Could your next Samsung phone have a microSD card slot?

There was a time when most Samsung phones, including flagships, had a microSD card slot. It provided an inexpensive option to expand storage. You could buy the cheaper model with the lowest internal storage and just expand with a microSD card slot.

Samsung has done away with microSD card slots on its phones in recent years. However, the recent price and supply shocks in the memory chip market is causing speculation that smartphone makers could bring back this beloved option.

DRAM memory chip prices have skyrocketed in recent quarters due to supply shortages which are expected to persist until the end of 2027 at the very least. Memory chip makers are increasingly focusing on high-bandwidth memory for AI chips, with some even converting their DRAM production lines to HBM.

Samsung has itself sharply raised prices for many of its memory products to take full advantage of the prevailing market dynamics.

This puts smartphone manufacturers like Samsung between a rock and a hard place. They either buy the more expensive DRAM chips and raise device prices or reduce their profit margins. Both are difficult decisions.

There's some speculation in Chinese media that the current memory chip market situation might compel some smartphone manufacturers to bring back the microSD card slot.

There's no indication if Samsung is planning to do the same, but if there's an industry-wide shift among Android OEMs in the coming year, Samsung might feel compelled to respond and bring back the microSD card slot on some of its devices. That decision will certainly make many of its users very happy.