Why some smartphones don't have Expandable memory?

[The Day Dreamer]

Is it because of the cost saving? But in the same and a little lower range, I see smartphones with expandable options.

Is there a technical reason as well for limiting it to the internal?

 

[Fardringle]

Several reasons (and probably more):

Some people simply don't want or need it.
It takes up space in the super thin "fad" phones.
Manufacturers can charge more for larger storage options.

 

[mmntech]

Has nothing to do with cost savings or technical reasons and everything to do with fattening profit margins.

The NAND used in these phones is not that expensive, but Apple charges you $100 more for each storage tier. That's a pretty fat profit margin. They sell a 16GB model to loop you in with its affordable price, then ding you when you realize it's not enough space.

Other companies have started following suit.

 

[Oyeve]

Has nothing to do with cost savings or technical reasons and everything to do with fattening profit margins.

The NAND used in these phones is not that expensive, but Apple charges you $100 more for each storage tier. That's a pretty fat profit margin. They sell a 16GB model to loop you in with its affordable price, then ding you when you realize it's not enough space.

Other companies have started following suit.

QFT. Pisses me off to no end. Samsung's new stance on this makes me mad. I am bypassing the S6 and hoping on the Note 5. If they pull an apple on that I will continue to use my Note 4 until it dies.

 

[Commodus]

Three reasons:

Profit margins, as mmntech said... and to be truthful, I'm not that angry. That's how businesses make profit and continue forward. It's why Apple has most of the industry's profits and part of why Samsung has seen its profits plunge. When all you sell is 16GB phones, you don't make much money.

The second is design. MicroSD slots take up a lot more space than you'd think, since you need added space inside for both the reader and its interface with the mainboard. That forces you to make a thicker (or just larger) phone. If you look at a teardown for the Galaxy S6, you'll notice that there's very little free space -- Samsung might not have even had the choice of putting in a microSD slot in something so slim.

And finally, simplicity. A lot of geeks like microSD because it lets them quickly load up on pirated videos or copy specific photos to their computer, but it also introduces a number of problems: wasted space through partitioning, slower performance, thinking about which cards you want to use, and so on. There's a refreshing straightforwardness to getting a 64GB iPhone or Galaxy S6 and knowing that you don't have to buy something more to hold 5,000 songs, or that apps will take ages to load because you put them on the SD card.

 

[poofyhairguy]

The second is design. MicroSD slots take up a lot more space than you'd think, since you need added space inside for both the reader and its interface with the mainboard. That forces you to make a thicker (or just larger) phone. If you look at a teardown for the Galaxy S6, you'll notice that there's very little free space -- Samsung might not have even had the choice of putting in a microSD slot in something so slim.

Your other two points I won't argue with and they have been around since 2011 at least.

On this point though I think the M8 and the M9 show that if Samsung wanted to they could have gotten a SD card slot on there. They just didn't want to, they are on a search for mobile profits.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Your other two points I won't argue with and they have been around since 2011 at least.

On this point though I think the M8 and the M9 show that if Samsung wanted to they could have gotten a SD card slot on there. They just didn't want to, they are on a search for mobile profits.

Not sure I follow. M8 and M9 are a lot thicker than the S6.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Not sure I follow. M8 and M9 are a lot thicker than the S6.

Good point.

 

[Commodus]

I think the gist is that Samsung could have made the GS6 thicker (or just overall bigger) to put in a microSD slot, but didn't.

 

[yh125d]

Not sure I follow. M8 and M9 are a lot thicker than the S6.

A better comparison point would be the Z3. .5mm thicker than S6 but had microSD and 500mah bigger battery. And its an LCD which are usually thicker than AMOLED I think? It would seem reasonable they could cram it in there and be 7mm at the thickest, but I can't fault them much for wanting to beat the iphone. My Droid Maxx is 8.6 and DOESNT have a card slot for some inexplicable reason, so I'd be happy with anything under 7.5


Do we have any indication how much more expensive the UFS compared to normal NAND?

 

[Ravynmagi]

I think the gist is that Samsung could have made the GS6 thicker (or just overall bigger) to put in a microSD slot, but didn't.

My guess is Samsung did some research on this and likely found that the average consumer wants a thinner phone more than a microSD slot.

 

[Zaap]

Always catering to the average consumer will make a company one thing.

Average.

 

[Roland00Address]

Do not underestimate the size of micro SD

Here is a picture of the s5 circuitboard

And a picture of the s5 microsd slot

Now money was the biggest factor but more engineering space is a side consequence.

 

[Andrei.]

The engineering argument is bollocks. The S6 has a dedicated empty space on the PCB for a second SIM. It could easily have been used as a microSD.

 

[shortylickens]

the main reason is so they can milk you for larger internal storage.

Less important is to limit the number of outside flaps and streamline the body.

But my Z3 Compact is slim, waterproof AND has a microSD slot. So mostly its to milk people for larger internal storage.