Best Android phones with expandable memory

A few years ago, smartphones with expandable storage were starting to become a dying breed. It makes sense, too – Google hasn’t included support for microSD expansion in their Nexus handsets for years. Something must have changed, though, because the company included support for adoptable storage in Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Related: Best Android phones

This is making microSD support popular again, and today we are making it easy for you to find a good smartphone with expandable storage. We have created a list of our very favorite phones with microSD support, so let’s get started!

Editor’s note – We will be updating this list as more devices hit the market.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Samsung did a killer job with their 2015 flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. Design-wise, many would say those two phones were close to perfect. The company forwent a plastic design and instead included glass front and back panels with an aluminum frame. They weren’t without their flaws, though. The S6 and S6 Edge didn’t offer expandable storage or removable batteries — two features Samsung has been known to include in all its smartphones for years.

Now the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have made their way to the masses, and they fix many of the problems the S6 line introduced last year. While they don’t offer removable batteries, Samsung included expandable storage on both handsets in case the 32 GB of on-board storage isn’t enough. Samsung mostly stuck to the same design this time around, though they did shrink down the camera bumps on the back and made the devices a little thicker to make room for larger batteries.

In terms of specs, these are top-of-the-line smartphones. They come with Quad HD Super AMOLED displays, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors, 4 GB of RAM, great 12 MP rear-facing cameras and run the latest version of Android. Instead of featuring the same screen sizes this time around though, Samsung kept the S7 at a smaller 5.1 inches, while the S7 Edge has been bumped up to a larger 5.5-inch panel.

Seriously, these are some incredible smartphones. They are a little pricey, but all in all, we think the high asking price is worth it.

Specs

Samsung Galaxy S7

  • 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 577 ppi
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
  • 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3000 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm, 152 g

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

  • 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 534 ppi
  • Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
  • 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3600 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
  • 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm, 157 g

Read more

Buy the Samsung Galaxy S7Buy the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

HTC 10

HTC needed a saving grace this year, and the 10 just may be it. The Taiwanese company finally designed a phone that’s different enough from its predecessor yet still sports a familiar design language. With an all-metal chassis, front-mounted fingerprint sensor and a new-and-improved speaker setup, the HTC 10 easily made its way to our best Android phones list.

Under the hood, the 10 comes with some killer specs. A 5.2-inch Quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM are in line with most other flagships this year, and it also comes with expandable storage up to 200 GB and a 3000 mAh battery that will have no problems lasting an entire day on a single charge. HTC also improved the camera this time around, which was a big flaw in last year’s One M9 flagship.

All in all, the HTC 10 is an awesome device. Great specs and a solid build quality are what you’ll get here… what more could you ask for?

Specs

  • 5.2-inch Super LCD5 display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 565 ppi
  • 2.15 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
  • 12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3000 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • 145.9 x 71.9 x 9 mm, 161 g

Read more

Buy the HTC 10

LG G5

While the Galaxy S7 series is a minor refresh in terms of design, the LG G5 sees a massive departure from the design language used in the G series, ditching the rear volume/power setup that first debuted with the LG G2. The G5 also adopts a unibody metallic design that has a removable cap for access to the removable battery and a port for modules that allow users to expand the phone’s capabilities by adding a camera grip and other special accessories.

The distinctly different design of the LG G5 may not be for everyone, but there’s little denying that LG has went out of its way to try and innovate in a market where big changes like this aren’t all that common.

Spec wise, we’re looking at a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 4 GB RAM, a 5.3-inch display, and 32 GB storage with microSD for expansion. The specs here are certainly impressive all across the board. It’s also worth mentioning that LG has revamped its software, making it faster and less bloated. One controversial move with the software, however, is the removal of the app drawer in favor of what LG says is a “simplified experience.”

Specs

  • 5.3-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 554 ppi
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 32 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 200 GB
  • 16 and 8 MP dual rear cameras, 8 MP front camera
  • Removable 2800 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • 149.4 x 73.9 x 7.7 mm, 159 g

Read more

Buy the LG G5

Motorola Moto X Style (aka Pure Edition)

With the original Moto X, Motorola proved you don’t need to have the latest specs to get a great user experience. With the second generation, the Lenovo-owned company took no chances and double-downed on the spec side as well, packing the new Moto X (2014) with a dense 5.2-inch AMOLED screen, a beefy processor, and a capable 13 MP camera. But with the Moto X Style, Motorola reaches the perfect balance between performance, simplicity, price and… well, style.

