Despite the fact that phone makers have steadily increased the internal storage capacity of phones, there a many devices on the market which still offer support for external media. And, why not? Just because we can back files up in the cloud doesn’t mean that we actually have to do so. No, sometimes we like to keep a local copy which can be transferred from device to device.
It’s not just phones that utilize memory cards either. Consider that digital cameras, drones, Wi-Fi security cameras, and other digital products, too. In other words, you should have some external storage to rely on.
Kingston, a prominent player in the memory card business for decades, has a number of solutions which you may want to consider if you’re in the market for storage. Whether you need something extra to back up some photos, or a high-capacity card for recording 4K video in a drone, there’s something for everyone.
We’ve been sent a few sample cards from Kingston and have used them in a variety of devices over the last few weeks. Each of what we received were 64GB capacity; however, you can purchase cards from 4GB all the way up to 2TB.
Before picking out a card, though, consider what it is that you might be doing with it. Are you just using it for storing pictures from your phone? Will you be recording HD video or 4K footage? Not all 64GB cards are the same.
Take for instance the two cards we were provided: Gold Series and UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3). Each has their own intended uses, but you can always work downward. In other words, the higher “class” cards can do everything that the lower ones can. Think of this as how a Bluray player can also read DVDs and CDs.
In this case, the Gold Series offers read speeds of 90MB/s, or the same as the UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3). However, the write speed for the former is 45MB/s while the latter is nearly doubled at 80MB/s. What does this mean? It means you can take burst photos and write to the memory card much faster.
Why does speed matter? Let’s just drill this down to pictures on a smartphone. Image sizes have gotten increasingly bigger over the years. Snapping a full-resolution picture today is often around 16-megapixels or 20-megapixels. Take photo that uses 3MB and it’s not that big of a deal. But, when you want to capture a whole string of them in a row, you’ll want to pound out ten pics without thinking.
Now, think of HD security cameras, a GoPro, or drone pulling in gorgeous 4K clips from the sky. And this is just today’s technology and needs. Do yourself a favor and future-proof yourself with the largest and fastest storage cards you can afford.
Why Speed Matters
Here’s what Kingston says about speeds on memory cards.
- Long buffering – when you press the shutter and the camera takes the shot but then it freezes until the data is fully written to the card.
- Corrupted video – video cameras might produce corrupted video files if the card speed is too slow or the camera may downgrade the video to match the speed of the card. This could turn full 1080p HD video into a video with much lower resolution.
- Shortened clips – when a camera has a higher writing speed than the Flash card, the camera will pause and the video clip will abruptly end once the speed limit of the card is reached.
- Burst shooting – many cameras have a burst mode feature where one press produces a repeated series of photographs; this allows users to capture fast-moving events or subjects like pets and children. If the card writing speed is too slow, burst mode setting will not work.
We’ve thoroughly enjoyed using the Kingston cards in our devices. Actually, let’s rephrase that; we’ve not even noticed that we’re using external media for capturing content. In fact, we have to remind ourselves that our phone or camera is writing to a microSD card. When you have the right card it’s a simple matter of set it and forget it. Such has been the case with both of these cards.
Where to Buy
If you’re looking to make a microSD card purchase, head to Kingston’s website to learn more and buy. Additionally, you can find its cards at a variety of retailers, including both online and in-store. Here’s a quick link to Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, and Walmart.