Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 is ditching the microSD card. Here's why
A once-standard feature can now only be found on the premium version of the Note.
The microSD slot, shown here on the Galaxy Note 9, will be present on Samsung's Galaxy Note 10 Plus but not on the regular Note 10.
The headphone jack isn't the only thing going away on the new Galaxy Note 10. The smaller of Samsung's two new Note 10 phones is also losing another once-proud feature, the microSD card slot. Samsung isn't getting rid of the microSD card slot entirely, mind you. The pricier, larger 6.8-inch Note 10 Plus will still have support for expandable storage. But on the 6.3-inch, more compact Note 10 version of the phone you'll have to be content with 256GB of built-in storage.
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Suzanne De Silva, head of mobile for Samsung Electronics America, told CNET that the decision stemmed from the trade-off of making the phone thinner but packing in a bigger battery.
Compared with last year's 6.4-inch Note 9, the new Note 10 is indeed thinner and lighter, but its 3,500mAh battery is actually smaller than the Note 9's 4,000mAh power source.
The removal of the microSD slot is a bit of a disappointment on a line of devices that have long been praised for not compromising. It wouldn't, however, be the first time Samsung has removed the feature from a top-of-the-line phone. The Galaxy Fold , which is now due to arrive in September, similarly lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card slot.
Originally published Aug. 7, 1:30 p.m. PT.
Correction, 8:12 p.m.: This story originally misstated that the Note 10 battery is bigger than the Note 9's. It is in fact smaller.