Samsung makes the best microSD card you can buy. The EVO Plus is available in a wide range of capacities from 32GB up to 256GB, in both SDHC and SDXC card types. You can use it in any device that supports a microSD card, whether it be your smartphone, tablet, action camera, or mobile gaming console.
The card offers fast read and write speeds, which is just what you need when you're using a microSD card to expand storage in your smartphone or tablet. The EVO Plus' fast sequential speeds are ideal for recording Full HD video with your phone, but it can also handle 4K.
Although it's not the fastest microSD card you can buy, it is very close to matching those top-end UHS-I cards and its price is much lower.
In case you're still on the fence, both Digital Trends and Android Central recommend the Samsung EVO Plus as one of (if not the) best microSD cards available. Samsung is one of the largest makers of solid-state memory cards, and in our experience, we have found them to be very reliable.
Pros: Extremely affordable, at least 80MB/s transfer speed, records Full HD video and even 4K, stores high-resolution pictures, waterproof, resistant to extreme temperature, X-ray proof, magnetic proof, compatible with microSDHC and microSDXC slots
Cons: No UHS-II offerings (although you probably don't need that anyway)
If you have a GoPro Hero8 or a DJI Osmo Action, you need a high-performance microSD card that can handle 4K video recording. The SanDisk 64GB Extreme microSD card is our recommendation.
The UHS-I/U3-rated SanDisk Extreme card offers read speeds of up to 160 MB/s and write speeds of up to 60 MB/s, so your footage can be captured, stored, and transferred quickly. It also comes with recovery software, so if you lose your footage, you may be able to get it back.
A reason why we recommend a U3-rated microSD card is because the card can sustain a higher reading and writing speed that U1 cards can't. And while you may think that a more expensive UHS-II offers better performance, you should know that the Hero8, Osmo Action, and many consumer drones, like the DJI Mavic Pro 2, can only support up to the top-end of UHS-I speeds.
For the price, the SanDisk 64GB Extreme microSD card is a great balance of performance and capacity. Besides 4K video, this card is great for time-lapse footage (or GoPro's new TimeWarp feature that speeds up video) or long-duration shooting. Having that ample storage also means you can shoot longer with a drone — we found 16GB to be far too little for drone flying. And because it's affordable, you can buy a few and swap them out when a card becomes full.
The card is also protected against shock, water, and X-ray. SanDisk is a reliable brand we've used and trusted, and the Extreme series is one of the company's best.
You can also use this card with your smartphone, tablet, or mobile gaming console — just make sure your device supports SDXC cards. In addition, the card is rated A2 for compatible smartphones and V30 for video.
Note that SanDisk makes an Extreme version of a 32GB microSDHC, which we've also successfully used in the Hero8 without issues. Also, older Hero cameras (prior to the Hero5) won't support SDXC cards to their full capabilities.
Pros: Ideal for Full HD and 4K video, UHS-I/U3, A2, V30, transfer speed up to 160 MB/s, includes SD card adapter
Cons: Higher capacities see a quick jump in price and can be quite expensive
If you have a Nintendo Switch, you're going to want to prioritize capacity over speed, since the Switch uses the microSD card just to store game data, not actively transfer content. The 128GB SanDisk Ultra microSD card, then, is a perfect choice.
Although 128GB may sound like a lot of space, if when you consider games like "Breath of the Wild," which takes up 13.4GB, it will add up as you build your game library and install updates; the 32GB of internal storage that comes with the Nintendo Switch isn't enough. Speaking from experience, just buying two games from the Switch's online E-Store pushed me beyond the built-in capacity. I opted for a 128GB card after that, so I wouldn't have to think about storage again for a long time.
If you're really into downloading games and you have deep pockets, you can even get a card with 200GB, 256GB, 400GB, or even as high as 512GB. Even at the highest capacity, you won't spend more than $100. You can, of course, get a lower-capacity version of this card, since it comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB sizes, but we don't recommend it. Given that the 128GB card costs about $20, it is already a great deal for considerably more storage capacity.
As with most high-end cards like this one, you can also use it in a smartphone or tablet for storage purposes, but it's not the best option for GoPro users because it isn't rated for 4K recording.
Pros: Up to 512GB available, affordable at all storage levels, Class 10, UHS-I, included SD adapter, 10-year limited warranty, durable design
Cons: Slower write speeds means it isn't ideal for 4K recording
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