Why Nexus phones don't have a SD card slot

[Mostly Harmless]

So I fully understand that Google wants you to put all your pictures, music, movies, and documents in their cloud, got it. But that doesn't work for me. While I have all my music located on Google Music I still have to keep it on my SD card because DLNA servers don't understand the file type that Google Music saves it under.

Also, this is 2012, space is cheap. I can not for the life of me understand why they are still offering 8GB and 16GB models. It should stand as 16gb and 32gb or even better 32gb and 64gb.

And while we are at it, why not just include an SD card slot? This would solve the issue of increase cost (if there is one) of putting more space on the phones/tablets. It's crazy that Googles premier phones are coming out with a max of 16GB of space.

Lucky for me I see that they are finally putting out a 32GB Nexus 7 which finally allows me to seriously consider it. 13GB are already accounted for my music.

 

[ExtremeNerd]

Google it.

Google has made it clear why they're not including a SD card slot, and it's not just to get people into the cloud.

The reason there is so "little" storage is because most users don't need 64GB. Add to the fact Google is targeting a specific price point, $299, for their phone. That's unlocked. Google is focusing on the bigger picture of making an amazing device, while keeping the cost low enough to be attractive to common users.

 

[Digital Controller]

Google it.

Google has made it clear why they're not including a SD card slot, and it's not just to get people into the cloud.

The reason there is so "little" storage is because most users don't need 64GB. Add to the fact Google is targeting a specific price point, $299, for their phone. That's unlocked. Google is focusing on the bigger picture of making an amazing device, while keeping the cost low enough to be attractive to common users.

This This this ^

You see how much Apple charges for the increase in Storage, its about 100 dollars per 8gb increase, which is kind of crazy, but that's what it goes for. Therefore, you can see Google trying to get into a lower price market so that more people that can't afford a 700$ iPhone can afford their 300$ Nexus line phone.

 

[gtbarry]

I agree that expandable storage is peace of mind, but I don't think it is necessary.

I have 16gb - about 40% taken up and a 3.5gb of that is taken up by wikipedia offline.

I am a bit quirky though in that I don't load up on MP3s (I carry an ipod nano so that I can listen to music/podcasts as long as I want and not worry about my phone battery) and I am really good about removing pics and vids (out of fear of a lost phone).

Plus when I had an SD card I drove myself nuts by pulling the phone from my computer that I forgot had the card mounted and then the card would not reset, etc. etc.

 

[AntimonyER]

Yeah, I have used up most of my N7's 16GB, mainly because of apps and books for my kids. I still think 32GB is the sweet spot.

 

[Hadron]

I agree that expandable storage is peace of mind, but I don't think it is necessary.

I have 16gb - about 40% taken up and a 3.5gb of that is taken up by wikipedia offline.

I am a bit quirky though in that I don't load up on MP3s (I carry an ipod nano so that I can listen to music/podcasts as long as I want and not worry about my phone battery) and I am really good about removing pics and vids (out of fear of a lost phone).

I do carry music on my phone, plus a couple of nandroid backups, and I typically have 26-27GB of my sd card used. Given that "32GB" of flash memory only stores 29.8GB of data (the old "digital vs binary units" con), that the quoted capacity of a phone generally includes the system software (so not all of it's available to the user) and a nandroid would be larger on a newer phone, I'm not sure that even 32GB is enough for me. And while I don't do video on my phone, can I be sure I won't want to at any point in the next couple of years? So while it's not necessary for a lot of people, for some of us it is.

"Keep it in the cloud" doesn't suit me, and I don't care that Google think it's what I should do. Actually I think the storage bump in the N7 shows that they have become aware that not everyone buys this (they were apparently surprised that the 16GB N7 outsold the 8GB version).

But hey, I didn't expect anything else, so I can't say I'm disappointed

 

[ExtremeNerd]

Yeah, I have used up most of my N7's 16GB, mainly because of apps and books for my kids. I still think 32GB is the sweet spot.

