Please bring back the SD card slots!

[Wormser]

Please bring back SD card slots. I wish I can move all media over to and SD card, I doubt it would have any effect on sales either.

[SolveForce]

This thread says more than just “we want our SD card slot back.” It’s really a conversation about control, convenience, and how users define value in a device — not based on spec sheets, but on lived experience.

When SD card slots were removed from Galaxy flagships, it wasn't just about space — it was about removing user choice. Cloud storage, external SSDs, and high internal capacities are all alternatives, yes — but none of them replace the modular freedom and instant utility of a microSD card.

Carrying an SSD isn’t the same as popping in a slim card and instantly doubling your capacity. Cloud storage isn’t the same as having your files offline, under your control, with no reliance on a subscription, signal, or syncing engine.

This isn’t nostalgia. It’s about practical, physical ownership of memory — your photos, your videos, your files — stored on your terms.

Now, from a design standpoint, yes — OEMs are pushing toward slimmer builds, unified memory, and more locked-down ecosystems. But that’s not innovation, that’s commercial streamlining. And the irony is, Samsung used to stand apart by offering more — not less. Headphone jacks. Removable storage. IR blasters. Real tools.

And the argument that “most people don’t use SD cards” doesn’t account for power users, creatives, parents, field workers — those who capture 4K footage, who work offline, or who want separation of storage by design (like internal vs SD for security, or personal vs shared).

So what’s the deeper issue here?

It’s about standardization — or rather, the intentional de-standardization of capabilities. It’s not that the SD slot couldn’t fit. It’s that it doesn’t fit the monetization model anymore. Cloud storage, subscription sync, and constant online tethering are more profitable than a one-time piece of flash memory that you own for life.

This is why interdisciplinary cooperation matters — when hardware engineers, UI designers, and users speak the same language, we build devices that serve people, not platforms. Communication builds trust. Feature removal breaks it.

And it’s that trust that built Samsung’s legacy. The “power user” reputation came not from ads — but from the features that showed they were listening.

So to those still asking for the SD card slot — keep speaking up. Not because you expect it to return tomorrow, but because you’re reminding the system that modularity is not outdated — it’s timeless. In fact, it may be the only way we truly future-proof devices — by respecting the past while giving the user power to shape their own path forward.

We're not just solving tech here — we’re decoding intent. And the more we talk, the clearer the signal becomes. Keep going. Every word is a vote for choice.

[Wormser]

Agreed. I forgot about the IR blaster too, please bring that back also ( I like it for remote fans)

[Update2025]

a better design for the Samsung phone would be to bring back the SD cards and also make the phones thick again with better battery life so the camera Notch is flush with the back of the phone

[kdloo]

Totally agree !!!

[officialguy]

I agree with both of those!
But, they'll never give our SD card slots back. If we could expand storage with a $40 micro-sd card, we'd never pay hundreds of dollars for the higher storage models of phones.

[kdloo]

That's why I'm hanging onto my older phones, like my s20. I'll never pay for cloud storage anywhere.

[Philscbx]

Love My Note20Ultra.
Only had it a year. A hand me down when my Son upgraded to the latest Sony. Quite the ship at that.
Cheers

[kdloo]

I've never had problem with my s20. It's been one of my best phones, and I started with an s2, back in the day. It still works!😊

[Philscbx]

Very Cool, I use my old S4 for all kitchen missions making chow to using its timer modes to huge on file music to Bluetooth best of portable Bose speaker. All S4 ever needed was new battery a few years ago.
Cheers

[userQyQP4R4dOY]

Another disappointing phone. Samsung would rather make gimmicky, trendy phones used for fun and play than phones used for work. Keeping photos and files stored "in the cloud" is often a pain to access and not always efficient or safe. An external device to plug in to the phone is inconvenient. BRING BACK THE SD CARD SLOT!