6 Best SD Card Readers for Android According to User Reviews

Although they initially faced competition from rival formats, SD cards, short for Secure Digital, have long been the standard form of solid-state storage cards for use in all kinds of devices. Convenient, reliable and widely adopted, the memory solution is a great way to fit significant amounts of data into a small space, with smaller microSD cards also available. Cameras have long leveraged this technology, but they’re just scratching the surface, with everything from portable media players to the Nintendo Switch handheld game console featuring some sort of SD card slot.

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For a long time, mobile phones with microSD card slots (both smartphones and less capable devices such as feature phones and flip phones) were quite common. However, this has changed to the point that in 2024 the feature will move away from flagship models and be available only on mid-priced phones in certain budgets. Since many Android phones do not have an SD card slot, reading such cards requires the purchase of an SD card reader, usually via the USB Type-C connection, which has become the standard charging and connectivity port on Android phones in recent years. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best SD card readers available for Android based on user reviews. You can find more information about how these items were selected at the end of this list.

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It might be a bit surprising that an Apple product would make an Android accessory list, but still. USB Type-C As standard, Apple’s SD card reader is fully compatible with Android devices. It’s far from the cheapest SD card reader on the market, as it retails for around $40 from resellers Best Buy And Amazonbut with many positive reviews, it ranks among the best reviews from Best Buy customers. The Apple card reader has an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars from 1,297 Best Buy reviews at the time of this writing. It averages 4.7 out of five stars, as the Amazon listing was only added in August 2024; but this is based on only four customer reviews.

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“Apple, like any company, does some things right and some things wrong, but they knocked this one out of the park!” reader A review from TRex. “I can keep it in my camera bag and hit the road! It pops up on my phones and displays every item on my SD card and downloads them as fast as I shoot them. Highly recommend!”

Although its price is a little high compared to the products below, this is an official Apple accessory and there is no doubt that this is a well-made, high-quality card reader.

If you’re looking for a more affordable USB Type-C SD card reader that will work with an Android phone, one attractive option from a reputable brand is the IOGEAR USB-C 2-in-1 SD Card Reader/Writer. . Retails for about $20, often sells for less Amazon or on customs clearance Best Buy. Also available at a higher price at: Walmart. This SD card reader doesn’t have many reviews, but there are some very positive ones; Best Buy has an average of 4.8 out of five stars among 39 reviews, Amazon has an average of four out of five stars among 43 reviews, and Walmart is also very positive. Average five stars from three reviews.

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“Great for switching between new tech and old tech,” says an anonymous person Walmart customer’s review. “The speeds are good too. I really like the port covers so they don’t get dirty.” The port cover is the plastic accessory shown above next to the card reader that has both USB Type-C and USB Type-A plugs. Amazon user T. RoweHe spoke positively of its “levels of functionality and durability”, stating that it was enough for a “5-star response”.

Another well-reviewed SD card reader from a known brand is the SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-II USB-C Reader. $22.99 at Amazon And $24.99 at Best Buy. Best Buy has only 38 reviews and averages a 4.5 out of five stars, while Amazon has 3,050 reviews for this device and averages a 4.7 out of five stars. It also carries the “Amazon’s Choice” tag. 2018 Amazon statement to CNET“It’s a way to simplify shopping for customers by highlighting highly-rated, affordable products ready to ship immediately for the most popular searches on Amazon.” This card reader works with Android but Format SD cards as FAT32 on your PC or Match.

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“As someone who relies on fast and reliable data transfer, this reader exceeded all my expectations,” he says a positive Amazon review. “The USB-C connection delivers lightning-fast transfer speeds and allowed me to transfer large files in a fraction of the time compared to other readers. UHS-II compatibility means it’s optimized for high-speed SD cards and is perfect for processing 4K video images or RAW image files with ease.” .” Seems like a solid choice between positive reviews and pretty reasonable price.

This next option is more than just an SD card reader; It’s kind of like a Swiss Army knife of connectivity. Walmart’s corporate brand Onn’s Multi-Port USB Hub with SD, Micro SD and Compact Flash Card Reader, It retails for $14.25. As the name suggests, it’s not just an SD card reader; It offers dedicated readers for microSD and even the outdated CompactFlash, while also functioning as a USB hub with three USB Type-A ports running at USB 2.0 speeds. It has plugs for USB Type-A, USB Type-C, and MicroUSB, so it’ll work with whatever you throw at it, without needing additional adapters. Walmart customers seem to love it, as it has an average rating of 4.3 out of five stars from the 255 customers who chose to review it.

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It says “Feels solid” A review from a verified customer. “It plugs in easily and is user friendly. It can also read 3 different cards which is an added bonus if your laptop doesn’t have many ports. I like that it can plug in usb and c. The only downside is the cable is a bit short but I would buy it again.” This looks like a great buy.

Another device available at Walmart is the Vivitar Mobile SD, Micro SD and Compact Flash Card Reader. It retails for $39.99 but is often discounted under $30. Walmart customers seem to really like it, as this Vivitar card reader has an average rating of 4.2 out of five stars from 398 reviews. Thanks to the included adapters, it can work with almost all modern smartphones, as it supports not only USB Type-C, but also MicroUSB and Lightning.

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A review from our verified customer Brooke begins: “A family member still uses an old digital camera instead of a smartphone.” “I was able to use the adapter to save images to my computer. Pixel Android phone Using the USB C cable. I also tried it on my computer using the USB C cable and it was just as easy. I’m excited that I can now easily save these images!”

Another verified customer Vivitar highlighted the high compatibility of the card reader. “The card reader works with my PC and Android phone out of the box,” they said, adding the caveat that it needs a Vivitar app to work on the iPad, although it’s plug-and-play on everything else, including the Linux server.

One card reader option that sits at the intersection of brand awareness and value pricing is the Anker SD Card Reader 2-in-1, priced at $17.99. Amazon And Walmart. There is a lot of positive customer feedback on Amazon; The card reader gets an average of 4.7 out of five stars from 6,289 user reviews, while Walmart gets a perfect five-star average from just ten reviews. It has dedicated slots for SD and microSD without needing an adapter and includes support for newer Ultra High Speed ​​(UHS) cards. Promotional copy touts “Universal Compatibility” with phones, laptops and more; Additionally, the Anker card reader also carries the Amazon’s Choice label.

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It says “Reviewing dashcam footage (SD) on my Android device works great.” An Amazon review from Alan Mason. “Small enough to keep in the center console, easy enough to pop in and run an SD card from the Performance Data Recorder in my 2016 Corvette. I can easily review track footage or dashcam footage and bulk delete old dashcam videos to free up space.” Another reviewer wrote “I’ve tried a few of these recently and this is the only one that works reliably. It’s simple to use, fast and well made. It works with Android platform phones and tablets.”

For this list, SD card readers compatible with Android were selected only if they had high average customer review scores on major retailers’ websites. Only selected SD card readers with an average rating of four out of five stars or better at Amazon, Best Buy, and/or Walmart. Known brand names were also appreciated for their reliable warranties and customer support. The fact that the Amazon’s Choice tag appears on both SanDisk and Anker’s listings also helped strengthen the case for their inclusion.

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