Sandisk puts out industry's first 8 GB microSD card

Milpitas (CA) - Giving cell phone storage a boost just before the launch of the iPhone, Sandisk this week began shipping 8 GB microSDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards.

The new 8 GB size was released alongside Sandisk’s 6 GB microSD cards. Less than one fourth the size of a regular SD card, Sandisk says the new 8 GB specification is the highest capacity for the small flash media format.

Since their introduction, microSD cards (originally called TransFlash) have had much less capacity than their full-size SD counterparts. However, the biggest SD card available in the commercial US market right now is also 8 GB. 12 and 16 GB capacities are expected within the next year.

MicroSD cards are usually referred to as cell phone memory cards, as they have become the nearly universal format for external mobile phone data storage. Most mainstream phones also have very little internal memory. Apple’s iPhone will come with 4 GB or 8 GB of storage, depending on the model, and has no external memory card slot.

MicroSD cards are also used in MP3 players and standalone GPS receivers.