This cheap 1TB microSD memory card underlines a big failure in the storage industry

SanDisk 1TB Ultra MicroSDXC UHS-I microSD card - $230 $179.99 at Amazon (roughly £135/AU$246)
This 1TB microSD card from SanDisk is currently available at 22% off the suggested retail price. It's a firm fan-favorite, so grab it while you can - just make sure your camera or laptop is compatible first.View Deal

If you're looking for an excellent removable storage deal, Amazon has slashed the price of the SanDisk Ultra 1TB MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card from $229.99 to $179.99 - a saving of about 22%. You can also purchase the card from Western Digital for the same price.

First announced in 2019, this SanDisk microSD card (SDSQUA4-1T00-AN6MA) is currently the cheapest way to transport 1TB of data and there are very few microSD cards of similar capacity on the market.

Although full-sized SDXC cards can't be used in your smartphone, many are compatible with cameras and laptops that take expandable SD storage.

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With a read speed of up to 120MBps and write speeds of 90MBps, the card is not compatible with the new V30 speed class, but should record videos at full HD without a hitch.

SanDisk also claims it has built-in write protect to safeguard your content, but it's unclear whether the microSD card is waterproof, shockproof or X-Ray proof.

Because it's so small, Amazon will also ship the microSD card to a number of non-US territories for a small additional fee, including the UK.

For now, Micron, Integral and SanDisk are the only vendors to have announced a 1TB microSD card, with two smaller players (PNY and Silicon Power) expected to follow suit.

We reviewed the 1TB Micron MicroSD card and were impressed by its performance, but it still appears to be missing from retail shelves, one year after launch.

Several other major players are currently selling 512GB microSD cards - including the likes of Samsung, Kingston and Teamgroup - but none have confirmed when they will offer a 1TB version.

While solid state drives (SSDs) have fallen in price and increased in capacity significantly, memory cards have not followed the same trend, which is both perplexing and disappointing. It is likely that demand is simply not there, with smartphones with large capacities and ubiquitous fast wireless broadband making high capacity memory cards less desirable.

• Here's our choice of the best cloud storage providers of 2020

Bear in mind

• If the Ultra MicroSDXC isn't available in your region, you may have to use a specialist parcel forwarding service to take advantage of the deal.
• If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.

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