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> We shouldn't forget that an SD card slot would solve this problem. And while we are at it, allow disk and memory upgrades on Macbooks. Aside from the fact t
by chimeracoder 9y ago
> We shouldn't forget that an SD card slot would solve this problem. And while we are at it, allow disk and memory upgrades on Macbooks.
Aside from the fact that an SD card slot would make it much harder to charge a premium markup on the hardware (which is where Apple makes most of its money), there are genuine usability concerns with putting SD cards on mobile phones.
They're not insurmountable, which is why Samsung and other manufacturers do it, but Google and Apple both avoid it for their flagship devices, because from their perspective, forcing the user to have to think about the difference between internal and external storage is an anti-pattern.
Power users may not like that answer, but beyond the revenue, that's the other reason they do it.
- dragonwriter 9y agoSamsung, to be fair, stopped doing it on flagships for a while, too, bringing them back on last years S7 and Note7.
- mikeash 9y agoUsers wouldn't be forced to think about the difference between internal and external storage. They could ignore the SD card slot and pretend it doesn't exist. Those who want to put up with the hassle could use it. There's an advantage in saving space and cost, and a major advantage for Apple in forcing people to buy absurdly expensive upgrades from them, but it's not about making the experience better somehow.
- csomar 9y agoI'm not sure what is your experience with SD cards but mine have been a horrible one. It can impact performance, and even freeze your phone. Now if you buy expensive SD cards it could solve the .... oh, just buy the upgrade!
- IBM 9y agoIt's also because most SD cards have garbage performance and wouldn't get anywhere near Apple's storage speeds. And that definitely would be a negative for the experience.
- maxxxxx 9y agoI am sure money is the main reason. All other reasons could easily be worked around if they chose to do so. I spent a few hundred more on my Macbook Pro just to make sure I have enough RAM and disk just in case I need it. If I had an iPhone (my Moto G5 has an SD slot) I would probably also go with the 128 model just to be sure.
- csomar 9y agoI'm a power user and I agree. Cheap SD card can slow down your phone and impact performance in a big way.
- maxxxxx 9y agoThen get a better one. That's not a reason to not having a slot. Otherwise let's take out the battery. Forgetting to charge also has a big impact on the phone performance.
- csomar 9y agoMost users will opt for the cheap SD card though. That's why they didn't buy the upgrade. I just went ahead with the 128GB in iPhone 7+ and I can see why Apple did that: You don't have money, you have space issues. You pay for the upgrade, then you have way more space than to bother. They are basically pushing users to the 128GB version.
- maxxxxx 9y ago"They are basically pushing users to the 128GB version." Correct. That's not because SD cards are bad but because they make more money.
- falcolas 9y agoAnd no SD card can stop you dead when your internal memory is full. Rotten either way.
- nextos 9y agoIt's absolutely not about users caring for external vs internal. In case of Google, it's about forcing users into cloud services so that Google can collect all your personal information. Note how Chromebooks have ridiculously small hard drives, despite this compromising their usefulness as general-purpose laptops.