The amount of information required for work and play is increasing every day. The quality of photos and video files is increasing, and with it their “weight” is also growing. As a result, the built-in memory of our gadgets, especially from the budget segment, is sorely lacking. This problem is easily solved, especially in phones with a removable battery. Why in them, how to choose a memory card for your phone for any budget and many other issues will be discussed in this article.

Memory card. What is this?

The memory card is usually a small black rectangle, but sometimes appearance is different. Depending on the model, it has a different amount of memory. In modern models of various gadgets, only one type of memory card is used - microSD, although there are a fairly large number of them.

Earlier, when mobile phones were just beginning to acquire additional memory, each manufacturer tried to invent its own format, different from the others. For example, the memory card of an LG phone could not be installed in Nokia. Over time, this trend, as well as specific charging connectors, gradually faded away. This has its own plus, because, having changed the smartphone, now it is not at all necessary to re-purchase this important accessory for it.

What volume do I need?

When it comes to the size of your SD Card, the first thing to ask yourself is which files you work with the most. In order to orient ourselves at least a little, you can look at the following list, which shows the approximate size of the files we are used to:

• Melody or track - from 3 to 10 megabytes.
• Photo - from 1 to 5 megabytes.
• Film (depending on quality) from 700 megabytes to several gigabytes.

If you are used to using only high-quality content, then you will have to think about memory cards from 32 GB or more. If the card is needed only to store a small playlist and current photos, its volume can be easily calculated using the above information. We can definitely say that with large volumes of photos, the internal space is not enough, and a memory card is required. A phone with 2 GB of memory is simply not able to store the number of videos and photos that modern youth is used to taking.

Feature regarding the capacity of the new memory card

Probably everyone who has previously encountered memory cards or flash drives noticed that there is a little less space on them than stated by the manufacturer. Why does this problem occur and can it be fixed?

Actually there is no problem. The reason lies in the principles of calculating space by a computer or phone. We are accustomed to multiplying all quantities by a thousand, as, for example, in one kilogram there are a thousand grams. However, in the computer world, the calculation is carried out a little differently, and it is customary to consider a number of 1024 as a unit. As a result, such an error occurs on the missing 24 bytes to every thousand. Therefore, manufacturers should not be blamed for such a “shortage”, and an SD memory card with a “trimmed” memory is actually quite normal.

What is a memory map class

All memory cards are divided not only by volume, but also by class. Therefore, when deciding how to choose a memory card for your phone, do not forget about this parameter. The class displays the speed of writing any information to it. There are different classes of cards, but the most popular in our stores are 4, 10 and U1.

In fact, everything is clear with digital classes - a four is equal to a write speed of up to 4 MB / s, and a dozen - up to 10 MB / s, respectively. With the U1 class, it’s a little more interesting, since manufacturers promise speeds not up to, but from 10 MB / s, but what will be the maximum possible, you have to check on the spot. This class is considered a newer standard and an SD memory card marked with it differs in better side from their predecessors.

In addition to the above, there are also digital SD Card classes 2 and 6, as well as a new generation U3 class. Digital ones are no different from their predecessors, that is, in the same way they correspond to the maximum recording speed. Class U3 is considered to be this moment the highest and allows you to write information at a speed of over 30 MB / s. But, despite the high level of development of smartphones, so far none of them needs such a high speed, so we will not consider it in detail.

What do I need?

Let's take a look at what each class's memory map can be used for. This will be another step towards how to choose a memory card for your phone and not make a mistake.

• Class 2 memory cards - designed for data storage and represent the slowest and cheapest option. You can record music and video files on them, while the recording process itself will be quite lengthy. Problems may occur when viewing high-definition video.
• Class 4 memory cards are the most popular and widespread. Fully meet the high-speed needs of budget phones and smartphones related to multimedia files. Nevertheless, it is better not to use it for games and programs.
• Class 6 memory cards - can already be a replacement for the internal memory of some electronic devices and are designed to record and store any type of file.
• Class 10 memory cards are the fastest type of cards, the maximum capabilities of which can be used by any smartphones. Allows you to record video in high resolution and perform other tasks that require high-speed recording of information.
• Class U1 memory cards - are an improved class 10, a slightly higher write speed and significantly faster reading, as a result of which they can be used for program files, since loading from them will be much faster.
• U3 class memory cards are used very rarely, since their characteristics are only needed when recording video in 4K resolution, and the cost is very high.

