iOS Device SD Card

Top 6 Questions and Answers about iPhone/iPad/iPod SD Card for Extra Storage

Nov. 05, 2014 10:33 am / Updated by Bobby Hills to Mobile Phone Tips
Follow @BobbyHills

Wouldn't it be cool to be able to pop an SD Card into your iPhone and get more storage? I'm amazed how many people would like to expand storage with more than enough songs, videos, games, photos, documents and other data on their iPhone/iPad/iPod. Actually, it's not so simple.

I include several frequently-asked questions our readers list about iOS Device SD card and provide the answers. Hope they can help you.

1. Why do you need a SD card for more storage?

• More Space: The 32GB capacity on iOS Device allows you to store 16,000 + photos, 14+ hours of video, or 9,000+ songs. If you want to bring along your entire music library and enough movies to last your through two or more long flights, you need to consider expending the space with the help of a SD card.
• Cheaper: For any kind of significant storage boost, you have little choice but to upgrade to a more capacious iPhone, iPod, or iPad. Take the iPhone 6 for example. The 16GB model already retails for a whopping $199, but for a 64GB model you're looking at $299. That's $100 more for just 48GB of extra storage, while the 128GB model is yet another $100 more expensive. Compared that to on average $45-$60 card reader and some inexpensive memory cards/flash drives, the pricing does seem quite steep.

2. Does iPhone/iPad/iPod have a SD card slot?

On the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, you won't find an SD card slot or USB port to connect more storage, as are found on many Android and Windows-based devices.

3. Is there any way to use SD card without SD card slot?

Yes, there are wireless card readers (also known as media hubs), which connect via Wi-Fi to your iDevice. So instead of popping a microSD card inside your iPhone, iPad or iPod, you pop one into an external drive you can keep stowed in a bag, pocket, or wherever. I recommend Iogear MediaShair Hub, RAVPower FileHub 5-in-1, Patriot Aero, etc.

4. Why is a SD card necessary?

• Get more space: The 32GB capacity allows you to store 16,000 + photos, 14+ hours of video, or 9,000+ songs. If you want to bring along your entire music library and enough movies to last your through two or more long flights, you need to consider expend the space with the help of a SD card (See how to recover data from iPhone SD card).
• Spend less: For any kind of significant storage boost, you have little choice but to upgrade to a more capacious iPhone, iPod, or iPad. Take the iPhone 6 for example. The 16GB model already retails for a whopping $199, but for a 64GB model you're looking at $299. That's $100 more for just 48GB of extra storage, while the 128GB model is yet another $100 more expensive. Compared that to on average $45-$60 card reader and some inexpensive memory cards/flash drives, the pricing does seem quite steep.

5. How to add more storage to iPhone/iPad/iPod?

• Step 1: Connect the reader to your PC, then fill it with the media/data you want to bring along.
• Step 2: Install the companion app that goes with the reader.
• Step 3: Run the app, then connect to the reader. Now you can stream your media, view your photos, access your documents, transfer files, and so on.
  
  

6. What disadvantages might iOS Device SD Card bring?

Consider adding a SD card for your iPhone/iPad/iPod if you care about the performance. According to a study carried out by Hyojun Kim at the Georgia Institute of technology, using a microSD card in your phone can cause it to become sluggish, with even basic tasks like web browsing suffering as a result. Overall performance can often drop by between 100% and 300% and in one case the study found that there was an incredible 2000% decrease in performance.

Have any question about this topic? Add it in the comments below!

Get Card Data Recovery Now