All Windows Mobile Pocket PCs, Pocket PC Phones and Smartphones sold today have some type of onboard flash memory card slot.  Though there are card alternatives (such as CompactFlash & MMC) Secure Digital (SD) card slots dominate. 

 

There are several types of Secure Digital Cards available:

		Secure Digital Cards - These cards were the first format in the SD class and are still in wide use today. Most Windows Mobile devices have moved to physically smaller versions of the SD card (shown below).  Those with older Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and Pocket PC Phones likely use this type of flash memory card.  Browse SD Cards
		Secure Digital High Capacity Cards - A relatively new arrival to the flash memory scene, SDHC cards have the same form factor as standard SD cards, but require SDHC compatible devices in order to be read from and written to.  Only a select few of the newest Windows Mobile devices are compatible with the high capacity variety of Secure Digital cards.  Look for the SDHC logo (seen left) to verify that a card is, indeed, high capacity. Browse SDHC Cards
		mini Secure Digital Cards - Often referred to as miniSD, this format is perhaps the least used in Windows Mobile devices.  The miniSD format has been overshadowed by the microSD format (shown below). Browse miniSD Cards
		micro Secure Digital Cards - Often referred to as microSD or Transflash cards, this format is in wide use in Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phones and Smartphones.  microSD cards are tiny, thin and available in several capacities.  Browse microSD Cards
		micro Secure Digital High Capacity Cards - Often referred to as microSDHC cards, this format is the newest in the Secure Digital family and has the same form factor as standard microSD cards.  Like SDHC cards, microSDHC cards require special readers and can only be used with compatible devices. Digital cards.  Look for the microSDHC logo (seen left) to verify that a card is, indeed, high capacity. Browse microSDHC Cards

 

But... What Sort of Memory?

Although the term "memory" can be confusing because of its traditional definition in computer jargon, when talking about flash memory cards, the word "memory" means long-term storage. In this way, flash memory cards are more akin to hard drives than to computer memory, or RAM, which only stores data while it's in use.  Flash memory cards are designed for the long-term storage of data on digital cameras, MP3 Players, PDAs, etc.

Flash memory is also called nonvolatile memory, meaning that flash memory does not require any power to retain data.  This is also the type of memory used for data storage in modern PDAs, MP3 Players, etc.

 

How to Use Flash Memory Cards

Adding a flash memory card to your Windows Mobile device does not add memory in the traditional sense (like adding more RAM to a PC).  Flash memory cards add more storage space, allowing you to store more applications (software), data files, media files (music, video, photos), etc. 

 

How to Access Data on a Flash Memory Card in Windows Mobile

Using a flash memory card in a Windows Mobile device does not simply add to the internal storage space.  Data contained on a flash memory card is accessible as a separate storage location. 

With Pocket PCs and Pocket PC Phones (Windows Mobile devices with touchscreens) data stored on a flash memory card is accessible in the File Explorer utility as SD Card, Storage Card or some other name which reflects the type of card being used:

With Windows Mobile Smartphones (non-touchscreen devices), contents of an SD card can be viewed in the File Manager utility.

 

SDIO

Some Secure Digital (SD), miniSD and microSD peripherals are also available for Windows Mobile Devices.  These peripherals are called SDIO (Secure Digital Input/Output) and use the same slot as flash memory cards, but perform hardware functions rather than store data. Examples of SDIO devices include Wi-Fi cards, Barcode Scanners, GPS receivers and more.

 

Still Have Questions?

Still have questions about the Secure Digital family of flash memory cards? E-mail us.