What is the maximum memory card capacity supported by the device?

Often, most manufacturers themselves indicate in the characteristics of the phone or smartphone, what size memory card is recommended to be installed in the gadget. However, sometimes this information is not indicated directly, but using the encoding of different types of cards. It's worth taking a look at the device's spec sheet to see which cards are supported. The following might be written there:

• microSD cards are an old standard that requires the installation of a micro-storage card of the phone with a maximum capacity of 4 GB. Sometimes some Chinese manufacturers write that cards up to 8 GB are supported with the same marking, but no more.
• microSDHC cards are the most common format among budget phones and smartphones today. It provides for the possibility of expanding the memory with cards up to 32 GB, which is quite enough for most users.
• microSDXC cards are a new format that allows you to work with volumes up to 2 TB. Often, cards of this size can be very expensive, but quite popular, inexpensive, and at the same time a functional solution would be to install additional memory with a capacity of 64 or 128 GB.

How to choose a manufacturer

In fact, there is not much difference between memory cards from different manufacturers. They are all quite reliable, so only the price or attractive appearance can become the final weighty argument when choosing. The speed of a card, as discussed above, depends only on its class.

Sometimes on older devices there is a situation when memory cards of the maximum volume for the gadget do not work from all manufacturers. What this is connected with, even the developers of this or that gadget cannot answer. For example, a similar question was previously discussed on the forums - an ordinary memory card was bought, but I didn’t see it point-blank, although it worked with other devices without problems. Therefore, when buying a memory card, it is best to take with you the device for which it is intended. In this way, you can avoid unnecessary stress associated with the return of an accessory that did not fit.

Instructions for inserting a memory card

How exactly and where to put the card itself is often written in the user instructions for the device. However, there is often missed another important point. Some devices can easily read data written to a card with a file system in one of the common formats. But at the same time, after prolonged use, failures may begin, which can lead to the loss of important information.

To prevent this from happening, it is recommended immediately after installation, while there is no data on the card, to format it directly using your phone or smartphone. Do not be too lazy to do this operation, because later it can protect you from unnecessary worries. This is where the recommendations on how to choose a memory card for your phone come to an end. We hope you will not have any problems when purchasing this accessory.

Despite the fact that visually SD and SDHC memory cards are almost completely identical, and their areas of application do not differ at all, they still have a number of fundamental differences, which we will try to figure out.

Both memory cards are designed for use in portable and miniature devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, etc.

The memory card was originally created in 2000 SD based on the previously existing MMC memory card. The SD memory card has been designed with safety in mind. Information is recorded in a special protected area using a special protocol that is not available to the user. Additionally, the information on the memory card can be protected with a password, which completely eliminates unauthorized access.

To avoid accidental loss of data, the SD memory card has a mechanical switch that, in the "lock" position, blocks the recording of information on the card.

All these properties were implemented in the evolutionary continuation - in memory cards SDHC.

And here you should pay attention to one significant nuance. Since the SDHC memory card is an evolutionary continuation of the SD memory card, it is not compatible with devices designed for SD, while devices originally designed for the SDHC card work without problems with SD cards.

Another similar moment of SD and SDHC cards is the concept of “class”, which characterizes the speed of writing information to a memory card. In SD and SDHC cards, the class number indicates the minimum speed at which information can be written to the memory card, for example, class 6 means at least 6 MB/s.

The main difference between an SDHC memory card and an SD memory card is the amount of memory. For an SD memory card, it does not exceed 4 GB, while for an SDHC memory card, it can go up to 32 GB. And this is their main difference.

