An SD card slot is a built-in slot in an electronic device that allows the insertion of a Secure Digital (SD) memory card. SD cards are used to store and transfer photos, videos, music, documents, and other data between devices. The main benefits of having an SD card slot in a device include:
Expandable Storage – SD cards allow you to add more storage space to your device. This is especially useful for devices like cameras and smartphones that often run out of built-in storage for media files.
Transferring Files – SD cards make it easy to transfer photos, videos, music and other files between devices like cameras, phones, and computers. Just remove the SD card from one device and insert it into another.
Backing Up Data – SD cards can be used to back up important files and data from a device. This provides a secondary storage location in case the original data is lost or corrupted.
Convenience – With an SD card slot, you don’t need any extra cables or card readers to access and manage the data on an SD card. Everything is built right into the device.
Removable Storage – Unlike built-in storage, SD cards can be removed and replaced easily. This allows you to upgrade storage as needed.
Smartphones
Many popular smartphones have included SD card slots over the years to expand storage capabilities. According to an article published on May 24, 2019, major brands Huawei and Samsung have both offered SD card slots on flagships like the Huawei P30 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S10 (Huawei Can No Longer Make Smartphones With SD Card Slots). Other major brands like LG and Sony have also included SD card slots on phones like the LG G5 and Sony Xperia 1 II.
In addition to flagships, many budget and mid-range Android phones still offer microSD slots today, such as Motorola’s Moto G Stylus 5G and OnePlus’s Nord N20 5G. SD card support allows these more affordable devices to offer ample storage. While Apple’s iPhones do not include SD card slots, many competing Android models across various price tiers continue to offer external storage expandability.
Digital Cameras
Many digital cameras come with SD card slots to store photos and videos locally on SD cards instead of internal memory. The most common types that have SD card slots are:
DSLR Cameras
Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras almost universally have SD card slots. Top manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, and Sony rely on SD cards in their DSLR models to provide storage and transfer capabilities. High-end professional models may have slots for multiple SD cards for expanded storage.
[Here are some example DSLR models that use SD cards.]
Mirrorless Cameras
Mirrorless cameras have emerged as a lightweight alternative to DSLRs while retaining significant imaging capabilities. Like DSLRs, they store photos and videos on SD cards. Brands like Fujifilm, Sony, Canon, Nikon, and others equip their mirrorless cameras with SD card slots.
[Here are some of the top mirrorless cameras that rely on SD card storage.]
Point-and-Shoot Cameras
Point-and-shoot cameras prioritize portability and ease of use over advanced controls. Most models have SD card slots to store photos without needing large internal storage. Top brands for point-and-shoot cameras with SD card slots are Canon, Sony, Fujifilm, Nikon, and Panasonic.
Laptops
Many laptop models, from budget to premium brands, offer an SD card slot for expanded storage and file transfer capabilities (https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4721898?page=2). Major laptop manufacturers like Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and ASUS often include SD card readers on their mainstream consumer laptops as well as high-end models for professionals.
For example, many Dell laptops across various product lines contain SD card slots, including the Inspiron, XPS, Latitude, and Alienware brands (https://www.amazon.com/BENFEI-Reader-Memory-RS-MMC-UHS-II/dp/B0CHYD4WMV). HP laptops like the Envy, Pavilion, and EliteBook series tend to have SD card readers. Lenovo’s popular ThinkPad, IdeaPad, and Legion gaming laptops also commonly include built-in SD slots.
In general, having an SD card reader is a standard feature for most non-ultrabook style Windows laptops. MacBooks used to have SD slots but have removed them in recent years, so Apple laptops require a separate external reader to interface with SD cards.
