The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the latest flagship smartphone released by Samsung in early 2022. The Galaxy S22 lineup consists of three models – the base S22, the larger S22 Plus, and the top-of-the-line S22 Ultra. The standard Galaxy S22 sits in the middle as the compact variant with a 6.1-inch display. As Samsung’s newest flagship phone for 2022, the Galaxy S22 delivers cutting-edge performance and camera capabilities powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos processor depending on region.
With a starting price of $799, the Galaxy S22 competes directly with other premium flagships like the iPhone 13 and Google Pixel 6 Pro. Key features of the S22 include a dynamic AMOLED 120Hz display, advanced 50MP rear camera system, fast wired and wireless charging, 5G connectivity, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The Galaxy S22 aims to provide an optimal blend of portability, productivity, and performance in a sleek flagship design.
SD Card Capabilities
SD cards provide additional removable storage for Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy S22. They allow users to store more photos, videos, music, apps, and files directly on their phone. Some key benefits of SD card slots include:
- Expandable Storage – SD cards can add significant extra storage, from 32GB up to 1TB on high capacity cards. This provides more space for media, files, apps, and data.
- Removable & Portable – SD cards can be removed and used across devices. Photos, videos, and files stored on the card can easily be accessed on a computer or other device using a card reader.
- Affordable Upgrades – High capacity SD cards provide a cost-effective way to add substantial storage compared to built-in phone storage upgrades which can be expensive.
- Reliable Storage – SD cards from reputable brands offer reliable portable storage for important photos, videos and files. The data is stored even when the card is removed from a device.
Overall, SD card slots enable flexibility, convenience, and affordability when upgrading storage on Android phones like the Galaxy S22. Users can customize storage amounts based on their needs.
Sources:
https://www.kingston.com/en/blog/mobile-lifestyle/choose-card-android
S22 Storage Options
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is available in two internal storage configurations: 128GB and 256GB (https://www.samsung.com/latin_en/smartphones/galaxy-s22-ultra/models/). There is no option for expandable storage via microSD card on the S22 models (https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/galaxy-s22/specs/).
The 128GB model provides adequate storage for most users. However, users who store a lot of photos, videos, music, and apps may want to opt for the 256GB version for additional capacity (https://swappa.com/guide/samsung-galaxy-s22/storage).
It’s worth noting that the top-of-the-line S22 Ultra does include a microSD card slot for expandable storage up to 1TB. But this option is not available on the standard S22 and S22+ models.
Does the S22 Have an SD Slot?
No, the Samsung Galaxy S22 does not have an SD card slot for expandable storage. This applies across all models in the S22 lineup, including the base S22, S22 Plus, and S22 Ultra (source: https://www.xda-developers.com/samsung-galaxy-s22-microsd/). The SIM card tray on the S22 devices only supports nano SIM cards and does not have space for a microSD card.
Samsung made the decision to remove external SD card support starting with the S21 series in 2021 and has continued with that design choice for the S22 models in 2022 (source: https://www.phonearena.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s22-microsd-card-slot_id138227). So all S22 models rely purely on internal, fixed storage and do not allow users to expand the storage via a microSD card slot.
Reasoning Behind the Decision
Samsung decided to remove the microSD card slot starting with the Galaxy S21 series in 2021. This controversial decision continued with the S22 lineup released in 2022.
There are a few speculated reasons why Samsung may have excluded external storage expansion on their flagship phones:
- To push people towards buying higher capacity models. With no SD card slot, customers who need more storage have to pay up for the 256GB or 512GB variants (Source: Reddit).
- Performance and speed considerations. MicroSD cards are generally slower than built-in UFS 3.1 storage. Removing microSD support allows Samsung to better optimize performance (Source: XDA Developers).
- Simplified phone design with less points of failure. The SIM card tray is still present, but removing the microSD slot makes the phone sleeker.
While these reasons make business sense for Samsung, the removal of expandable storage has been unpopular with many enthusiasts and power users who rely on SD cards for additional capacity.
Alternatives for Expanding Storage
Since the Galaxy S22 does not have a microSD card slot for expandable storage, owners who need more space beyond the built-in 128GB/256GB/512GB will need to utilize other options. There are a few ways S22 users can add more storage if needed.