Findings site

1. First came the SD memory card, and only then - SDHC
2. SD card devices do not work with SDHC cards, but SDHC card devices work without problems with older SD cards.
3. The memory capacity of the SD card does not exceed 4 GB. The SDHC card can be up to 32 GB.

Summary testing of 20 SDHC memory cards with a capacity of 32 GB

Now, no matter what store you go to, there are a huge number of memory cards from various manufacturers on the shelves. They differ from each other in format, class, and, ultimately, in the speed of reading and writing data. But how big is the difference in practice? This is what we will check in our new testing!

If you format the card using standard OS utilities or in a device that does not support the SDXC standard, it will end up with a different file system (for example, FAT32). The SD Association warns that the card will then lose compatibility with devices that support SDXC. Fortunately, for some card readers, cameras, etc., updating the driver or firmware is enough.

⇡ Speed ​​increase: fast, faster, even faster!

Along with the volume of memory cards, the data transfer speed also grew. In the early days of SD, it was measured in multiples or "velocities". One multiplier (or one "speed") equaled 150 KB/s, just like CDs had in their day. But in such multipliers, the maximum access speed obtained in ideal conditions, whether reading or writing, and this is not the best option for the buyer. Therefore, the SD Associations decided to put an end to such disgrace, and in 2006 (SD Specifications V. 2.0), together with SDHC standard cards, four speed classes were approved for them: 0, 2, 4 and 6th. Each class denoted the minimum data transfer rate in decimal megabytes per second - for both reading and writing. In addition to the zero class. It includes all cards released before the adoption of the specified specification, regardless of performance. Also approved single standard memory card markings: the number indicating the speed class fit inside the capital letter C.

Memory card speed classes

Alas, humanity is arranged in such a way that it always lacks land, oil, minerals or the speed of memory cards. Therefore, in the next specification (SD Specifications V. 3.01 - in the very one that describes SDXC cards) was introduced with the 10th speed class, which has a nominal value of 10 MB / s (again, in decimal format), and the UHS-I (Ultra High Speed, version 1) bus, which could be used in SDHC and SDXC format cards. The use of this bus increases the maximum theoretical data transfer rate to 104 MB/s (in the case when this bus is supported by a card reader or other device) and does not entail any problems with backward compatibility between new cards and older readers (provided that the latter support SDHC or SDXC formats).

On memory cards that support the UHS bus, you can find a mark in the form of a Roman numeral 1, and also a UHS bus speed marking - the numbers 1 or 3, inscribed in capital letter U. The first UHS class is equivalent to the usual tenth SDHC speed class (10 MB / s), and the third speed class, as you might guess, should provide an access speed (sequential read and write) of at least 30 MB / s.

Then, in June 2011, the SD version 4.0 specification appeared, describing the UHS-II bus, which should increase the maximum throughput up to 312 MB / s. In addition, the use of the UHS-II bus provides for an increase in contacts on the card by eight pieces. Separately, I would like to note the preservation of backward compatibility between UHS-II and UHS-I cards.

Memory cards that support the UHS-II bus are labeled with the Roman numeral II.

At the time of this writing, 312 MB/s data transfer is still a fantasy. And there are very few memory cards themselves that support the UHS-II bus, they cost like a good SSD drive, and a larger one. Take for example Panasonic Micro P2: 32 or 64 GB capacity, maximum sequential read speed - 2 Gb / s. The price is about 11 or 16 thousand rubles, respectively.

Memory card with UHS-II bus

It turns out that over the 14 years of its existence, SD memory cards have undergone many changes and have been divided into several formats. But only readers, but not cards, are backward compatible with previous formats (see diagram).

⇡ Options for labeling memory cards. How not to make a mistake when buying?

Let us now briefly summarize what has been said above. At the time of this writing, two SD memory card formats can be found on sale: SDHC and SDXC. They differ from each other in the maximum volume and file system. The maximum capacity of SDHC is 32 GB, and SDXC 2 TB, although in reality it is very difficult to find an SDXC card with a capacity of more than 128 GB. We managed to find the very “largest” card with a capacity of 256 GB only from Lexar. In Amazon, it costs $399, but it was not found in Russian stores.

