14 DAY TRIAL // None of the iPhones currently out there comes with support for microSD cards, and the chances are that future models will also lack such functionality because Apple is aiming for state-of-the-art security where no compromises are allowed.
So the iPhone 7 and probably most models coming after that will come without microSD card support, which in many cases is quite troublesome, especially for those with 16GB iPhones.
Taking into account the space that you lose because of iOS and the pre-installed software, you get a lot less than that, so if you try to record a longer 4K video with your brand new iPhone 6s, it’s not that hard to run out of space.
But fortunately, there’s actually a way to use a microSD card with your iPhone, as long as it has a Lightning connector (and all new iPhones have it). It’s called the Lexar microSD to Lightning Reader.
How to use it
Available for only $29.95 (€25), this is nothing more than a microSD card reader that comes with a Lightning connector. In other words, you can use any microSD card with it, plug it into the Lightning port of the iPhone, and you are good to go.
The way it works is quite simple: once you connect it for the first time, you are prompted to download the official Lexar companion app from the App Store, which comes with a built-in file manager and other few extra options. The file manager allows you to move files from and to the phone, but in most of the cases, there’s only one way you’d like this to work: from the device to the microSD card and thus save space on your device.
Options to protect the content of the microSD card with Touch ID, sync the contact list or back up voice recordings also come in handy.
There are some other options too, including a synchronization feature, and this especially useful when just wanting to create a backup of your files without turning to iTunes.
File transfer speed is impressive, to say the least, and we’ve seen reports of approximately 15 MB/s read and write speed. This depends on the microSD card too, so the faster the card, the better the transfer speed.
The advantages of microSD cards on iPhones and iPads
If you’re thinking that using a microSD card with an Apple device makes no sense, think again. A microSD card allows you to store basically as much data as you want, and this device is really helpful for iPad users travelling a lot.
You can store a huge collection of movies, music and photos, so your iPad can become a portable multimedia center, no matter its original capacity.
With the capacity of microSD cards increasing at a fast pace, it’s very clear that iPhone storage might not matter too much in the future, especially since the price difference between various models isn’t something you could easily ignore.
Right now, an iPhone 6s with 16 GB costs $649 while the 128 GB version is priced at $849, so there’s a $200 difference between them. The Lexar card reader costs $29.99 while a microSD card with 128 GB is available for around $40. So with just $79, you get almost the same capacity on your iPhone, plus a little more.
