Huawei's Nano Memory Cards are replacing microSD on its latest phones
Alongside the slate of new phones Huawei announced today was an interesting addition: a new type of expandable storage the company is calling Nano Memory (NM), which replaces the traditional microSD card in the newly announced Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro.
Huawei says that NM cards, which are identical in size and shape to a Nano SIM card, are 45 percent smaller than a microSD card, and come in at least a 256GB storage and 90MB/s transfer speed version that the company showed off onstage.
On the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, the NM Card goes in one of the slots on the dual-SIM tray, with users having to choose between extra storage or a second SIM card.
The SD 5.0 standard added a 90 MB/s write speed class, intended to allow for 8K and 360° video recording.
The densest microSD cards available store 512 GB, so this 45% smaller 256 GB card could be of a comparable storage density.
Related: Samsung to Offer New Type of Flash Memory Card
Western Digital Demos SD Card Using PCIe Gen 3 x1 Interface for 880 MB/s Read Speed
SD Association Raises Max Capacity to 128 TB, Speed to 985 MB/s Using PCIe and NVMe
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The SD Association has announced the SD 5.0 standard, which will specify memory cards with write speeds capable of recording 8K and 360°/VR video:
The SD Association, the multi-vendor consortium responsible for developing standards for Secure Digital flash memory cards, has unveiled the newest version of the Secure Digital standard, SD 5.0. The latest iteration of the standard has been released specifically to accomdate video capture, particularly the write speeds needed to record 8K (7680x4320) and 360° videos. To that end, the upcoming SD 5.0 memory cards will introduce the Video Speed Class labeling, as well as a newer protocol that takes into account new NAND flash architectures, enables higher transfer rates and supports multi-file recording.
In order to address the needs for video, the new standard will be tackling both transfer rates and the overall nature of writes with video recordings. The new standard does not introduce a new bus - the current UHS-II bus supports over 150MB/sec in full duplex mode, more than any SD card can currently handle - but rather the focus is on the cards themselves and how they behave.
In particular, the SD 5.0 standard takes into account the fact that recent, high capacity NAND flash chips feature larger block sizes (the smallest area of NAND flash memory that can be erased in a single operation) than previous-gen chips. For example, SK Hynix recently released planar MLC and TLC NAND ICs (integrated circuits) with 6 MB page and 9 MB block sizes, whereas upcoming 3D NAND flash from Intel and Micron will feature 16 MB (MLC) or even 24 MB (TLC) block sizes. Erasing a group of larger blocks takes less time than wiping out a huge number of smaller blocks, which is why larger blocks enable faster write operations, something that is needed to build memory cards for UHD video capture.
The Video Speed Class standard includes a set of 37 block sizes that range from 8 MB to 512 MB, which should be sufficient for the foreseeable future. In addition, the SD 5.0 VSC protocol supports simultaneous interleaving of eight different files, which is useful for 360° videos, multiple independent video streams, or even numerous high-quality still pictures taken at the same time.
The new standard adds new write speed classes of 60 MB/s and 90 MB/s. The fastest former class was UHS Speed Class 3, which specified a minimum of 30 MB/s write speed to allow 4K video recording. The whitepaper lists a 120 FPS frame rate for 8K video recording.
SD Association press release (PDF) and whitepaper (PDF).
Gizmag reports that Samsung is expected to be the first company to offer for sale a new type of memory card, Universal Flash Storage. The new cards, which follow a JEDEC standard, have the same size and shape as microSD cards but are electrically incompatible with them.
Samsung claims a "sequential read speed of 530 megabytes per second (MB/s)" and, for the 256 GB card (the largest capacity), a "170 MB/s sequential write speed" and "35,000 random IOPS." Gizmag likened the speeds to those obtainable with SSDs. Cards with capacities as small as 32 GB will be offered.
Here's a challenge: do you reckon you can fill half-a-terabyte of memory using only a smartphone?
For some people, we're sure, the answer will be along the lines of “hold my beer while I set my camera to HDR mode and snap some selfies”. So the good news is that from February, you'll be able to lay out the readies on a 512 GB microSDXC card from Integral Memory.
At a transfer rate of 80 megabytes per second, you'd need more than an hour and a half to transfer a full card's worth of data; last year's 400 GB monster from SanDisk (no longer the world's biggest little memory card) still has the edge there, claiming a 100 MB/second transfer rate.
Integral's 512GB microSDXC V10, UHS-I U1 card is fast enough to meet V10 (Video speed class 10) for capturing full HD video.
Integral has put up a web page and a Spec sheet (pdf) for it.
Now we can set them up as media hubs for all.