Before proceeding to the further choice of a memory card, it is worth figuring out what capacity you need. If more than 32 GB, then you should go for SDXC and check all devices in which you plan to use this card for compatibility with this standard. It is especially worth checking old card readers and cameras, because modern equipment (if we are not talking about a laptop with Linux and a three-year-old camera) should not have any problems with SDXC (or rather, with the exFAT file system). If your camera does not support SDXC, then you should search the Internet for a new firmware and a description for it - sometimes the manufacturer can add SDXC support in the new firmware. As, for example, it was done with the Pentax K-x camera.

So, speed. In order to determine the approximate data transfer rate of a memory card, you need to look at its speed class and whether it supports the UHS-I or UHS-II bus.

On some memory cards from among those that took part in our summary testing, we also found not only the marking of the usual tenth class, but also the speed indicated in the "multipliers" - this is a normal, albeit rare, phenomenon.

by the most the best option there will be a card on the packaging or on the front side of which the established write or read speed is indicated, tested by the manufacturer. Buying such memory, you can be sure that the sequential read or write speed will be higher than the minimum allowable level for the 10th class. And for very expensive memory cards (for example, SanDisk Extreme Pro), sequential read and write speeds declared on packages can reach 90 MB / s. But in practice, memory cards with the indicated speed are more expensive than others, which is quite normal - you have to pay separately for fast and tested memory. In addition, sometimes there are markings like “up to 60 MB / s” without indicating what type of data transfer this speed refers to - reading or writing.

The following image shows examples of the designation of speed classes on memory cards. OltraMax card: just tenth grade; Transcend card: Class 10 supporting UHS-I bus and Class 1 UHS speed; SanDisk: Class 10, UHS-I, Class 1 UHS-I, and advertised at 95 MB/s.

⇡ Test participants, specifications

Our summary testing involves 20 different memory cards from various manufacturers - popular and not so popular. Among them there are both specimens without the declared data transfer rate (but not lower than the 10th class), and cards with a data transfer rate of up to 90 MB / s. If the speed was indicated on the packaging of the card, but it was not written what it refers to (reading or writing), then so much the worse for the cunning manufacturer. In our table, we recorded this speed in the "read" and "write" cells marked "total".

Before proceeding to the description of our test subjects, I would like to remind you about the cost of memory cards. In the table, we have indicated two prices. The first is the average retail price taken from 3DNews, and the second is derived from other sources. Since the prices are average, the cards we have chosen in Moscow online stores can be found cheaper than indicated in the table. Everything will depend on the total number of offers on the market, the relevance of a particular memory card and, quite likely, on the fluctuations in the dollar in recent months.

⇡ Transcend Premium TS32GSDHC10, Premium 300x TS32GSDU1 and Ultimate 600x TS32GSDHC10U1

The trio from Transcend can serve as another illustration of the description of the labeling of memory cards. On the youngest card (Premium TS32GSDHC10) only the 10th speed class is indicated, but on the other two (Premium 300x TS32GSDU1 and Ultimate 600x TS32GSDHC10U1) the 10th general and first UHS class are indicated, as well as the speed in “multipliers”, which are almost are equal to the speeds in MB / s indicated on the packaging. Manufacturers who want to make their cards more attractive to the buyer do something like this, because “300x” and “600x” at first glance look “bigger” than 43.5 or 87.9 MB / s, respectively.

Although the fastest memory card, Transcend Ultimate 600x TS32GSDHC10U1, has one advantage over other test participants. The manufacturer stated that it uses MLC-memory, while on the packaging (and in the specifications) of other cards it is not possible to find a word about the chips used. However, the MLC (Multi-Level Cell) marking, by definition, can designate cells with both two and three (also called TLC) charge levels. Both options are used in memory cards.

