When looking for a new mobile, one of the questions that many ask is what internal storage capacity they need. They usually come with different specifications, where the internal memory capacity usually ranges from 8, 16 to 32 or 64 GB in the more advanced models. The same phone model may have different storage options. If they also support micro SD cards we can be tempted to save on the cost and expand later with one of these cards if we need it. But is it better to install an app on the micro SD or on the mobile's internal memory?
The first thing we must take into account is the use that we are going to give to the external memory. It is normally used to save photos, videos, music, movies or series that we want to enjoy at any time on our phone. It is a compromise solution, where the only advantage it has is to be able to reuse the card in other devices once the useful life of the phone is over.
Install applications on the micro SD card, when is it possible?
Some applications can be installed on this card, but not all . And this is one of the main drawbacks when choosing a cheaper terminal in exchange for less internal storage space. We think that everything can be transferred to the micro SD card, but it is not like that..
If we want to save games or applications it will be more complicated, especially if we are not advanced users and we have root permissions to install and uninstall as we please. This will help fix memory problems a bit by moving photos and other files to the microSD memory. But when it comes to moving applications or games, things get more difficult.
This is due to the limitations that Google puts on application developers . In its guide to creating apps, it imposes a series of restrictions. In this way, it causes that, although we can transfer the apps to external memory, only those that are simpler will allow us to free up space in the internal memory. At the same time, if they are simpler, surely they will not be the ones that occupy the most space. We can almost forget about games, for example..
In other cases it depends on the manufacturer and how you have configured the terminal. If the micro SD card is not configured as the primary card, it will be almost impossible to move applications unless we are root.
Disadvantages of sacrificing internal memory of the mobile
Let's take the example of a mobile with 64 GB of storage or, instead, a mobile with 32 GB of internal storage plus a memory of 32 GB. To begin, keep in mind that not all the space will be useful. We must discount in both cases what the operating system occupies us . At the same time, we must leave a small margin if we want to carry out updates when they are offered to us. Otherwise we will have to uninstall an app to make room for the download of said system update..
In addition, the external card must be formatted to use it in the smartphone, so the nominal 32 GB will never be real and will surely not reach more than 30 GB. All this means that if we have opted to reduce internal storage to save some money, we may be making a big mistake. It is true that external memory can be cheaper, but the benefits will not be comparable.
Internal memory speed vs. micro SD card
To this we have to add the difference in speed of the two types of memory. A micro SD memory can be of different categories. In any case, it will never be as fast as the internal memory of the device simply because of the type of connection it has, although the new types of micro SD card do guarantee sufficient read and write values to install said applications.
For this reason, as soon as we make an intensive use of games and applications, looking for a terminal like the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro with 64 GB is the ideal option. If it also has a microSD slot to expand the storage even better. But we must think that this external card should be dedicated to multimedia, and not have it for the applications installed on the terminal.
In Lenovo Blog | The best way to move your content to the microSD of your mobile without losing anything along the way