Samsung EVO Plus 256GB microSDXC Card — U3 V30 A2 160MB/s + SD Adapter

160MB/s Read · write lower than read

In-House NAND + Controller — Full Stack Performance

Samsung is the world’s largest NAND flash memory manufacturer and produces both the flash storage chips and the controller silicon used in its microSD cards in-house. Most competing card brands source NAND from suppliers — Samsung, SanDisk (Western Digital) and Micron are the primary manufacturers supplying the rest of the market. Cards built on in-house NAND use controller firmware and NAND pairing that is optimised at the manufacturing level rather than tuned around third-party components, which generally produces better sustained write consistency and more predictable performance under continuous recording loads. The 160MB/s read speed enables rapid file transfer of large video files from card to computer — a 10GB 4K clip transfers in approximately 56 seconds at 160MB/s vs the 100 seconds it takes at 100MB/s. The write speed lower than read speed is the strong mid-range performance appropriate for 4K capable devices, and is appropriate for the highest-bitrate recording modes available in current smartphones and drones that use UHS-I slots.

U3 · V30 · A2

4K Minimum Guarantee · App Performance

The speed class ratings on a microSD card communicate guaranteed minimum performance floors rather than peak speeds. U3 (UHS Speed Class 3) guarantees a minimum sequential write speed of 30MB/s — the floor required for continuous 4K UHD video recording without buffer overflow and frame drops. A card that peaks at write lower than read but drops to 10MB/s under sustained load will fail during recording; the U3 guarantee indicates the card maintains at least 30MB/s consistently. V30 (Video Speed Class 30) is the same 30MB/s floor expressed in the newer Video Speed Class standard used by camera firmware from approximately 2019 onwards — functionally identical to U3 for recording purposes. A2 (Application Performance Class 2) specifies random read performance of at least 4,000 IOPS and random write of at least 2,000 IOPS — double the A1 minimums of 1,500/500 IOPS. The higher IOPS floor means Android applications stored and run from this card load faster and respond more smoothly than on an A1 card, which is relevant for devices where the microSD card hosts installed applications.

6-Pillar Durability

Water · Temp · X-Ray · Magnetic · Drop · Wearout

The EVO Plus carries Samsung’s six-pillar durability certification covering the physical failure modes relevant to everyday carry and outdoor use. Waterproof — tested to withstand 72 hours of submersion in seawater, exceeding the standard 30-minute freshwater IPX7 test used by most manufacturers. Temperature proof — tested across -25°C to 85°C operating range, covering the temperatures found in a parked car in summer (up to 70°C+ inside a closed vehicle), outdoor winter use and camera bag storage. X-ray proof — data survives airport security X-ray machines up to 100mGy, relevant for travelers who pass cards through checked luggage security. Magnetic proof — survives fields up to 15,000 gauss, equivalent to a high-field MRI machine; this exceeds the magnetic fields produced by standard consumer electronics. Drop proof — survives drops from up to 5 metres onto hard surfaces; the flash chip inside is solid state and has no moving parts, but physical impact can stress the card’s substrate and contacts — the 5-metre rating confirms structural integrity under realistic accidental drop conditions. Wearout — rated for up to 10,000 insertion/removal cycles, covering many years of regular daily use.

Great choice if you…

✔ Record 4K video on a drone, action camera or smartphone and need U3/V30 reliability
✔ Shoot burst photos in RAW and need fast sustained write speeds
✔ Use the card in outdoor conditions — waterproof to seawater, temperature and drop rated
✔ Run Android apps from the card and want A2 performance over A1
✔ Want Samsung NAND reliability with a 10-year warranty

Consider something else if…

✖ You only need a card for a smartphone or tablet without 4K video — consider Samsung EVO Select (similar price, same specs)
✖ You need continuous recording for dashcam or CCTV — use Samsung PRO Endurance (rated for 160,000 hours write cycles)
✖ Your camera requires V60 or V90 class for 8K or high-bitrate Cinema 4K — see Lexar 1667x or SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II

Technical Specifications

Box Contents

Condition

Brand New — Retail Packaging

Warranty

10 Years Samsung (limited)

Delivery

4–5 Working Days · Fully Tracked