⇡ Kingston Ultra SD10V/32GB, Elite SD10G3/32GB and Ultimate SDA10/32GB

There will also be three memory cards from Kingston, another well-known manufacturer of drives, in our testing. On the youngest card, Kingston SD10V/32GB, only the tenth speed class is indicated, but for other cards, Kingston Elite SD10G3/32GB and Ultimate SDA10/32GB, speeds of 30 and 60 MB/s are declared for reading, respectively. For Kingston Ultimate and 35 MB / s, the write speed is also declared.

⇡ SanDisk Ultra SDSDU-032G-U46, Extreme SDSDXS-032G-X46 and Extreme Pro SDSDXPA-032G-X46

SanDisk cards are a welcome exception in our test. And the thing is that all three cards of this company we use have the maximum access speed. At the youngest card, SanDisk Ultra (SDSDU-032G-U46), it is 30 MB / s for sequential reading, while for SanDisk Extreme Pro - 95 and 90 MB / s for sequential reading and writing, respectively.

⇡ ADATA ASDH32GCL10-R, ASDH32GUICL10-R and ASDH32GUI1CL10-R

ADATA is a storage device manufacturer of the most different kind and appointments. The company's product line includes RAM, external hard drives, solid state drives and SD cards. It was the last three devices from ADATA that we took for the test.

Before us is an almost standard set of three cards: the simplest ADATA ASDH32GCL10-R class 10 without access speeds and two more complicated cards. So, ADATA ASDH32GUICL10-R has a total speed of up to 30 MB / s, and the most pumped one, ADATA ASDH32GUI1CL10-R, has 95 MB / s for sequential reading and 45 MB / s for writing.

⇡ Silicon Power SP032GBSDH010V10, Elite SP032GBSDHAU1V10 and Superior SP032GBSDHCU1V10

Silicon Power can be called a direct competitor to ADATA, because on the official website of this company you can find almost the same range of products as on the website of the previous manufacturer.

The cheapest Silicon Power card - SP032GBSDH010V10 - has only the 10th speed class, but other models have speeds of 40 and 15 MB / s (Silicon Power Elite SP032GBSDHAU1V10), as well as 90/45 MB / s (Silicon Power Superior SP032GBSDHCU1V10) for reading and writing, respectively.

⇡ OltraMax OM032GSDHC10, OM032GSDHC10UHS-1 and OM032GSDHC10UHS-1 95 MB/s*

OltraMax, unlike all other participants in the test, is practically unknown to the average consumer. But inside the packages of two fast OltraMax cards it is written that the company uses Samsung components - this is a good advertisement for the card manufacturer. The only pity is that in order to see such advertising, you need to buy a memory card and open the package.

The OltraMax trio is almost no different from the previous triplets. The simplest and cheapest card from this manufacturer, OltraMax OM032GSDHC10, is only rated 10th class, the average memory card, OltraMax OM032GSDHC10UHS-1, also cannot boast of any marks other than 10th class and UHS-I. But the coolest card, OltraMax OM032GSDHC10UHS-1 95 MB/s*, promises a speed of about 95 MB/s, which is very interesting.

⇡ Qumo QM32GSDHC10 and Toshiba FlashAir SD-F32AIR(BL8

The next two cards are slightly off the list. We received only one Class 10 drive from Qumo for testing. And the Toshiba FlashAir SD-F32AIR(BL8) stands out for being able to share content over Wi-Fi.

Memory cards with Wi-Fi have long been considered something unusual or innovative - many manufacturers have such models, but their small variety hints at modest popularity. Judging by the characteristics, you should not expect high speeds from Toshiba FlashAir SD-F32AIR (BL8 - this card does not even support the UHS-I memory bus. But it has Wi-Fi and even the ability to distribute wireless Internet, if you add a name to the card settings and password to access another network

How to understand the card class, what is UHS and how to choose the best card at the lowest price.

We will tell everything on the examples of Toshiba SD cards. All data is relevant for CF and other types of cards.

The card always lists the card type, baud rate, card class, and bus.

Card types

There are three types of SD cards:

• SD- the very first memory cards, compatible with all devices. Capacity up to 2 GB.
• SDHC-SD High Capacity- high-capacity cards. Capacity 4 - 32 GB.
• SDXC - SD Extended Capacity- extended capacity cards. Capacity 32 GB - 4 TB.

