We knew that the Galaxy S22 series would not feature microSD support long before the Unpacked event that Samsung hosted earlier this month. The same was true of the Galaxy S21, as Samsung moved away from expandable storage on its flagships. Again.
MicroSD technology might not offer the same speed as built-in flash memory, but it’s a feature that some Android buyers want from their devices. While the Galaxy S22 lacks support for microSD cards, it does have a solution to the problem. Well, make that two solutions, at least if you plan on preordering the phone.
Samsung’s Galaxy S22 microSD problem
Every Galaxy S22 model ships with at least 128GB of built-in storage. But Samsung lets you double the storage to 256GB for free during preorders.
You have a few more days to get your preorder in before the phones ship to buyers. The other way to bump up the built-in storage is to wait for the Galaxy S22 price to go down, which will happen in the coming months.
Of course, that doesn’t fix the Galaxy S22’s microSD problem. If you want expandable storage on the go, then you will want to check out Samsung’s brand-new storage solution. Samsung just unveiled the Type-C USB-C flash storage stick that can fix your Galaxy S22 microSD problem.
Samsung’s Type-C flash drive
Placing a microSD card inside the Galaxy S22 would have been a sleeker solution than attaching a flash drive like the new Type-C. The storage card sits inside the phone at all times, and you don’t have to worry about misplacing or forgetting it.
But there are advantages to replacing the microSD card with a Type-C flash drive. The latter has significantly faster speeds than what microSD can offer. According to Samsung, the drive goes up to 400MB/s for the 256GB and 128GB version and up to 300MB/s for the 64GB model. The USB 3.1 technology is equivalent to USB 3.2 Gen 1 and backward compatible with USB 3.0/2.0. Yes, USB standards can be confusing.
What matters here is that you can transfer a 4GB file in about 11 seconds with the new Type-C drives. That’s not something you’d get from a microSD card even if the Galaxy S22 supported it.
Furthermore, the drive works with most computers and phones, not just Galaxy S22 models. All you need is a USB-C port.
The ruggedness
Another feature makes the Type-C port more exciting than a microSD card. It’s a rugged flash drive, which means it can withstand harsher conditions:
- Waterproof: Up to 72 hours at 1m (3.28 feet) depth seawater.
- Shock-proof: Up to 1,500 gravitational acceleration.
- Magnet-proof: Up to 15,000 gauss (equal to MRI).
- Temperature-proof: Withstands 0°C (32°F) to 60°C (140°F) operating, -10°C (14°F) to 70°C (158°F) non-operating.
- X-ray-proof: Up to 100mGy (equal to airport X-ray machines).
The flash drive also comes with the typical 5-year warranty that you can expect from Samsung storage solutions.
However, the downsides are obvious when it comes to the Galaxy S22. Your current microSD cards are unusable now. You’ll have to transfer the data from them to keep using it on the handset Furthermore, you’ll have to pay extra to use the Type-C flash drive with your Galaxy S22 version. But prices haven’t been revealed yet.