Tablets
Many major tablet brands offer models with SD card slots, allowing users to expand the internal storage capacity. Some of the most popular tablet product lines that include SD card slot options are:
Samsung Galaxy Tab S series – Samsung’s premium Android tablet line has models like the Galaxy Tab S7+ that contain an SD card slot with support for up to 1TB SD cards.[1]
Lenovo Tab M10 series – Lenovo’s affordable yet capable Tab M10 Android tablets have SD card slots that allow adding up to 256GB of additional storage.[2]
Microsoft Surface Pro – Microsoft’s flagship 2-in-1 Surface Pro devices are tablet-laptop hybrids that contain full-size SD card readers, with Surface Pro 7 supporting up to 1TB SDXC cards.[3]
Apple iPad Pro – While most iPad models lack SD card slots, Apple’s high-end iPad Pro line contains a USB-C port that can be used with SD card readers to access external storage.[4]
Overall, SD card slots allow conveniently transferring photos/videos as well as expanding storage for tablets focused on productivity, media consumption or creative work.
Gaming Consoles
Many popular gaming consoles, both past and present, have included SD card slots. According to Quora, the Neo Geo AES was the first video game console to feature memory card slots when it launched in 1990 (source). This allowed players to save their progress in Neo Geo games onto memory cards.
Nintendo consoles with SD card slots have included the GameCube, Wii, Wii U, and Switch. The GameCube had two memory card ports that used proprietary GameCube Memory Cards. The Wii, Wii U, and Switch all have SD card slots that support standard SD cards for expanded storage (source).
Sony’s PlayStation 2, 3, 4, and 5 all feature SD card slots. The PS2 used proprietary Memory Cards while the more recent consoles support standard SD cards. Microsoft’s Xbox consoles have not traditionally included built-in SD slots, but some models like the Xbox 360 S and Xbox One S have USB ports that can use external SD card readers.
MP3 Players
MP3 players were one of the first devices to adopt SD card slots for expandable storage. This allowed users to load their music libraries onto SD cards rather than relying solely on the built-in storage. Many iconic MP3 players like the Creative Zen series, the iRiver H100 series, and early iPods used SD cards to boost storage capacity.
SD cards gave MP3 players much more versatility. A single SD card could hold thousands of songs, allowing people to carry entire music collections in their pocket. SD support also enabled creating playlists from a larger music library. Overall, SD card slots were crucial for MP3 players to store substantial music libraries before streaming services and cloud storage became commonplace.
Dashcams
Dashcams record driving footage using an SD card for storage. The footage can provide video evidence in the event of an accident or traffic incident. Dashcams need a stable, high-endurance SD card to handle continuous looping recording. According to the blog post on the Kingston website, most dashcams work well with a Class 10 SD card, which offers a minimum sustained write speed of 10MB/s (source). Higher speed cards like U3 and V30 are also recommended for optimal performance. The BlackBoxMyCar forum suggests SanDisk Ultra A1 and Samsung EVO Plus cards as reliable options (source). On Reddit, users agree that SanDisk and Samsung cards work well, with capacities from 64-128GB being sufficient for several hours of driving footage (source). Dashcam SD cards need to be durable to withstand constant rewriting. High endurance cards with features to extend card life are ideal.
Drones
Drones with SD card slots allow users to easily store photos and videos captured during flight. The SD card slots provide expandable storage space beyond the built-in internal storage. Some of the most popular consumer drones that have SD card slots include:
DJI Mavic Air 2 – This foldable drone from industry leader DJI supports up to a 256GB microSD card for storing high-resolution photos and 4K/2.7K videos (Source).
DJI Mini 2 – Another lightweight and portable drone from DJI that works with up to a 256GB microSD card to store content from the 48MP camera (Source).
Parrot Anafi – This drone features a 4K HDR camera and has a microSD card slot supporting up to 128GB for storing footage and images captured during flight.
Yuneec Typhoon H Plus – An advanced hexacopter drone with a microSD slot that supports up to 128GB and can record 4K video.
Having an SD card slot allows drone users to easily save their aerial photos and videos, while also providing the flexibility to swap out SD cards to expand storage as needed.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several popular types of devices that typically come with an SD card slot. The most common devices are digital cameras and smartphones, especially the higher-end models. Most tablets and laptops also contain an SD slot to easily transfer photos and files. Additionally, portable media devices such as MP3 players, dashcams, drones and some gaming consoles often have SD card capabilities. While not every device contains the slot, SD cards remain a convenient and popular way to expand storage and transfer media on many electronics.