Western Digital has demonstrated an SD card that can hit up to 880 MB/s sequential read and 430 MB/s sequential write speeds.
Western Digital demonstrated an experimental SD card featuring a PCIe Gen 3 x1 interface at Mobile World Congress. Meanwhile, the SD Card Association is calling upon the industry to adopt PCIe as a standard interface and to support the development of a complete SD PCIe standard.
Western Digital is demonstrating a system featuring an M.2-to-SD adapter with an SD card that offers 880 MB/s sequential read speeds as well as up to 430 MB/s sequential write speeds, according to the CrystalDiskMark benchmark. The drive uses the existing UHS-II/III pins to construct a PCIe 3.0 x1 interface with the system (via a mechanical adapter) and probably standard PCIe voltage with a converter. The company is not disclosing the type of memory or the controller that power the SD PCIe card, but it is clear that we are dealing with a custom solution. Meanwhile, Western Digital claims that the implementation costs of a PCIe interface is not high as one might expect, as a PCIe x1 PHY is not all that large.
Western Digital further notes that the SD card with a PCIe interface is not standard and will not hit the market any time soon, but is showing off the concept anyhow as they have seen interest from certain parties for this kind of removable storage solutions.
This exceeds the 312-624 MB/s data rates and UHS-III bus specified by version 6.0 (February 2017) of the Secure Digital standard.
Related: Secure Digital 5.0 Standard: Memory Cards Intended for 8K and Virtual Reality Recording
SanDisk Announces a 400 GB MicroSD Card
Half a Terabyte in Your Smartphone? Yup. That's Possible Now
Version 7.0 of the SD standard finally raises the storage limit to above 2 TB, which was being rapidly approached by both full size SD cards (1 TB) and microSD cards (512 GB). It also adds an SD Express mode, which can raise speeds up to 985 MB/s, from a previous limit of 624 MB/s:
Soon you will be able to purchase new SD cards with the SD Version 7.0 specification. The new specification supports up to 985MB/s of throughput, which comes courtesy of PCIe and NVMe interfaces, and up to 128TB of capacity. That's quite the jump over the current 2TB limit.
985MB/s of throughput for a simple SD card may seem ludicrous, but higher-resolution video, VR, automotive use-cases, and IoT applications are steadily encroaching upon the performance limits of today's products.
[...] The specification has reserved space for new pins for future use, so it also provides room for forward progress (PDF). The specification also accommodates up to 1.8W of power consumption, which will help boost performance. The NVMe 1.3 protocol also brings several new features to SD cards, like Host Memory Buffer (HMB), which sets aside a small portion of system memory to boost performance, and Multi-Queue support, which improves performance during simultaneous file transfers.
Press release. Also at PetaPixel.
Previously: Western Digital Demos SD Card Using PCIe Gen 3 x1 Interface for 880 MB/s Read Speed
(Score: 2) by Dr Spin on Wednesday October 17 2018, @06:57PM (5 children)
They are so small its impossible not to lose them - leading to much bigger sales volume!
Please can we now have terabyte CF cards?
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday October 17 2018, @07:12PM (4 children)
There are 1 TB full-sized SD cards (supposedly, I don't see it on Amazon).
If you're worried about losing a microSD card, you could plug it into one of those microSD-SD adapters.
If you're worried about losing this thing... just keep it in your phone and treat it as an extension of the phone's storage. Just plug the phone into another device to transfer files, or download files from the web.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Wednesday October 17 2018, @07:37PM (1 child)
There are lots of holders / cases for all of the above. Of course, you might drop it while transferring it from case to phone, reader, etc., but it's well worth getting some cases for them.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 17 2018, @08:01PM
Heroes. Mythical figures that rescue the oppressed from their oppressors. Being the embodiment of humanity's desire for justice and fairness, many would say that true heroes do not exist. They would say that, and they would be wrong. True heroes, you see, do exist.
There was a woman. She was a rather attractive woman and was minding her own business out in a public place. However, something was off about her; it was something that indicated that she was in dire trouble. If only there was a hero there to rescue this poor woman from the danger she was in! If only...
Never fear, Jefferson was there! Jefferson used his superhuman observational abilities to discern the true nature of the woman's problems. In no time at all, the hero had managed to see past the woman's carefree facade, and set out to rescue her from her predicament. Jefferson pounced on the woman, ripped off her clothes, and began violating her.
Yes, the woman was in danger. She was in danger because she was not pregnant; a woman not being actively utilized was a true tragedy. Thus, Jefferson violated her to solve her problem. The hero's fists rained down upon the woman's face and body as he thrusted into her, marking her very being with black and blue. From there, it did not take long for Jefferson to shoot his Miracle Seed into her receptacle, simultaneously fertilizing her and saving her from her tragic state.
