microSD vs. SD Card
Comparing 2 standards across 9 specifications. 8 key differences identified.
microSD (originally developed as TransFlash / T-Flash by SanDisk in 2004 and ratified by the SD Association in 2005) is the ultra-compact form factor of the Secure Digital family. Measuring 15.0 × 11.0 × 1.0 mm (approximately 20% the size of a standard SD card), it is the universal removable storage medium for smartphones, action cameras, drones, and handheld gaming consoles.
The SD Card (Secure Digital) is the global standard removable flash memory form factor established in 1999 by Panasonic, SanDisk, and Toshiba (SD Association). Measuring 32.0 × 24.0 × 2.1 mm, it spans capacity generations from original SDSC (up to 2GB) and SDHC (up to 32GB) to SDXC (up to 2TB) and SDUC (up to 128TB).
Specification Comparison Table
9 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
SD Association (SDA) | SD Association (SDA) |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
15.0 mm × 11.0 mm × 1.0 mm (Weight: ~0.25 g) | 32.0 mm × 24.0 mm × 2.1 mm |
|
Pin Configurations
|
8 pins (UHS-I / Legacy) / 16 pins (UHS-II dual-row) | 9 pins (UHS-I / Legacy) / 17 pins (UHS-II / UHS-III dual-row) / 19 pins (SD Express) |
|
Capacity Standards
|
microSD (≤2GB), microSDHC (4–32GB), microSDXC (64GB–2TB), microSDUC (up to 128TB) | SDSC (≤2GB), SDHC (4–32GB), SDXC (64GB–2TB), SDUC (2TB–128TB) |
|
Operating Voltages
|
2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (UHS-I signal) | 2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (UHS-I/II signal voltage) |
|
Original Name
|
TransFlash (TF Card / T-Flash by SanDisk, 2004) | — |
|
Passive Adapter Compatibility
|
Electrically identical to full-size SD (100% pin-compatible via passive sleeve adapter) | — |
|
Standard File Systems
|
— | FAT12/16 (SDSC), FAT32 (SDHC), exFAT (SDXC / SDUC) |
|
Mechanical Features
|
— | Write-Protect slide notch (left edge), 45-degree polarized corner keying |