I agree with you personally, but disagree with you on a business level. Why would Google offer something that 70%+ of it's users don't need? Outside of us power users, there are few common users I can think of who use that much. The fact we're on an andriod site makes us outsiders. We are the 1%.

Not to mention, common users view the iPhone as the standard still. They don't have a SD card slot, and no one minds.

Personally, I bought the GS3 over waiting for the nexus because I want the SD storage. I have a 32gb card I swap between my devices, and that is something I wouldn't trade. That's the beauty of choice.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

I do carry music on my phone, plus a couple of nandroid backups, and I typically have 26-27GB of my sd card used. Given that "32GB" of flash memory only stores 29.8GB of data (the old "digital vs binary units" con), that the quoted capacity of a phone generally includes the system software (so not all of it's available to the user) and a nandroid would be larger on a newer phone, I'm not sure that even 32GB is enough for me. And while I don't do video on my phone, can I be sure I won't want to at any point in the next couple of years? So while it's not necessary for a lot of people, for some of us it is.

"Keep it in the cloud" doesn't suit me, and I don't care that Google think it's what I should do. Actually I think the storage bump in the N7 shows that they have become aware that not everyone buys this (they were apparently surprised that the 16GB N7 outsold the 8GB version).

But hey, I didn't expect anything else, so I can't say I'm disappointed

^ This

They don't even have to add anymore memory, just give us an SD slot, it cost them nothing to add it.

13GB is already dedicated to my music, so that leaves me with 3GB (or less) for pictures, videos, backups, apps, etc.....

Plus why not just give us the choice? Make a 64 GB version people would by it.

 

[ExtremeNerd]

^ This

They don't even have to add anymore memory, just give us an SD slot, it cost them nothing to add it.

13GB is already dedicated to my music, so that leaves me with 3GB (or less) for pictures, videos, backups, apps, etc.....

Plus why not just give us the choice? Make a 64 GB version people would by it.

Why Nexus devices have no SD card | Android Central

People won't buy it. Or rather, enough won't sell to justify the cost of production. It's just not necessary. The Nexus line are already a niche phone, why segment their sales even more? 20% of iPhone users bought the largest iPhone. That's not really enough to bother producing for Google.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

And we are relying on cloud storage when cell phone companies are tightening there data plans and charging more for data. Soon enough you will be paying (in data fees) to listen to your own music.

 

[Summer17]

And we are relying on cloud storage when cell phone companies are tightening there data plans and charging more for data. Soon enough you will be paying (in data fees) to listen to your own music.

And you will also be paying to watch your own photos and videos! And any other of your own, private files!
While Big Brother has free 'unfettered' access to everything! EVERYTHING!

 

[zuben el genub]

Can't put stuff on cloud. Most of mine is databases that need to be built in.

You tend to use these where there is no service of any kind. No service, no cloud. I've used almost 3/4 of 16G on tablet. Almost the same on phone. I'd like to be able to add more of these guides as they become available without having to make a choice.

At least my Acer A500 uses both an external card and a USB stick so entertainment can be put there and leave room in the memory for more important stuff.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

For most users, 16GB is enough. The main reason is that Google want to keep the cost low enough to be attractive to common users, in order to compete with iPad. It is an advantage, compared to the high price of iPad.

I understand that but at least give us an SD slot, it cost nothing to put in.

 

[ExtremeNerd]

This is being discussed in multiple threads, but I thought it was important enough to merit its own topic. Here is a quote directly from Google's own Matias Duarte, head of Android, explaining the situation.

Why don

 

[Ayhio]

Still nothing stopping them from making a 32gb variant.

