same way.