Hardware

Mobile Phone | Memory Card

Long-term Field Test: 17.10.2015 to date


SanDisk Ultra microSDXC 200 GB

Introduction

Memory Cards from SanDisk with “Android” in the product name are not produced for Android smartphones only!
It means in effect that this memory card is fast enough even for the newest fastest high-end smartphones.
And there is a software tool stored on the memory card named SanDisk Memory Zone to manage your storage.
You can find this software tool also at the Google Play Store to download and install it with your Android smartphone.

Purchasing

17.10.2015: Ordered online at Cyberport Dresden for my daily driver BlackBerry P'9982 direct after the 50 EUR price-cut: 159,00 € only. Smiley
19.10.2015: Cyberport has sended the memory card.
20.10.2015: DHL has delivered the shipment to my favourite DHL Packstation. Changing memory cards in the evening: I put the SanDisk Ultra Android 128 GB microSDXC temporary into the drawer and later on into my BlackBerry Z10 where the SanDisk Extreme Plus microSDXC 64 GB is currently. And my new favourite memory card SanDisk Ultra Android 200 GB microSDXC is placed in my favourite smartphone BlackBerry P'9982 now. Smiley, cool

Equipment

  • SanDisk Ultra® microSDHC™/SDXC™ Memory Card + SanDisk Memory Zone Android App
  • SD™ Adapter for microSDHC™/SDXC™ Memory Cards
  • Jewel Case made of plastic

Tech Specs

Model: SDSDQUAN-200G-G4A microSDXC Ultra Android 200 GB, Class 10, UHS-I, 90 MB/s + SD Adapter

Measurements: 0,1 x 1,5 x 1,1 cm
Weight: 9 g

Memory size: 200 GB

max. reading speed: 90 MB/s*
max. write speed: 90 MB/s*

* reading speed and write speed are depending from miscellaneous factors, among others the used device and the file size which will be read and/or written

Practice

When the price dropped by 50 EUR I ordered this SanDisk Ultra Android 200 GB microSDXC memory card (90 MB/s, Class 10, UHS-I) immediately at Cyberport.de for my BlackBerry P'9982. I was so curious if the manufacturer's specification “up to 128 GB” is correct. It is just as wrong as before “up to 32 GB”.
And this was still written on BlackBerry's web pages long after the firmware update to BlackBerry 10.2.1.3175 (I received my BlackBerry Z10 on 28.05.2014 with BlackBerry 10.2.1.3175 (my BlackBerry P'9982 only received this on 07.07.2014). Even if the product name contains “Android”: this memory card can of course be used with any device that understands the exFAT file system. The name suffix only refers to a free tool which you can download from the Google Play Store to your Android smartphone if you have one. It's a marketing trick only.

17.09.2021: Today the memory card changes from the BlackBerry P'9982 into the new Fairphone 3+. Still works perfectly.

Big Collection of Music Files on microSDXC

I listen my music collection usually as MP3 files from a microSDXC memory card in my smartphone. Therefor I had converted my collection of purchased compact discs to MP3 with highest quality. Some CDs I have saved als WAVE (.wav) file.

Photograph not on slide film but digital on microSDXC

Photos made with my smartphone will be saved on the memory card in general.

Backup of the Backup

The complete data I copy with regularity to an external hard disk drive because even a memory card can have a defect or could be ruined by a malfunction of device. Other issues can be software malfunction or ramsomware.

Pros

  • reliable
  • high performance

Cons

  • stated max. write speed hasn't reached in test reports from several pc magazines

I can't check the max. write speed without a measurement device but the most test reviews shows lower measurement values.
Reading speed and write speed are depending from miscellaneous factors, among others the used device and the file size which will be read and/or written.
More important as highest speed is reliability – so I am very pleased with the second generation of this memory card!

Conclusion

Highly recommended Hardware!

Not only the size is an argument for this nice tiny piece of high-tech but the high speed.
I have no measuring instrument but one experience was very exciting: the encryption of this memory card with my BlackBerry P'9982 lasted 6:30 h only!
Compared with the last encryption procedure of the SanDisk Ultra Android microSDXC 128 GB that was days faster!
The encryption of the SanDisk Ultra 128 GB microSDXC (30 MB/s, Class 10, UHS-I) with my BlackBerry P'9982 has lasted about four days!

After the price cut from 209 to 159 EUR this memory card costs only a little more as two memory cards with 128 GB each.
Because this was the first price cut the price will sink once again in the near future.

 Tip: some vendors are very carefully with their statements about the maximum size of memory cards or do not update their website.
For example Smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Note or the BlackBerry Z10 had the capability to use memory cards with a size of 64 GB right from start.

It's your own risk if you buy a bigger sized memory card as the vendor recommends.
But in worst case use the microSDXC memory card with the SD Adapter in your digital camera or MP3 player or as a backup storage for the notebook.
Side benefit: because of the high performance of this microSDXC memory card you can make faster serial photo shoots depending from the capability of the camera model.

Included Software not recommendable

Memory Cards from SanDisk with "Android" in the product name are not produced for Android Smartphones only!
There is a software tool stored on the memory card named SanDisk Memory Zone to manage your storage.
You can find this software tool also at the Google Play Store to download and install it with your Android smartphone.
But much of the reviews at Google Play are not very positive so I wouldn't install it if I would use an Android phone.

Software Alternatives for Android Users

Instead of SanDisk Memory Zone I recommend you Explorer from Speed Software Ltd. and DiskUsage from Ivan Volosyuk.

Alternatives

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