Android 5 Vs. External storage, SD Memory

[dddave]

I just read today on a Tech site that one of the big memory manufacturers (sorry, forget which) is about to announce a 512G Micro SD memory card. Wow!!

This brings up a question I hope somebody here can explain:

I keep reading bits and pieces about how the latest versions of android, from 4.4 up through 5.1 are increasingly restrictive on the ways a device can use SD/External Memory.

For instance, it seems that it is now much more difficult to download an app to external memory. Also it appears to be increasingly difficult to move image files from phone memory to SD memory. I have seen complaints that trying to edit image groups stored in external memory via an on-board app is almost impossible.

The general consensus seems to be that Google/Android are trying to force us all into the cloud, thus monetizing storage further and that forthcoming Android versions will be even more restrictive. There also seems to be a recent trend for phones now being introduced into the mid-priced market to have much more internal memory with several models offering 64G onboard, thus minimizing the need for external memory.

Can somebody explain just what it is that is happening? What are the actual restrictions that have come into play with Android 4.4 and up? Will external memory become useful only for storing music and videos? What will we do with 512G SD memory once we have it? I can understand it being really useful for today's memory hungry top line cameras for both still and video but for mobiles??

Anybody??

[Para]

Interesting as I'm considering the Note 5 when its released. Found this on a LG site that says their phones can support a max micro SD of 2TB! LINK its the formatting ability that seems to control it as in the PC HDD FAT/FAT32/NTFS all offering increased maximum capacity.

As long as your device supports SDXC it can be formatted with exFAT (made popular by Linux) and 2TB is your limit. Working on Moor's Law doubling density every 2 years if 512 is available now the 1TB will be here by 2017 and 2TB by 2019.

Don't hold me to that!

As for what we will do. Have you downloaded any 4k stuff? a 22 minute clip comes in at whopping 3GB.

With EE (in the UK) offering 4G EE Extra with a massive DL ability of 60Mps Moor's law puts that around 200+Mbps by 2019 so why use internal storage when DL sped will be so fast?

The whole IT world is moving cloud based with Amazon as one of many now offering scalable AWS as a DasS the humble PC is on its last legs you just need a net connection and basic terminal and let you virtual PC follow you.

Sorry if that went O/T!

[RichCor]

< ... >

I keep reading bits and pieces about how the latest versions of android, from 4.4 up through 5.1 are increasingly restrictive on the ways a device can use SD/External Memory.

For instance, it seems that it is now much more difficult to download an app to external memory. Also it appears to be increasingly difficult to move image files from phone memory to SD memory. I have seen complaints that trying to edit image groups stored in external memory via an on-board app is almost impossible.

The general consensus seems to be that Google/Android are trying to force us all into the cloud, thus monetizing storage further and that forthcoming Android versions will be even more restrictive. There also seems to be a recent trend for phones now being introduced into the mid-priced market to have much more internal memory with several models offering 64G onboard, thus minimizing the need for external memory.

Can somebody explain just what it is that is happening? What are the actual restrictions that have come into play with Android 4.4 and up? Will external memory become useful only for storing music and videos? What will we do with 512G SD memory once we have it? I can understand it being really useful for today's memory hungry top line cameras for both still and video but for mobiles??

SD / External Memory is insecure

It can be removed from a mobile device and the contents analyzed or modified with external tools.

Also, in order for it to be broadly useful the memory module needed to be formatted to utilize the least common denominator (most commonly readable data format), FAT, that has no security/encryption layer.

Android previously allowed programs unrestricted read access to external SD Memory, meaning applications could utilize data found stored by other applications (useful for music and pictures), but a security issue for personal data that had been moved over with an app.

While Cloud Service are one alternative option, the real goal is to prod manufacturers to up the minimum base memory ... but people look at initial unit cost and select the cheaper units.

There were of coarse other alternatives to deal with external add-in memory issues ... but google didn't want to go down that road. Didn't even try.

[dddave]

It will be interesting to see what impact the release of the low cost 4G RAM/64G ROM Zenphone-2 will have on the memory aspect of the phone market. They just released a version in the USA which gives it world wide exposure. I wonder if it will signal a rapid rise in onboard phone memory just as the Samsung Note dramatically affected screen size.

[Chicog]

They want your data on the cloud because then they can watch what you are doing and control what you store.

[Para]

They want your data on the cloud because then they can watch what you are doing and control what you store.

Aint that the sad truth. Five Eyes getting manufacturers to build back doors in for them. David Cameron openly saying encryption will not be tolerated with the recent threat of end to end encryption apps like WhatsApp being banned LINK

“In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which we cannot read?” said Prime Minister Cameron earlier this year.

"My answer to that question is: 'No, we must not’.”

Its no longer just about bad people trying to hide what the do but normal people demanding privacy. Democracy? LMFAO.

[tlcwaterfall]

I have a Samsung galaxy Note 10.1 tablet with a 32Gb sd card on board.

I cannot delete anything on the card now.

Does anyone know how I can delete data from my sd card please?

[dddave]

"SD Card Manager" is an app available on the Play Store. It will help you delete and manage apps and files on your memory card.

[2008bangkok]

I thought it was the other way round and Kitkat wouldnt allow allow apps to write to the SD card but with Lolipop it now allows you to do that.

USe Quickpic, its free and you can save directly to the SD card on lolipop

Edited July 23, 2015 by 2008bangkok

[Para]

I have a Samsung galaxy Note 10.1 tablet with a 32Gb sd card on board.

I cannot delete anything on the card now.

Does anyone know how I can delete data from my sd card please?

Have you tried connecting your Tab to your PC? Or remove the SD and buy an adaptor so you can plug it into a USB slot on a PC?