Storage upgrades cost too much, and we need microSD cards back

The impact of AI was much further-reaching than first imagined — and in the opposite direction. AI data centers are devouring memory chips, leading to a shortage across the industry, including consumer devices. We have seen products run out of stock (in the case of the Mac Mini) and even serious price hikes on top of already expensive OEM storage options. Having ample onboard storage is actually becoming a luxury feature that not everyone can easily afford.

This is a problem that we had solved long ago but are pretending to ignore the solution that sits right in front of our eyes. A teeny-tiny piece of tech from the forgotten era of the mid-2010s can easily fix all our woes — yes, I’m talking about microSD cards.

We recently saw perhaps the most sweeping price hike from Apple in recent years — basically every device that runs on an Apple chip saw a substantial increase. Tim Cook directly attributed this price increase to memory shortages. So, it isn’t just an Apple problem but is gradually becoming an industry-wide issue. And we’ve started seeing the signs of it; Google is now rumored to increase the prices of its Pixel 11 range due next month, and I have little reason to doubt that speculation.

And it’s not like we weren’t paying exorbitant prices for storage upgrades already. Big Tech had normalized paying $100 (or more!) just for a modest 128GB or 256GB storage bump, while storage expansion used to cost a fraction of that. We didn’t complain much because native onboard storage has some serious speed and reliability benefits over microSD cards, including some spillover benefits like better IP ratings and simpler motherboard designs. Back then, there were actual, tangible benefits to ditching the card slot, but the equation is now changing due to these stinging price hikes.

Take the iPhone 17 Pro Max, for example. If you go for its 512GB variant, you’d find yourself shelling out an eye-watering $1,400, which is $200 more than the base 256GB model. Even the Galaxy S26 Ultra sees a similar price jump for its 512GB storage option, which launched at an insane $1,500. These upgrade tiers are designed to mint the companies more cash rather than giving users easy upgrade options. They are nothing but a complete rip-off because, for that $200 difference, you could easily snag not one but two good-quality 512GB microSD cards — and that’s after microSD cards themselves have seen a solid price spike.

It’s not just internal NAND prices that have gone up — external storage has been equally impacted, if not worse. Portable SSD prices have skyrocketed, doubling and, in many cases, even tripling. The Samsung T9 portable SSD in its 1TB configuration used to sell for $100 until last year, but it’s now listed for $250 on Amazon. And microSD cards have met a similar fate.

The 512GB microSD card I previously referred to is a Lexar Blue that now costs around $100. Until late last year, you could grab the same card in the same capacity for just $38. In absolute terms, the jump seems small, but that’s still close to a 3x price hike. Despite that, expandable storage remains far more viable and affordable compared to what phone makers offer by locking you into their own storage upgrade tiers.

And it’s important to talk about this right now because we’re increasingly upping our storage requirements. There was a time, not too long ago, when 128GB of onboard storage felt quite generous. Then it was 256GB, and now I think 512GB would be just enough for the amount of photos and videos I store on my phone. It’s not just local media or offline downloads, either. Both Android and iOS have started locally storing AI models (yeah, it’s always AI to blame, one way or the other) to do stuff without needing an internet connection. For instance, an offline voice dictation tool I’m currently testing on my Mac needed a 6GB download — all this adds up and eats away at your available space.

Our storage needs are booming, and so are storage prices. So, we’ll have to find a compromise that neither confines you to limited space nor digs a hole in your pocket. And microSD cards seem to fit that description perfectly.

You might think that card slots have been completely wiped off the face of smartphones, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A lot of Android budget and mid-range phones from Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus continue to support storage expansion, letting you hold up to 2TB of data in the palm of your hand. MicroSD cards are even more common in tablets — even Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Tab S11 series has the option. But sadly, that’s something you can’t say about flagship smartphones.

High-end phones are graced with a microSD card slot only if they’re specialized devices like gaming and rugged phones, or the more creator-focused ones from Sony. All other mainstream flagships force you to pay the OEM a premium.

The idea is not to be forced into a single storage upgrade path but to have multiple options. It makes zero sense to get locked into the same storage space you opted for while purchasing the phone, with no way to upgrade it as your needs grow. I shouldn’t have to buy a new phone just because I ran out of space.

If having onboard storage is absolutely non-negotiable for me, no matter the price, I can pay the premium. But when I know I’m going to store a lot of static data like a media archive, a marginally slower but much cheaper microSD card would be the wiser pick.

Back in the day, dropping the card slot made a stronger case with several upsides and manageable downsides. But now, our needs have evolved. 4K videos, local AI models, and app downloads need space, and asking for more storage shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg. This is exactly why expandable storage on mainstream phones is needed more than ever before.

I doubt Google and Apple will ever budge, but I do have hopes for Samsung and Motorola, mostly because they have, in the past, offered the choice that we so desperately need today. For having that choice, I wouldn’t hold it against them even if they marketed expandable storage as their biggest innovation of 2026. Just give me my darn microSD card slot back!