Storage upgrades price an excessive amount of, and we want microSD playing cards again

The affect of AI was a lot further-reaching than first imagined — and in the other way. AI knowledge facilities are devouring reminiscence chips, resulting in a scarcity throughout the {industry}, together with shopper gadgets. We now have seen merchandise run out of inventory (within the case of the Mac Mini) and even critical value hikes on high of already costly OEM storage choices. Having ample onboard storage is definitely turning into a luxurious function that not everybody can simply afford.

It is a drawback that we had solved way back however are pretending to disregard the answer that sits proper in entrance of our eyes. A teeny-tiny piece of tech from the forgotten period of the mid-2010s can simply repair all our woes — sure, I’m speaking about microSD playing cards.

We just lately noticed maybe probably the most sweeping value hike from Apple lately — principally each system that runs on an Apple chip noticed a considerable improve. Tim Cook dinner instantly attributed this value improve to reminiscence shortages. So, it isn’t simply an Apple drawback however is regularly turning into an industry-wide subject. And we’ve began seeing the indicators of it; Google is now rumored to extend the costs of its Pixel 11 vary due subsequent month, and I’ve little cause to doubt that hypothesis.

And it’s not like we weren’t paying exorbitant costs for storage upgrades already. Large Tech had normalized paying $100 (or extra!) only for a modest 128GB or 256GB storage bump, whereas storage enlargement used to price a fraction of that. We didn’t complain a lot as a result of native onboard storage has some critical velocity and reliability advantages over microSD playing cards, together with some spillover advantages like higher IP scores and less complicated motherboard designs. Again then, there have been precise, tangible advantages to ditching the cardboard slot, however the equation is now altering attributable to these stinging value hikes.

Take the iPhone 17 Professional Max, for instance. When you go for its 512GB variant, you’d end up shelling out an eye-watering $1,400, which is $200 greater than the bottom 256GB mannequin. Even the Galaxy S26 Extremely sees the same value leap for its 512GB storage possibility, which launched at an insane $1,500. These improve tiers are designed to mint the businesses more money quite than giving customers simple improve choices. They’re nothing however an entire rip-off as a result of, for that $200 distinction, you can simply snag not one however two good-quality 512GB microSD playing cards — and that’s after microSD playing cards themselves have seen a stable value spike.

It’s not simply inside NAND costs which have gone up — exterior storage has been equally impacted, if not worse. Transportable SSD costs have skyrocketed, doubling and, in lots of circumstances, even tripling. The Samsung T9 transportable SSD in its 1TB configuration used to promote for $100 till final yr, however it’s now listed for $250 on Amazon. And microSD playing cards have met the same destiny.

The 512GB microSD card I beforehand referred to is a Lexar Blue that now prices round $100. Till late final yr, you can seize the identical card in the identical capability for simply $38. In absolute phrases, the leap appears small, however that’s nonetheless near a 3x value hike. Regardless of that, expandable storage stays much more viable and inexpensive in comparison with what telephone makers supply by locking you into their very own storage improve tiers.

And it’s vital to speak about this proper now as a result of we’re more and more upping our storage necessities. There was a time, not too way back, when 128GB of onboard storage felt fairly beneficiant. Then it was 256GB, and now I believe 512GB can be simply sufficient for the quantity of photographs and movies I retailer on my telephone. It’s not simply native media or offline downloads, both. Each Android and iOS have began regionally storing AI fashions (yeah, it’s all the time AI responsible, in some way) to do stuff without having an web connection. As an example, an offline voice dictation instrument I’m presently testing on my Mac wanted a 6GB obtain — all this provides up and eats away at your out there area.

Our storage wants are booming, and so are storage costs. So, we’ll need to discover a compromise that neither confines you to restricted area nor digs a gap in your pocket. And microSD playing cards appear to suit that description completely.

You would possibly assume that card slots have been utterly wiped off the face of smartphones, however that couldn’t be farther from the reality. Lots of Android price range and mid-range telephones from Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus proceed to assist storage enlargement, letting you maintain as much as 2TB of knowledge within the palm of your hand. MicroSD playing cards are much more frequent in tablets — even Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Tab S11 sequence has the choice. However sadly, that’s one thing you possibly can’t say about flagship smartphones.

Excessive-end telephones are graced with a microSD card slot provided that they’re specialised gadgets like gaming and rugged telephones, or the extra creator-focused ones from Sony. All different mainstream flagships pressure you to pay the OEM a premium.

The concept is to not be compelled right into a single storage improve path however to have a number of choices. It makes zero sense to get locked into the identical space for storing you opted for whereas buying the telephone, with no option to improve it as your wants develop. I shouldn’t have to purchase a brand new telephone simply because I ran out of area.

If having onboard storage is completely non-negotiable for me, regardless of the value, I will pay the premium. However once I know I’m going to retailer a variety of static knowledge like a media archive, a touch slower however less expensive microSD card can be the wiser decide.

Again within the day, dropping the cardboard slot made a stronger case with a number of upsides and manageable downsides. However now, our wants have developed. 4K movies, native AI fashions, and app downloads want area, and asking for extra storage shouldn’t price you an arm and a leg. That is precisely why expandable storage on mainstream telephones is required greater than ever earlier than.

I doubt Google and Apple will ever budge, however I do have hopes for Samsung and Motorola, largely as a result of they’ve, up to now, provided the selection that we so desperately want immediately. For having that alternative, I wouldn’t maintain it towards them even when they marketed expandable storage as their largest innovation of 2026. Simply give me my darn microSD card slot again!