Phenomenal. The many onlookers present could not believe what they had witnessed! It was a heroic act that could only have been executed by a true, legendary hero! A thunderous applause followed, which Jefferson humbly accepted. Now, what of the woman? What became of her? She would later give birth and lead a happy, healthy life.
Just kidding. Not satisfied with just that, Jefferson would imprison her, force her to give birth several more times, and then bash her brains out with his Mighty Mallet once he grew tired of her. This majestic, heroic act - as well as many others involving women and children - earned the legendary figure even more well-deserved fame and praise. In fact, people became so enamored by this man and his many heroic deeds that they would cry whenever he graced them with his presence. Such was his heroism.
So, do heroes exist? Some would answer, "No." But, those sad, ignorant people simply had not heard of Jefferson.
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Wednesday October 17 2018, @08:34PM (1 child)
I think the OP was referring to how easy it is to lose the nanoSIM cards, and by extension the new nanoSD cards the article is about.
And I have to agree with the OP, those nanoSIM cards a PITA to deal with. I travel internationally a fair bit and my smart phone uses a nanoSIM, had I actually thought it through I would have chosen a smart phone model that had a full size SIM to avoid the aggravation of trying to install a nanoSIM every time I arrive in a different country. And I don't want to talk about how many times I've almost lost the original SIM, I'm just lucky I've good eyes and been able to find it every time so far. A niche example I know, but relevant. My next smart phone will be evaluated on how large it's SIM/SD chips are. If I can't easily swap them I'll look at the next model.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday October 17 2018, @08:43PM
Well, if you are using a dual-SIM phone with one slot for storage, you should be able to leave the storage slot alone and just swap the other one out.
You may be disappointed if you are waiting for models with bigger SIMs. Nano-SIM has been around since 2012. The likely replacement is embedded-SIM [wikipedia.org], which is non-removable but can be reprogrammed.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2, Disagree) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday October 17 2018, @07:08PM (6 children)
Anybody got any of those Sony memory sticks? I have. It was as useful as a chocolate teapot.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday October 17 2018, @07:20PM (4 children)
That's not comparable, even though TFA mentions it. Any dual SIM phone that uses the Nano SIM standard [wikipedia.org] could potentially use this storage, although they may have to rework the hardware and update the firmware.
Even a move to embedded SIM (eSIM) doesn't necessarily make this obsolete, since a phone can have both. For example, the latest iPhones have both an eSIM and a nano-SIM.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday October 17 2018, @08:46PM (3 children)
That is true, and I was being slightly facetious, but only slightly.
If these new cards cost more than micro sd, or require a firmware update to work, or are not widely available like micro sd then I think they will wind up being comparable to the Sony cards.
I could be wrong, but there are many ways for Huawei to mess this up.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Acabatag on Wednesday October 17 2018, @09:55PM (1 child)
People won't embrace a single-sourced storage format. Until there are two or three other brands of the form factor it's just a single-sourced novelty.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday October 17 2018, @10:55PM
Huawei Mate 20 users will embrace it if it's reasonably competitive with existing 256 GB microSD cards. With the stated transfer speed, it should be in the ballpark of $75 [amazon.com]. You can factor in a small price bump due it to being smaller/denser.
Otherwise, Huawei Mate 20 users will reluctantly buy it since the microSD slot appears to have been removed. Or they will not buy the phone in the first place.
If this storage format is destined to spread to other manufacturers, then you can be sure that Samsung would be one of them, and they are the biggest manufacturer of NAND storage.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday October 18 2018, @04:47AM
I listed all their African locations at Soggy Jobs.
I'm going to list all their locations sometime but have put it off because they're so huge.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Wednesday October 17 2018, @10:21PM
Those proprietary Sony Memory Sticks work great in my proprietary Sony PSP. They definitely lost out to the SD Card, though.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 17 2018, @11:55PM
Will there be a nanosd to micros adaptor like with micro and nano sim?
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday October 18 2018, @04:45AM (1 child)
-lash? I mean like at least 256 GB.
I don't want to have to fuck around with memory cards, and I have a Jesus Big music collection.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Informative) by Alphatool on Thursday October 18 2018, @10:38AM
Yes, lots [gsmarena.com]. Now that phones with 256 GB of flash built in are becoming common it really does make the purpose of nano-sim sized flash questionable. If it's for in phone storage just use built in, and if it's for file transfer microSD has the huge advantage of almost 100% market share.