What is a MicroSD card
MicroSD cards are flash memory cards. They are a version of SD (Secure Digital) cards which are extensively used in mobile phones, GPS, video games, audio players, USB flash memory devices and some other electronic devices. MicroSD cards are the smallest possible SD cards of all the SD cards available.
A microSD card measures 15mm x 11mm x 1mm and weighs only 0.5 grams. This is one fourth of the standard SD card size. It is this small size of the microSD cards that has allowed them to be used increasingly. The first microSD card was introduced by SanDisk and became quite popular from then on. This card is ratified by the SD Card Association. Initially, the microSD card was available up to 128 MB but now it ranges from 16 MB to 2 GB. This implies that microSD card stores the same amount of data as the standard SD card but in a very tiny space.
Some of the modern devices like mobile phones, GPS and audio players have microSD card slot and therefore these will not support the other SD cards. MicroSD cards have backward compatibility which is one of its best features. This means that even if the device does not specifically supports the microSD card an adapter can be used to read or write data. Any device that has a SD or MMC slot can use the microSD card. All that is needed is an adapter that comes with the card. This indicates that the microSD card can be used on almost any device that supports the SD card. They can be easily and quickly inserted in any of the device.
Different microSD cards come with different storage capacities. The more the storage capacity, the more expensive the card will be. These cards come in three different speed classes. A speed class is the minimum read/write speed for the card. Sometimes the read and the write speed for the microSD card can vary.
The prices of the SD cards have fallen dramatically and the same goes for microSD card. The microSD cards are bit more expensive than the standard SD cards. The reason for this difference is well justified because of its compact size.
One of the only drawbacks of the microSD card is that it does not have a write protect switch. This means that microSD card cannot prevent accidental loss of your data. But all other positive factors of the microSD card make it more useful despite this drawback.
Today, microSD cards are used increasingly as they are compatible with most of the electronic devices.