This would all be trivially solved if Apple would just put a goddamn SD card slot in it.
Storage size as sole model differentiation is sooo 2001. At this point it genuinely makes Apple look out of touch in a market where every other flagship quality model doesn't bother with it and includes an SD slot, partly I suspect because it's just saner from a production and inventory standpoint even besides the consumer benefits.
I wish Apple would make a developer-slash-power user's version of their phones and tablets, with SD slot, USB hosting port, access to the full NFC stack, etc.
The masses might need the dumb, sealed up version, but the hackers are the ones who'll push the envelope and extend the platform. It's like an extended R&D division for little additional cost.
I guess the problem is that the hackers will come up with cool hardware add-ons and apps, and the masses will get confused and jealous.
Yes, I hate that. Sdxc cards are up to 512 gb now, and a terabyte card is probably not too far off. People are putting 64gb and 128gb chips in their point-and-shoot cameras. Smartphones are increasingly seeming crippled and artificially limited by comparison.
Without an SD card slot, users who need more storage must buy a more expensive model. That money goes to the manufacturer.
With an SD card slot, users can just buy the baseline model and get an SD card from another vendor. That money does not go to the manufacturer.
So manufacturers have an obvious incentive to produce phones without an SD card slot.
Moreover, there is little incentive to produce phones with an SD card slot. A long-time iPhone user isn't going to switch to a non-iPhone just because of the lack of an SD card slot.
Doing it the Apple way isn't free, either. Yes, Apple takes their traditional overly generous markup per memory increase, but there are liabilities in terms of inventory. In a model like the iPhone's it means your 16GB phones are mostly loss-leaders anyway, probably why no one seems to give a shit about issues like the one in the article: because no one actually buys those phones, the inventory is just dead weight to get people in the door.
It's also an extra step in manufacturing of course.
Comments
This would all be trivially solved if Apple would just put a goddamn SD card slot in it.
Storage size as sole model differentiation is sooo 2001. At this point it genuinely makes Apple look out of touch in a market where every other flagship quality model doesn't bother with it and includes an SD slot, partly I suspect because it's just saner from a production and inventory standpoint even besides the consumer benefits.
I wish Apple would make a developer-slash-power user's version of their phones and tablets, with SD slot, USB hosting port, access to the full NFC stack, etc.
The masses might need the dumb, sealed up version, but the hackers are the ones who'll push the envelope and extend the platform. It's like an extended R&D division for little additional cost.
I guess the problem is that the hackers will come up with cool hardware add-ons and apps, and the masses will get confused and jealous.
No it wouldn't.
1. Flagship models don't all include an SD slot. Galaxy S6, Moto X, Nexus 6 for example. It's clearly a common decision.
2. I doubt that even if they iPhone did include such a slot the problem would be solved. Removable storage is complicated.
Yes, I hate that. Sdxc cards are up to 512 gb now, and a terabyte card is probably not too far off. People are putting 64gb and 128gb chips in their point-and-shoot cameras. Smartphones are increasingly seeming crippled and artificially limited by comparison.
That's a really good point! They tote the device as a replacement, but clearly cripple it in a way that a dedicated device would not be.
LG G4 has SD card slot.
It's worth noting that the Galaxy S6 / Edge / Active and the Note 5 have no SD slot. Apple definitely isn't alone in looking out of touch.
Without an SD card slot, users who need more storage must buy a more expensive model. That money goes to the manufacturer.
With an SD card slot, users can just buy the baseline model and get an SD card from another vendor. That money does not go to the manufacturer.
So manufacturers have an obvious incentive to produce phones without an SD card slot.
Moreover, there is little incentive to produce phones with an SD card slot. A long-time iPhone user isn't going to switch to a non-iPhone just because of the lack of an SD card slot.
Doing it the Apple way isn't free, either. Yes, Apple takes their traditional overly generous markup per memory increase, but there are liabilities in terms of inventory. In a model like the iPhone's it means your 16GB phones are mostly loss-leaders anyway, probably why no one seems to give a shit about issues like the one in the article: because no one actually buys those phones, the inventory is just dead weight to get people in the door.
It's also an extra step in manufacturing of course.
I stand corrected. I actually thought Samsung had ditched that "feature" a while ago.