During the Mobile World Congress 2016, many smartphone makers have showcased its flagship devices. Two of which are Samsung highlighting its Galaxy S7 and LG featuring its G5 handset. These two smartphones are reportedly armed with microSD card slots but it doesn't have support for Android 6.0 Marshmallow's adoptable storage.
According to Digital Trends, the adoptable storage is a feature introduced by the Android Marshmallow that makes the SD card a part of the overall internal storage. In older versions of Android, the SD card is used as an external storage which is separate from the device's internal storage. But with the Android Marshmallow, the internal storage and the SD card are seen as one block of memory and there is no way to separate the two.
The benefit of the Adoptable Storage is that all files, which include apps, can now be installed on the card since it is recognized as part of the internal storage. Nevertheless, both Samsung and LG have decided to keep the older system with the Galaxy S7 and G5, which means users of these devices won't be able to install apps on the MicroSD card. However, they will be able to store music, pictures, videos, and other files on it.
Samsungreportedly have reasons why it didn't use of the adoptable storage. Android Authority noted that the South Korean tech company believe that the users of its Galaxy S7 want a microSD card to transfer files between their handsets and other devices like laptop or tablet, more especially the photos and videos they shoot using their cameras.
Samsung further explained that with the Adoptable Storage, the card may be erased during the first time it is inserted into the smartphone. This happening may be unexpected for many users and the company doesn't wasn't them to lose their files.
In addition, once Marshmallow starts using a card for adoptable storage, it cannot be read by other handsets, meaning it loses the ability to be used for file transfer. The Adoptable Storage mainly targets the emerging markets wherein devices that only have 4-8GB of onboard storage are common. The company also thinks that the model of using microSD for mass storage is more in-line with Samsung owners' desires and expectations for how microSD should behave.
Aside from the ditching of the Adoptable Storage, other specs and features of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5 are also worth mentioning. As per NDTV Gadgets, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is armed with a 5.1-inch display with 1440x2560 pixels resolution. This handset is engineered with a 1.6GHz processor coupled with 4GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. When it comes with the camera, the Galaxy S7 is packed with a 12-MP front-facing snapper and a 5-MP rear-facing shooter. It is powered by a 3,000mAh and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow as it comes out of the box.
On the other hand, the LG G5 features a 5.3-inch display with 1440x2560 pixels resolution. It is engineered with a 2.1GHz processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. This device is armed with a 16-MP rear-facing camera and 8-MP front-facing shooter. The G5 is powered by 2,800mAh battery capacity and also runs on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS.
While the reasons that Samsung stated are somewhat valid, we still want to hear from you if you agree or not with the company's decision. You can hit the comment box below to share your insights.