Speed

For photography, the recording speed at which the camera will save data is important.

On maps, the speed can be specified directly, for example 95 Mbps.

You can also find cards in which the speed of work is indicated by a multiplicity, for example 600x. Multiplicity is always one x=150 kb/s.

100x = 100 x 0.15 kb/s = 15 Mb/s. This speed has gone since CD-ROM (things that were before the iPod and long before the iPhone). The maximum multiple speed is 633x (95 MB/s). For CF cards, the maximum multiple speed is 1066x (160 Mbps).

For example, Toshiba EXCERIA PRO UHS-II 16GB. Read and write speeds are 260 and 240 Mb/s, respectively. This means that a gigabyte of data will be written to the card in 4 seconds. The main thing is that your camera supports such a speed and a bus (you will learn about it below).

Map class

The card class specifies the minimum guaranteed streaming write speed. For example, Class 10 corresponds to a speed of 10 Mbps.

For video, it is not the peak speed that matters, but the streaming recording speed, otherwise there will be frame loss.

Since 2009, SD cards have been introduced additional classes U1 and U3 (based on the new high speed UHS bus). Classes provide a minimum speed of 10 and 30 Mb / s, respectively.

Example. Toshiba EXCERIA UHS-I. The card uses UHS speed class 3, which provides a minimum speed of 30 Mbps. and although its maximum write and read speeds are 60 and 95 MB/s, this card is capable of recording video at 4K resolution.

Below is a table of correspondence between the class and the minimum streaming write speed.

Recently, the SD concern has developed new standards for card classes that will allow you to shoot video in 8K resolution.

What is UHS

UHS - (Ultra High Speed) ultra-high-speed bus that provides maximum write speed.

• UHS-I supports speeds up to 104MB/s
• UHS-II supports up to 312 Mb/s.

UHS-II cards can be distinguished by two rows of pins.

Example

As you can see, the speed is 260 Mb / s. Roman I stands for UHS-I class. And the U3 shows that the card supports 4K video shooting.

Which card to choose

• Shooting FullHD video - Class 10 cards, or class U1 of the EXCERIA series.
• Maximum Photo Recording Speed ​​- Choose UHS-II cards with the maximum speed of the EXCERIA PRO series.
• Shooting 4K video - class U3 cards of the EXCERIA series.
• High-speed recording + 4K video shooting - U3 class cards and EXCERIA PRO series UHS-II bus.

Let's try to find out what class of memory card you should equip your smartphone, tablet, laptop, camcorder or camera with when such a need arises, and what class of memory card is best for each of these devices?

To do this, let us consider in detail what classification of memory cards currently exists, and how one miniature storage device differs from another.

Before you know what the class of a storage device means, you should clarify the concept of the speed of information carriers. There are two different meanings this parameter: the first is the read or transfer speed, and the second is the write speed. The read speed is almost always faster than the write speed, while it is not directly related to the class of equipment: it may even turn out that a flash drive with the designation “class 4” will be read faster than a class 10 flash drive.

Of the two numbers that describe the characteristics of the media, this will be the larger number: the higher the reading speed, the easier and faster you can transfer information to an external device. Recording speed is important for hardware performance, and it is this speed that allows you to record high-definition video. You can find out if the manufacturer offers a good high-speed recording mode by looking at reverse side packaging.

Since some unscrupulous manufacturers indicate overestimated characteristics on their products, it is better to purchase memory cards from well-known brands, but, in any case, it is always possible to check the speed data yourself. Check speed easily with special programs, for example, USB-Flash-Banchmark and Check Flash, which can be downloaded for free, or the H2testw utility.

Existing card types

A modern digital storage medium comes in different sizes: mini, micro and full-size version, while the smallest dimensions are designed for a smartphone, tablet or mobile phone, and those that are larger are used in camcorders and cameras.

For a long time CompactFlash, or CF cards, sized 43 x 36 x 3.3 mm were the main media, and although the age of these formats has already passed, nevertheless, they are still used in some DVRs today.