 

[Ayhio]

When I had my GS2,this is how my storage space was taken:
6GB only for HD games(I'm a heavy gamer).
Around 200MB of mp3 songs<---always increasing but not by a huge rate,maybe a new 3MB song every 2 weeks and I might delete some songs if I stopped listening to them for a long time.
200MB for pics and some non-photographic pics for wallpapers.
Nearly 1GB of recorded 1080P videos,I moved them to my PC because I rarely watched them anyways.When it comes to watching videos,I watch them 99% of the time on youtube which is online(duh).
Around 500MB of apps.
And rest of the space was taken by a titanium backup folder,some ROM/mods/themes zips etc and I still had like 200MB.

Considering that always keeping the titanium backup folder and the ROMs is not important(on the phone at least),I could have more than 2GB free memory and that's because the GS2 got 11GB useable memory,the nexus 4 should have 13GB useable like the gnex so I would have 4GB free memory.

I think 16gb is OK for me,still 32GB would be more welcome just for peace of mind that I still got plenty of space for songs,1080P videos and pics.

My bigger concern about this device is the fact that it's manufactured by LG.I don't know if their customer support is good...And if the battery can be replaced in their service centers if it started to age or completely die.

 

[Deleted User]

I would certainly be swayed to the line of nexus devices but lack of sd put me off.

I even eyed up the HTC one range but found they don't had sd storage either so was disappointed!

That's the reason im now going to look at the s3 because of the sd slot! Shame really

 

[ExtremeNerd]

I would certainly be swayed to the line of nexus devices but lack of sd put me off.

I even eyed up the HTC one range but found they don't had sd storage either so was disappointed!

That's the reason im now going to look at the s3 because of the sd slot! Shame really

It's not a shame at all. It's called a choice. Welcome to what Android is all about.

 

[Stuntman]

With a Nexus you know exactly how much storage you get upfront and you can decide what

 

[Hadron]

I do have 2 problems with the argument as presented by the Google exec:

1) "It's too complicated" - if you're an idiot, perhaps. The biggest selling android phones have this though, and while I've heard plenty of people say they bought a Samsung because they have an sd slot, people who buy fixed storage phones never say it's because sd is too complicated

2) "You can pick the size you want" - only we won't offer it. In fact with the GNex they didn't offer a choice at all in most of the world, just one size, and with the N4 it's "same as the GNex or worse" .

So the second is clearly disingenuous at best, and the first seems objectively wrong

The beauty of an expansion slot is that you can cater to people's different requirements without incurring the production and distribution costs of making different capacity phones. Maybe that's why the people who make money selling the phones mostly still have them.

 

[mrbutters]

This is being discussed in multiple threads, but I thought it was important enough to merit its own topic. Here is a quote directly from Google's own Matias Duarte, head of Android, explaining the situation.

Why don

 

[ExtremeNerd]

This stinks of something Apple would say....

If by that you mean a successful, once borderline monopolistic phone manufacturer, then yes, you'd be right. Find a study that shows the average user uses a significant portion of 32gb. You won't find it. We are NOT average users.

 

[Digital Controller]

If by that you mean a successful, once borderline monopolistic phone manufacturer, then yes, you'd be right. Find a study that shows the average user uses a significant portion of 32gb. You won't find it. We are NOT average users.

Probably the best thing i have ever heard anyone say.

This forum usually has many smartphone enthusiasts and people who tinker with their devices beyond what they should.

We, in this equation, are considered the 1%, the rest of the world who has smartphones, uses them as they come stock, and do not mess with anything else.

Others are fine with a standard 16/32GB without having to mess with dual storage and such, because with a standard user they get confused and scared when things aren't where they are supposed to be.

I applaud google for trying to set a standard for their device because ultimately they are trying to make it easier for the regular user.

 

[Mostly Harmless]

I don't applaud them at all, give the user a choice, android has always been about choice. Offer a 16GB model with an SD Slot. You don't have to give the user an SD card.

 

[Clementine_3]

Put the slot on the phone, don't ship it with a card. If you are smart enough to know you want more storage you are smart enough to buy a card and figure out how to use it.
Of course, if you can't do that and run out of room there is always the obvious answer...store everything in Google's cloud. That's really what they are hoping for, they aren't fooling anyone.