The single most important API in Android Lollipop - SD card full support

[Lloydbm41]

Google has finally rewritten the SD card support api with enhanced security and full read/write capability for all 3rd party developers.

Now manufacturers can add SD card hardware support and consumers can actually fully utilize it without the need for a skinned OS like Touchwiz. Stock Android can utilize SD cards now. My guess is that this was necessary for Android One cheap handsets that will only have 4-8gb of built in storage.

Link to article: http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/11/04/android-5-0-makes-sd-cards-great-again-extends-api-to-allow-full-directory-access-automatic-mediastore-and-improves-security/

 

[Shanghaichica]

Nice! I can get some more usage out of my 128gb card now.

 

[apolloa]

But it's still no gaurantee that you'll be able to install or move apps onto the SD card right? It's up the developer to support that, isn't that right?

 

[mattopotamus]

Yet strange they opted to not have the SD slot on the nexus devices again.

 

[apolloa]

Yet strange they opted to not have the SD slot on the nexus devices again.

I think that's because Google wants to promote their cloud storage services.

 

[JaySoul]

Funny because this last couple of days, I've really gotten sick of my 64gb SD card. My Samsung slowed down because of it, now my G3 has too.

I can actually understand Google's dislike of it. It's fine for holding films, but for everything else in my experience, it's clunky.

Next phone, I'm going without SD!

 

[Sensamic]

Just found out! Awesome news! It's very annoying having to do workarounds in my SGS5 to move downloaded files from the internal SD to the external SD all the time.

 

[ucfgrad93]

It is nice to see Google correcting this after the hash they made it in Kit Kat.

 

[gotluck]

Good news for the GS4 Play Edition, dont have to root and change platform.xml anymore
too bad they never released a successor

oh yes, and the M8 GPE