Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Card and MobileMate Reader

From cellular phones to GPS systems, consumer electronics are a staple of the modern lifestyle. But as devices become more and more multifunctional, the need for larger storage capacities often outpaces the amount of on-board memory provided by the manufacturer. The original Secure Digital (SD) card was developed with digital cameras in mind but the compact form factor and competitive pricing caused it to catch on for other types of devices – everything from digital picture frames to handheld gaming systems. For the most portable of electronics – devices for which form factor is as crucial as functionality – even smaller formats were developed. The dime-sized microSD standard has become the expansion format of choice for mp3 players, cellular phones, and other pocketable devices. The current-generation of such cards, dubbed microSDHC (HC for High Capacity), allows capacities of 4 – 32gb and specifies a minimum transfer rate of 2.2mb/sec for the slowest (class 2) cards.

In review today is a 4gb class 2 microSDHC from Sandisk’s ‘multimedia’ series. Intended for today’s feature-rich mobile phones, this card came bundled with the MobileMate Duo package, which consists of a USB reader and full-size SD adapter. The diminutive MobileMate M2 USB reader included in the package (and also sold separately) allows microSDHC cards to be used with any USB-enabled device, either to transfer files or as a standalone thumb drive. To see how the Sandisk product stacks up we ran the microSD card through a testing regimen against several competing cards using the MobileMate M2 reader.

Design and Ergonomics

The Sandisk microSDHC card looks and feels just like any other microSD card on the market. It is absolutely tiny (smaller than a dime and about 2x thinner) so losing it is a real possibility. Sandisk does include a small plastic case to protect the card, but leaving a microSD card outside of the device for which it is intended for any length of time seems precarious.

The MobileMate M2 USB reader is also very small and made entirely out of plastic. The flared sides make it easy to grip for insertion/removal and it is thin enough to sit in a horizontal array of USB slots next to another device. It comes with a short lanyard and can be used as a standalone flash drive. Plugging a microSD card into the reader can require a bit of effort but once inserted the card stays in snugly and securely. The MobileMate M2 was recognized instantly as a USB device with all of my PCs and performed very reliably throughout testing.

In the Box

• 4GB microSDHC card
• MobileMate card reader
• SD Adapter
• Lanyard

Performance

Despite being rated at 4gb, the usable space of the Sandisk microSD card is actually closer to 3.68gb due to the differences between decimal and binary units. To gauge the performance of the memory card we tested it against four other microSD cards ranging from 2 to 16 gigabytes in size and from class 2 to class 6 in performance index. The Sandisk MobileMate M2 USB reader was used for all testing and the software ran on an Asus EEE PC 1000H. Read and write speed tests were performed using contiguous files with sizes ranging from 0.5 kilobytes (smaller than the average text file) to 64 megabytes.

Kingston, Transcend, Polaroid, Sandisk cards (Listed in clockwise direction)

The microSDHC class 2 standard that the Sandisk card adheres to specifies a minimum sustained transfer rate of 2.2 mb/sec. In our testing the card easily surpassed the requirement, averaging 12 mb/sec sustained read speed and 4.4 mb/sec sustained write speed across all file sizes - the fastest average read and the slowest average write speeds in our testing. At 7.8 mb/sec, an 8gb class 6 Transcend card allowed files to be written to it at nearly twice the rate of the Sandisk card and provided the fastest access times, but also offered the slowest read speeds. With very large files the read and write speeds of the Sandisk card topped out at 19.2 mb/sec and 6.5 mb/sec, respectively. At this rate the entire card can be filled with data in under 10 minutes and read fully in under 3:30 – very respectable times for a volume capable of holding well over 500 average-length songs in mp3 format or about as many high-resolution images.

Sandisk 4GB Class 2 microSDHC Card and MobileMate Reader

Sandisk recommends its 4gb class 2 microSDHC card for use with multimedia-enabled phones. Such devices usually read data far more than write it, which explains the surprisingly fast read speeds of this class 2 card. Write speeds are expectedly slow but for such devices the write speed ceiling of the card itself is never the limiting factor. Commonly priced under $20, this card provides a great way to increase the storage capacity of any mobile device, providing space for hundreds of pictures, music files, or applications.

Bundled with the MobileMate M2 USB reader, it becomes a convenient way to transfer files between a portable device and any computer with USB ports. If you swap large volumes of files often using microSD cards, a class 4 or class 6 card might be worth purchasing instead. But for the occasional user seeking to increase storage space on a smartphone or mp3 player that supports the microSDHC standard, the Sandisk multimedia 4gb microSDHC card is nigh-perfect.

Pros: Very fast read speeds, reasonably priced.

Cons: Average write speeds (typical for class 2 cards), buying the bare card yields just that.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

www.sandisk.com