The best microSD cards for 2018
From phones and tablets to action cameras, dash cams and drones: they all use microSD for storage. Some home security cameras also record to a microSD card.
Just any old card won’t do though, especially if you’re trying to record HD or 4K video - you need the right one for the job. Here we explain how to choose a card and recommend those that you should buy.
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MicroSD card buying guide
Before you buy a card, check the maximum size that your device can accept. Dash cams are particularly limited - most will take up to 32GB, the limit of the SDHC standard - but most phones will support up to 256GB, with some up to a massive 2TB.
Cards above 32GB are called 'SDXC cards' and can be used with devices that support this standard. Currently 2TB is the limit, though the biggest microSD cards you can currently buy are 512GB.
Do I need a specific card for a camera or a phone?
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: some cards are so good, they're capable of recording 4K video in your GoPro but will also give great performance in your phone.
It can be confusing to choose a card as there are so many standards and logos. Some markings refer to speed, others to capacity. Here's how to figure them out.
The newest standards are 'V' and 'A', and you'll see a number after each which represents a minimum standard of performance.
Best microSD for video recording
Basically, if you're buying a microSD card to record video, you'll want to look for one with a V10 logo or better. The number after the V is the guaranteed write speed in megabytes per second (MB/s), although it may be higher than this.
If there's no 'V' number, check the packaging or specifications to find out the write speed. Watch out because the biggest number is usually the read speed, not write.
Best microSD for phones and tablets
On the other hand, you might be buying a card to expand your phone or tablet's storage. Here you need good performance for reading and writing small files.
That's why the other new rating system is 'App performance', denoted by an A, followed by a number.
It works in a similar way to the video class, and you'll see an A1 or A2 logo on a card. A2 is very new, but A1 cards should be fast enough for running apps and games.