By Style we are mostly referring customization capabilities, a factor which has been an integral part of the Moto X experience since day one. Customers can use Moto Maker to manipulate their devices’ aesthetics to their will. You can change the color of the metal areas, engrave the back and even choose from a plethora of back options, including materials leather, wood, rubber and other materials.

Moto_X_Style_Colors_Back_Lifestyle

The device is not a bad contender in terms of hardware, either. The larger screen puts the phone up with contenders like the OnePlus 2, Nexus 6, LG G4 and the Galaxy Note series. It may not sport the “best” processor in the market, but the Snapdragon 808 is pretty close to the 810, and Motorola has proven time and again they can make a super fast phone without the greatest chipset. The best part? This phone’s price will start at only $399!

It’s worth noting that the phone will be sold in most markets under the Style branding, though in the United States it will be sold as the Moto X Pure Edition, an unlocked model that will play nice with all U.S. carriers.

Specs

  • 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 520 ppi
  • 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
  • 3 GB of RAM
  • 16/32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 128 GB
  • 21 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3000 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • 153.9 x 76.2 x 11.06 mm, 179 g

Read more

Buy the Moto X Style from MotorolaBuy the Moto X Style from Amazon

LG V10

If you aren’t completely satisfied with the LG G4, perhaps the V10 will suit your needs. It has the same powerful Snapdragon 808 processor and 16 MP rear-facing camera as the G4, but with a few extra features included. Most notably, the V10 sports a secondary “ticker” display LG calls the Second Screen. This extra display aims to provide its users useful information without the need to turn on the main screen. It will display app shortcuts, notifications, and even weather and battery percentage information. Although the placement is a bit wonky, we’re sure you’ll be pretty happy with the added benefit of having a secondary display.

The V10 also has two front-facing cameras for wide-angle selfies, a fingerprint scanner that’s actually really reliable, a MIL-STD-810G Transit Drop Compliant rating for shock absorption, and a 32-bit Hi-Fi DAC electronic processor with support for Qualcomm’s QFE2550 closed-loop antenna tuning solution. It’s also the first smartphone ever to come with a manual mode for taking video.

Both the V10 and the G4 are great smartphones. If you aren’t concerned with spending a bit more money, though, you should buy the V10.

Specs

  • Main display: 5.7-inch IPS Quantum Display with 2560 x 1440 resolution, 513 ppi
    • Secondary display: 2.1-inch IPS Quantum Display with 160 x 1040 resolution, 513 ppi
  • Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor
  • 4 GB of RAM
  • 64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 2 TB
  • 16 MP rear-facing camera, 5 MP Dual Lens front-facing camera
  • Removable 3000 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6 mm, 192 g

Read more

Buy the LG V10

Motorola Droid Turbo 2

As the successor to last year’s well-received Droid Turbo, Motorola’s new Droid smartphone is being aimed at the clumsy folks this time around. Not only does this phone tote top-of-the-line specs – a Snapdragon 810 processor, Quad HD display, microSD expansion, a giant battery and a super impressive camera – it also comes with a shatterproof display. Yes, really, it’s shatterproof.

Motorola has implemented its new ShatterShield technology on the Droid Turbo 2. Motorola says the Turbo 2’s display consists of an integrated system of five layers that are designed to absorb shock and never shatter.

Aside from the unbreakable screen, you’ll also get Moto Maker support with this device, allowing you to customize nearly every accent of the phone. Motorola really hit it out of the park with the Droid Turbo 2. It has a great software experience (if you can get past the Verizon bloatware), amazing hardware, a solid camera and a customizable aesthetic for no extra cost. That’s definitely a good thing, because this smartphone doesn’t come cheap.

Specs

  • 5.4-inch AMOLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution, 540 ppi
  • 2.0 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor
  • 3 GB of RAM
  • 32/64 GB of on-board storage, microSD expansion up to 2 TB
  •  21 MP rear camera, 5 MP front camera
  • Non-removable 3760 mAh battery
  • Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • 149.8 x 78 x 7.6-9.2 mm, 169 g

Read more

Buy the Motorola DROID Turbo 2

Those are our favorite microSD-compatible smartphones! Do you have a favorite that is not listed? Is microSD support even a big deal to you? Hit the comments to let us know in the comments!

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By | 2016-06-07T23:00:10+00:00 June 7th, 2016|Android Related, Just the Tablets|0 Comments

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