One option is to use a USB-C flash drive or portable SSD drive to add external storage. Samsung offers USB-C flash drives designed to work seamlessly with Galaxy devices, like the Samsung BAR Plus USB 3.1 Flash Drive which offers up to 256GB of additional space (https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/usb-flash-drives/usb-3-1-flash-drive-bar-plus-256gb-titan-gray-muf-256be4/AM/). Portable SSDs from brands like SanDisk also work well.
Another option is to use cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Samsung Cloud to store files remotely instead of locally on the device. Samsung offers up to 1TB of cloud storage through their premium plan (https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/galaxy-s22-series/purchasing-extra-storage/td-p/5514818).
For photos and videos specifically, Google Photos provides free unlimited cloud backup for high quality (slightly compressed) files. So users can store full resolution originals locally and back up high quality versions to the cloud.
While adding external or cloud storage may not be as convenient as expandable microSD storage, these alternatives do provide options for S22 owners to increase available storage space if the built-in capacity becomes insufficient.
Using Cloud Storage
Many cloud storage services can be great options to supplement the built-in storage on the Galaxy S22 (The Best Cloud Storage for Android in 2024 – Cloudwards). Popular services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and iCloud provide easy ways to store photos, videos, documents and other files in the cloud. Most services offer several gigabytes of free storage, with affordable paid plans available for more capacity. The files stored in the cloud can then be accessed from the Galaxy S22 or any other internet-connected device.
One advantage of using cloud storage is that files don’t take up space on your device’s internal storage. You can safely store gigabytes of media in the cloud while keeping your S22 storage clear for apps and other data (World Backup Day 2024: Best Cloud Storage Software … – CNET). Many cloud services also make it easy to automatically back up photos and videos from your camera roll. Overall, cloud storage integration gives you virtually unlimited capacity without needing an SD card.
Is Built-In Storage Enough?
The base storage option for the Samsung Galaxy S22 is 128GB. This may be enough for some users, but many will likely want more storage space. According to one Quora thread, if you don’t take many photos or videos, 128GB could be sufficient. However, other sources suggest 128GB will fill up quickly.
On Reddit, most respondents to a post in r/S22Ultra felt that 128GB is not enough. One user said “No. Not even. Aim for the 1TB model if you can or 512gb at the lowest.” An article from Pocketnow advises going with 256GB or 512GB instead of 128GB since the smaller capacity will likely fill up fast.
For most typical smartphone uses like apps, photos, videos, music and more, 128GB may not provide enough built-in storage. Users who want to store a lot of media or games locally may need higher capacities like 256GB or 512GB.
Comparing Other Flagship Phones
It’s useful to compare the Samsung Galaxy S22’s storage and SD card capabilities to other flagship phones like the iPhone 13. The iPhone 13 starts with 128GB of storage, compared to the S22’s base 128GB or 256GB options. However, the iPhone 13 maxes out at 512GB built-in storage for $1,099, while the S22 tops out at 256GB for $849.99 (Tom’s Guide, 2022).
Unlike the S22, the iPhone 13 does not have a microSD card slot for expandable storage. So if you want more than 512GB on the iPhone 13, you’ll have to rely on cloud storage. The S22, by comparison, can expand storage up to 1TB with a microSD card (Laptop Mag, 2022). This gives the S22 an advantage for people who need lots of local storage for photos, videos, games, and other files.
Looking at other Android flagships, the Google Pixel 6 Pro and OnePlus 10 Pro also lack microSD slots. So the S22 is in good company in omitting expandable storage, with most manufacturers deciding built-in storage is sufficient for most users. But for people wanting an SD card slot, options are diminishing among top-tier phones.
Conclusion
In summary, the Samsung Galaxy S22 does not have a microSD card slot. Samsung decided to remove this feature starting with the S21 line in order to push cloud storage and streamline production. While some users will miss the flexibility of expandable storage, the S22 still offers generous built-in capacity options up to 1TB. Additionally, there are some reasonable workarounds like external SSDs or cloud storage if you need more space. But for most everyday users, the built-in storage should be sufficient. So in the end, the lack of a microSD slot is unlikely to be a dealbreaker for most people considering the S22. Just be mindful of choosing enough built-in storage upfront.