The most common type of digital storage equipment today is the SD Card (Secure Digital Memory Card) or SD card.

This device, which does not exceed the size of a postage stamp, with dimensions of 32 x 24 x 2.1 mm, has surpassed CF cards in all parameters, and almost all modern technology is compatible with it. Devices with higher capacity began to be abbreviated as SDHC, and ultra-high capacity as SDXC.

A micro SD or micro sd card is simply a miniature version of an SD card, measuring 11 x 15 x 1 mm, which is inserted into devices with limited space, such as phones. However, if necessary, it can even be installed in a laptop if you use a special adapter that exists for this. There is also a mini SD with dimensions of 21.5 x 20 x 1.4 mm, since some types of equipment are equipped with just such slots.

Classes of SD memory cards

Let's say that we already know what size the storage device should be, how much memory we need for optimal operation. It remains only to find out what the class of a memory card is, what this SD card parameter affects in order to select the required one. It is from this characteristic that the speed at which we can transmit or receive the information of interest to us will depend.

So, this is a parameter that determines the degree of speed of an SD memory card, according to which all devices are divided into:

1. Class 2 - speed from 2 mb/s to 4 mb/s. Since the write speed is very low, this class of flash drive should not be used in camcorders or digital cameras. The relative cheapness of the card compensates for the lack of speed, so it can be safely used for sound and image playback, that is, in audio or video players, since in this case high speed is not needed.
2. Class 4 - speed from 4 Mb / s and above. For amateur home photography in digital cameras, class four can be used. The fourth class, in addition, is installed in the DVR and some inexpensive non-professional video cameras.
3. Class 6 - guaranteed speed from 6 Mb / s and above. A flash drive of this level can already be installed in semi-professional camcorders and SLR cameras that shoot in RAW format. They allow you to get a fairly high quality shooting.
4. Class 10 - the speed is from 10 Mb / s and above. A class 10 flash drive can be equipped with a car recorder, professional video and photo equipment with Full HD recording. Class 10 allows burst photography, RAW shooting, and image saving, which has great importance for professional photographers. However, such devices are somewhat more expensive, for example, a microsdhc class 10 memory card will cost at least 1000 rubles.
5. SD Class 16 - speed of at least 16 Mb / s, however, it is still very difficult to buy this card in our country, since it has not yet been widely sold.
6. Ultra High Speed ​​(UHS) - These ultra high speed cards can only be used with compatible devices, which is usually written in the instructions. Class 10 UHS I is a high-speed card, the write speed of which can reach 50 Mb / s or more.

There is a UHS specification that regulates the speed of equipment. According to the UHS-I standard, the data exchange rate must be at least 50 Mb / s and up to 104 Mb / s, according to the UHS-II standard - at least 156 Mb / s and up to 312 Mb / s. The class 10 uhs i card allows you to achieve the highest level of real-time recording and, in addition, get large-sized HD video.

How to determine the class of a memory card? You just need to look at it carefully: the circled number is not the front of the digital storage medium and will be the desired value.

How to choose a flash drive

Please note that the latest memory device formats may not be suitable for older hardware. For example, if a smartphone supports the micro SD format, this does not mean that it will also support high-speed micro SDXC. Therefore, to find out this possibility, it is better to familiarize yourself with the documentation for the smartphone in advance.

Micro SD, like SD media, comes in two formats (SDHC up to 32 GB and SDXC from 64 to 512 GB) and is used in all modern smartphones and tablets. The tenth speed class of such information carriers is no different from their full-size counterparts. Thus, the higher the classes of sdhc memory cards, the faster the data transfer occurs, which is the main advantage of those micro SD cards that are more expensive for the same capacity.

For example, a microsdhc class 10 32GB memory card, costing about 1500 rubles. ideal for modern digital devices such as phones, camcorders, smartphones, pocket computers, audio players and game consoles. If you do not save on the class of equipment, pursuing momentary profit, then you can get long-term excellent results in the future use of technology: high-quality pictures and amazing videos, as well as funds from their sale.