Samsung has just introduced a new generation of microSD cards that support the SD Express standard and enable ultra-fast performance.
In the official announcement post, the company states that it has begun sampling tests for the 256GB model which they claim will have a maximum read speed of 800MB per second. To put that into perspective, our pick for best SD card for 2024 is the Transcend SDXC UHS-II U3 and it only has a maximum speed of 285 MB per second. Samsung is even trying to surpass the best SATA SSDs, as those drives max out at 560MB.
A 1TB UHS-1 model is also in the works. It is currently entering mass production, although the publication does not say what the reading speed will be. Instead, Samsung decided to focus on the durability of the card. The 1TB version is designed to withstand “challenging environments” with features that provide protection against water, resistance to extreme temperatures, and, apparently, X-ray blasts.
the perfect moment
The inclusion of SD Express is particularly notable because the standard has been around since 2018, although not a single brand has taken advantage of the technology in all that time. This is due to two reasons.
First of all, there simply aren't many devices that can take advantage of the speed. And secondly, SD Express cards get very hot. They can reach temperatures of up to 96 degrees Celsius (or about 204 degrees Fahrenheit). That is almost the boiling point of water. To combat the heat, Samsung is equipping its future product with Dynamic Thermal Guard to ensure everything runs at an optimal temperature, “even during extended use sessions.”
The 256GB SD Express microSD card will be released sometime this year. An exact date was not given. The 1TB UHS-1 microSD card has a more specific window, launching in Q3 2024. We've reached out to Samsung for more details. This story will be updated later.
Analysis: Preparing for the future
You may be thinking, “Why now?” Does Samsung think it's finally time to roll out SD Express? Turns out yes. The company says these cards will be the “necessary solutions for AI applications in tomorrow's devices.” Artificial intelligence functions, such as chatbots, depend on cloud servers for storage and operation. They cannot be placed inside a smartphone. However, several companies, including Samsung, are working on “AI phones,” mobile devices capable of hosting artificial intelligence models.
Imagine being able to talk to something like ChatGPT without needing constant cloud access. It's completely possible. No doubt, the tech giant has been proactive in promoting its artificial intelligence technology among users. But there is one use case that we don't see other reports mention: video games.
A Reddit user on the GamingLeaksAndRumours subreddit argues that the rumored Nintendo Switch 2 may have difficulty with “storage expansion as current SD cards are too slow and NVMe SSDs” are too large. Samsung's SD Express models are the perfect solution. They are small, fast, have a lot of space and also have “manageable thermals”.
Of course, this is all pure speculation. There's no proof of any of this or even a hint, but it's fun to think about. What should have a single use case could actually have several.
While we're on the topic of storage, check out TechRadar's list of the best external hard drives for 2024.
