microSD

File:MicroSD vs SD.jpg

A microSD card (right) next to its SD adapter (left)

Dissected 64 MB microSD Card, showing cross section through memory chips and printed circuit board

microSD is a format for removable flash memory cards. It is derived from SanDisk TransFlash and is used mainly in mobile telephones, but also in handheld GPS devices, portable audio players, video game consoles and expandable USB flash memory drives.

It is currently (2008) the smallest memory card available commercially. At 15mm × 11mm × 0.7mm (about the size of a fingernail), it is about a quarter the size of an SD card. There are adapters which allow a microSD card to be used in devices intended for SD, miniSD, or MemoryStick Duo cards, however they are not universally compatible.

TransFlash and microSD cards are the same (each can be used in devices made for the other), except that microSD adds support for SDIO mode, enabling non-memory cards like Bluetooth, GPS, and Near Field Communication devices.

As of March 2008, microSD cards are available in capacities from 64MB to 8GB. Cards at and beyond 4GB are available only in the newer SDHC format.

On January 7, 2008, during CES, SanDisk announced an as yet unpriced 12GB (104 GB/cm³) microSDHC card.

A 512 MB Kingston microSD card next to a Patriot SD adapter (left) and miniSD adapter (middle) and a Canadian one cent coin (right) .

Manufacturer support

The microSD format is supported mainly by mobile phone manufacturers, among which Motorola was the first to adopt it. Garmin makes GPS receivers with maps on microSD cards.

Devices

• Archos: 605 WiFi (4GB flash version), 405
• Alcatel: OT-E801, OT-C717 Black Soft Touch
• BenQ-Siemens: EF61, E71, EF81, EL71, S82, SFG75, S88, CL71
• BlackBerry: 8100, 8120, 8130 (Pearl), 8300 (Curve), 8310, 8320, 8800, 8820, 8830 (World Edition)
• E-TEN: glofiish X500, glofiish X500+, glofiish M700, glofiish X800
• FIC: Neo 1973T
• Garmin hand-held GPS: Edge 605, 705, eTrex Vista Cx, Legend Cx, Venture Cx, GPSMAP 60Cx, 60Csx, 76Cx, 76Csx, StreetPilot i2, i3, etc.
• HTC: Hermes (TyTN) (also badged as: O2 XDA trion, T-Mobile MDA Vario II, Vodafone 1605 VPA Compact III, Vodafone 1210, Orange SPV M3100, Orange SPV E650, Dopod CHT 9000, Dopod 838 Pro, hTc Z, Qtek 9600, i-mate JasJam, Cingular 8525, Swissom XPA v1605, SoftBank X01HT, UTStarcom 6800), Monet (also badged as Virgin Lobster 700TV), HTC P3300 (also known as O2 XDA Orbit, T-Mobile MDA Compact III), HTC StrTrk, Cingular 3100, Cingular 3125, HTC MTeoR, P4350 (Herald), TyTN II (Kaiser), S710 (also known as: HTC Vox, Orange SPV E650, Vodafone v1415) HTC Touch Cruise
• i-mate: Smartflip, JasJam
• Kyocera: KX55XO, Slider Sonic, Slider Remix
• LG Electronics: LG UX-260 {RUMOR} AX8600, LG Shine CU720, KU250, KU311, U8360, U8380, U8500, U880, VX8300, Chocolate (VX8500), LG Chocolate (VX8550), Chocolate (VX8600), VX8700, LG Venus (VX8800), VX9400, VX9900 (enV), VX10000 (Voyager), LX550 (Fusic), LX570 (Muziq),CE500, CU320, CU500/TU500, LG Trax (CU575, L600v, Prada Phone KE850, Viewty KU990
• Motorola: V360, E398, V635, V710, A780, E815, A840, E770, E815, E895, C975, V975, C980, V980, A1000, A1200, M1000,Maxx Ve E1000, V1000, ROKR, V1050, V1150, SLVR L7, Motorola L7e, E1060, E1120, RAZR (V3i, V3m, V3r, V3t, V3x, V3xx, V6), i870, i880, i876, i876w, i885, i580, A1200, KRZR (K1, K1m, K3), Z3, Z6, Z8, L7, Moto Q9h, Q9c
• NEC: N908
• Nokia: 3109c, 3110c, 3250, 5200, 5300, 5310, 5500, 5610, 5700, 6085, 6110 Navigator, 6120/6121 Classic, 6125, 6131/6126/6133, 6151, 6233, 6234, 6265i, 6275i, 6300, 6301, 6500 Slide, 6288, 6555, 7373, 7390, E50, E51, E61i, E65, E90, N73, N75, N76, N81, N82, N95, N96
• O2: O2 Ice, O2 Cocoon, Xda Orbit, Xda Exec, Xda Mini S, Xda Trion, Xda Stellar
• Orange: Berlin
• Palm: Centro
• Patriot: PC133
• Pantech: Duo 810C
• Pioneer: AVIC-S1 Mobile Navigation System
• R4DS: NDS Flash Cart
• Sagem: My V-76, My X 6-2, My501C, My401C, My411X, My511x
• Samsung: SGH-D600, SGH-D807, SGH-D820, SGH-D900, SGH-D900i, SGH-E210, SGH-E250, SGH-E900, SGH-Z230, SGH-ZV40, SGH-Z300, SGH-Z400, SGH-Z500, SGH-Z700, SGH-ZM60, SGH-i300, SGH-i320, SGH-i320N, SGH-i600, SGH-i607, SGH-P850, SGH-D510, SGH-X700, SGH-E870, SGH-E770, SGH-E900, SGH-S500i, SGH-X800, SGH-zx10, SPH-A920/MM-A920, SPH-A940, SPH-M610, SPH-M620 (UpStage), SPH-M500, SCH-A950, SCH-A930, SCH-A990, SCH-U540, SCH-U550, SCH-U740, SGH-T809, SGH-T609, SGH-T519, SGH-T629, a9, SGH-U600, SGH-U700, SGH-A707(SYNC), SGH-E490, SGH-T729 (Blast), SGH-a516
• SanDisk Sansa: e200 series, c200 series, Express, Fuze, View
• Sanyo: SCP-8400, SCP-8500 (Katana DLX)
• Song: Song DIC 338/A138
• Sony Ericsson: K850 (M2/microSD combo slot), XPERIA X1
• Supercard DS One: NDS Flash Cart
• T-Mobile: Dash (Smartphone), Wing (Smartphone), Sidekick 3
• Various Nintendo DS backup devices (e.g. M3 Simply)
• Vodafone: Vodafone 1210, Vodafone 716, Vodafone 810

Navman GPS devices use microSD cards to store extra maps.

Most devices which support SD/miniSD can support microSD cards using an appropriate adapter (often sold with a microSD card), but support is not universal. SanDisk publishes a list of mobile phones with memory card support [1] (in PDF format). This gives the type of the memory card slot and lists the support for still-image cameras, video capture and music.

SanDisk's e200 series MP3 players support microSD card expansion, allowing additional storage of up to 2GB. [2]

RCA Pearl MP3 players (TH1100, TH1101 and TH1102) support the use of MicroSD cards for additional storage. [3]

See also

• Comparison of memory cards
• MiniSD Card
• SD Card

References

• http://usa.apacer.com/us/products/microSD_Card.htm

External links

• SanDisk microSD and microSDHC Product Page
• Micro-SD Card Information
• Apacer microSD Product Page
• SimpleTech microSD Product Page
• Kingmax Digital microSD Product Page
• SD Card Association
• PhysOrg article about SanDisk's 512 MB microSD card release
• microSD pictures and descriptions
• Micro SD Explained