Samsung tried to cram everything into the Galaxy S21 FE, but among all of its specs and features, is an SD card slot one of them? One feature that used to be on almost every Android phone was microSD support. Run out of internal storage for your apps, games, and other digital files? No worries. Just remove your phone's card slot, pop in a microSD card, and you could instantly add 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or even 1TB of additional space just like that. Phones with SD card slots aren't extinct yet, but they are becoming rarer and rarer.
So, how does the Galaxy S21 FE fall into this camp? Unfortunately, it's just like most other flagship devices. No matter where someone buys the Galaxy S21 FE, the phone does not have an SD card slot. Samsung used to be one of the biggest proponents of microSD cards on smartphones. However, that changed with the Galaxy S21 series, and that's now also true of the S21 FE. This is especially frustrating compared to 2020's Galaxy S20 FE, which did support microSD cards.
The S21 FE Comes In Two Storage Options
Potentially making matters worse for shoppers is the limited storage options available for the Galaxy S21 FE. The baseline model costs $599 and comes with 128GB of space for all of someone's digital files. If that's not enough, there's an upgraded version available with 256GB. That additional storage comes with a $90 price increase, though it does also bump up the RAM from 6GB to 8GB.
While that should be fine for most users, the maximum possible storage is considerably less than what the Galaxy S20 FE offered. Along with 128GB and 256GB variants, the S20 FE could go all the way up to 1TB with a big enough SD card. That simply isn't possible with the S21 FE — and it could be a deal-breaker for users who keep a lot of songs, movies, and games saved locally on their phone.
The even bigger issue? This is unlikely to change going forward. Samsung's made it very clear that it's beyond the days of smartphones with SD cards. Even with a phone like the S21 FE — something that's supposed to be a 'Fan Edition' — SD card support is still nowhere to be found. It's a sad reality, but it's one everyone will have to get used to sooner rather than later.
Does The Galaxy S21 Series Have An SD Card Slot?
Like the Galaxy S21 FE, the Galaxy S21 series doesn't come with an SD card slot either. This includes the base Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra. Samsung has also continued the trend with the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S23 series, which means the next Galaxy FE smartphone won't have this feature either.
Both the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ max out at 256GB of storage, which might not be enough for some users. The best option for those who want more storage is the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which comes in 512GB and 1TB versions. Unfortunately, it doesn't come cheap, with those variants priced at $1,199 and $1,619, respectively.
Which Galaxy Phones Have An SD Card Slot?
While Samsung has gotten rid of the SD card slot on its flagships, it still includes them on its entry-level and mid-range smartphones. At the lower-end of the spectrum, this includes the Galaxy A13, Galaxy A14, and Galaxy A23. These phones are priced in the $150 to $300 range, and offer basic specs and good value for money.
For those who want a more premium Samsung handset with an SD card slot, the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A54 are worth considering. They feature 120Hz displays, an IP67 rating, 5,000mAh batteries, four years of Android upgrades, and are priced at $450. It's unclear how long Samsung will continue to provide SD card slots on its cheaper smartphones, given that it's already removed the headphone jack from the Galaxy A50 series. For those who do want the convenience of expandable storage though, picking up one of Samsung's Galaxy A-series phones is the way to go.
Source: Samsung