Android without SD? Connect alternate storage and increase memory

Many Android devices have a significant drawback: they do not have a slot to put a microSD card where you can save files, so as not to use the internal memory that is often insufficient. Examples of these devices are those of the brand Pixel, some devices Motorcycle from Motorola and even some Samsung GalaxyLike the S6, the only phone of this line that does not have a slot to put an external memory card.

There are two ways to add removable external storage to these types of devices without micro SD support: taking advantage of its micro USB port or using wireless external storage.

Micro USB external storage

In this case it is necessary that the device has support USB OTG (USB on the go), also know as USB Host. For example, him Motorola Moto G original and the Samsung Galaxy S6 have this functionality. It will all be a matter of reviewing the technical specifications of the phone and verifying if it has this support, on pages that provide this information, such as gsmarena.com.

Leef Bridge 3.0

It is one of the best external storage drives because it allows you to save and read data very quickly thanks to the fact that it uses the USB 3.0 standard. It is not a problem to play an HD movie saved on this unit on the phone, for example. It also allows you to load files from the PC thanks to its normal USB port. It comes in 16, 32 and 64GB presentations and costs between $ 30 and $ 70 (available on its official website Leefco.com). It works on devices with Android 4.1 or higher.

Micro USB 3.0 drives

Kingston micro DUO Data Traveler

There are alternatives from various brands here, for example the Sandisk Ultra MicroUSB Drive o la Kingston micro DUO Data Traveler that can be easily found in Amazon.com. Both options are similar to Leef Bridge, offer the same USB 3.0 standard and have a normal USB port on the other side to manage them from the PC. They come in 16, 32 and 64GB presentations. Their great advantage is that they are cheaper and can be purchased from $ 15 and $ 9 respectively.

Micro SD adapter

In other words, a micro SD card reader. It has a micro USB port on one side (to plug into the phone) and on the other side a slot to insert a micro SD card. It is a good option if it comes from a phone that had a microSD. An example of this type of product is the reader Leef Micro SD Card Reader, which costs $ 13 (microSD not included).

Pendrive any with USB OTG cable

Any flash memory or USB pendrive can be connected to the phone through a USB OTG cable. This cable has a male micro USB connector on one side (which connects to the mobile) and a female USB slot on the other side, where the male pendrive is plugged in. In Amazon or Mercado Libre you can easily find these types of cables, with a simple search “OTG cable”. Sure, this is the least fancy option of all, but functional nonetheless.

This OTG cable will not only be useful to put external storage on your Android, but also to add a USB game controller.

Wireless external storage

There are pen drives (flash memories) and even hard drives to which the Android device can connect wirelessly (via WiFi) to read your files or save them there. In this case, a special requirement is not necessary on the Android device, except that the respective application is installed from the hard disk or pendrive for file management.

SanDisk Wireless Flash Drive

This flash memory creates a Wifi access point, to which the Android device connects to read its data or save. It has a rechargeable battery, it has a normal USB connector that is used to save files from the PC and to charge the battery. The Wifi access point is created with a long press on the button it has and the phone must connect through the SanDisk Wireless Flash application.

It comes in 16, 32 and 64 GB presentations and costs between $ 35 and $ 90 (Sandisk Wireless Flash en Amazon). One of its advantages is that the storage of this pendrive is a replaceable micro SD.

Wifi wireless hard drives

Samsung and Seagate They offer wireless hard drives with up to 2TB of storage, which work in a similar way to Sandisk’s wireless pendrive: they create a Wifi access point to which the Android device connects (through the respective mobile application) to read and save files. They have a battery life of up to 6 and 8 hours and, of course, they also have a normal USB port to transfer data from the PC.

Even after increasing the internal memory of your phone, an external storage is always useful for storing music, videos and even movies in bulk, essential content when there is a trip involved.

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