If you're searching for the best Android phones with a memory card slot, you are not going to find a laundry list of options — in North America, at least. Simply put, if you're looking to buy a phone with expandable storage in 2026, you'll want to start with Motorola.
Motorola is the best brand when it comes to niche features such as expansion slots or 3.5mm audio ports. The Moto G 2026 series comes with well-rounded and affordable choices, with the Moto G 2026 being the finest among the lot. It's a $200 smartphone with a big battery, Android 16 out of the box, and of course, a microSD card slot supporting up to 1TB of expansion. Best of all, you can get it in the U.S., unlike some popular microSD card slot-toting phones from manufacturers like Sony or Nothing.
That being said, Motorola isn't the only brand that incorporates microSD slots into their phones. Here is our list of all the best phones with a microSD card slot in 2026, from battery life beasts to dirt cheap models.
Best overall
Motorola has made quite a reputation for itself over the past few years, delivering devices that offer incredible bang for the buck(s). The Moto G 2026 is yet another banger from the company that not only excels at the basics but also manages to pack some nice extras. Undeniably one of the best phones under $200, this one is not to be missed if you don't want to splurge on a flagship. Admittedly, not much has changed from the Moto G 2025, but you do get a larger battery and Android 16 out of the box.
Thanks to the vegan leather back panel that we've all come to love, the Moto G 2026 looks and feel a lot more premium than what its super affordable price tag might have you believe. Up front, there's a 6.7-inch IPS LCD screen that works for everyday tasks such as media streaming and web browsing just fine. Yes, the HD resolution is a bit low by today's standards, but you do get a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The phone has MediaTek's Dimensity 6300 SoC and 4GB of RAM, which combined should be enough sufficient for casual usage and even some gaming. There's also 128GB of onboard storage, and an expansion slot that can take up the best microSD cards of up to 1TB in size.
If you were to compare the Moto G 2026 and the Moto G 2025, you'd immediately notice the improvements in the camera department. The front-facing camera is now a 32MP unit, although you still get a 50MP shooter on the rear. Photos are captured almost instantly, and the software has also seen a few enhancements.
The smartphone runs Android 16 (with Motorola's Hello UI overlaid on top) and is set to receive two OS updates and three years of security patches, which is quite good given its price point. All essential connectivity and I/O options (e.g., Wi-Fi, NFC, and a 3.5mm audio port) are here, along with a 5,200mAh battery with 30W wired charging support.
Best value
Samsung's flagships and foldables are all the fun, but don't sleep on the fantastic range of affordable A-series smartphones. Among them is the Galaxy A35 5G, one of the best cheap Android phones for anyone who prefers Galaxy devices. It's true that it's two generations old at this point, but the newer models don't offer much in terms of upgrades; instead, they don't include storage expansion. Moreover, the Galaxy A35 can now be had for an extremely low price, especially if you don't mind going the renewed way.
Driven by Samsung's Exynos 1380 chipset and 6GB of RAM, the Galaxy A35 5G is more than capable of handling just about everything except the most resource-intensive of workflows. You also get 128GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot that makes storage expansion a walk in the park. The smartphone has a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display having a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for games, web browsing, and more. You even get an IP67 certification for dust and water resistance.
For photos and videos, the Galaxy A35 5G comes with a triple-lens rear camera system having a 50MP wide-angle sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 5MP macro module. It runs Android 14 (with One UI 6.1 overlaid on top) out of the box, and thanks to Samsung's excellent software update policy, will get four major OS updates and five years of security patches. It means this smartphone will still be perfectly fine for a few more years, even if you get it today. Some other additions include stereo speakers, NFC, and a 5,000mAh battery with 25W wired charging.
Best display
TCL makes excellent eye-friendly displays with matte, paper-like coverings that allow your phone to pull double duty as an e-reader. Unfortunately, most of the brand's best smartphone offerings have gone overseas — until now. The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a budget Android phone with pretty decent specs, including a best-in-class display and a microSD card slot for expandable storage.
TCL's NXTPAPER 70 Pro retails for around $330, and you can regularly snag it for far less than that thanks to retailer and carrier promotions. Since it has full US network support, you can enjoy 5G coverage with the carrier of your choice. It has a passable MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor, 8GB memory, and 128GB of onboard storage that you can expand up to 2TB with a microSD card.
Aside from the rare microSD card slot, the NXTPAPER 70 Pro's calling card is its display. It's a 6.9-inch LCD with a matte display covering that supports TCL's NXTPAPER 4.0 technology. This allows you to cycle between full color mode, color paper mode, ink paper mode, and max ink mode. The latter three make your phone feel like an E Ink display, even though this is an LCD display trying to mimic the best properties of E Ink panels.
In addition, you get a dual-camera system on the rear highlighted by a 50MP primary shooter. There's a giant 5,200mAh battery with 33W wired charging speeds, but no wireless charging. The big downside is the pre-installed bloatware, although it's easy enough to remove. If you want a great display and a microSD card slot, this is the one to get.
Best battery life
Motorola phones have always been a top pick for those needing a microSD card slot or a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Moto G Power 2026 is no exception. This isn't a huge upgrade over the 2025 model, but it keeps many of the things people love about Moto G Power models. Namely, there's a 5,200mAh battery that easily lasts more than a day, sometimes two. It charges up via 30W fast charging, so you won't waste time waiting for it to get full.
The display is impressive for the price, as you get a 6.8-inch FHD+ panel with 120Hz refresh rate support. The processor is still a MediaTek Dimensity 6300, and it's paired with 8GB of RAM. This isn't anything special, but it's decent for the price point. You also get that crucial microSD card slot for storage expansion, building upon the 128GB of base storage.
There are solid 50MP rear and 32MP selfie cameras, although the secondary 8MP ultrawide camera on the back isn't much to write home about. The things that make the Moto G Power 2026 special are its battery life, headphone jack, and microSD card slot. This phone checks all the boxes old-school Android fans need, and that's why you should consider it.
Best with stylus
Building further upon the stellar reputation of its predecessor, the Moto G Stylus 2026 shows why Motorola is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to value-for-money smartphones. Sure, it's a relatively modest upgrade compared to the previous-gen model, but there are still meaningful refinements that should make for improved everyday usage.
While the Moto G Stylus 2026 is still powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 chipset and packs 8GB of RAM and up to 256 of internal storage, both of these are now faster than they were on the last-gen model. You get a stunning 6.7-inch pOLED panel up front, and the best part is that the smartphone's standout feature has gotten an upgrade too. Yep, the stylus is now active, with support for pressure sensitivity and tilt detection for a more responsive user experience. The smartphone runs Android 16 (with Motorola's Hello UI overlay) out of the box and will get two years of OS and three years of bi-monthly security updates. You still get all the essentials like NFC, a 3.5mm audio port, and of course, an expansion slot that supports microSD cards of up to 1TB in size.
The Moto G Stylus 2026 is a tough smartphone that's backed by an IP68/IP69K certification and also adheres to military-grade standards of durability. It comes with a slightly bigger 5,200mAh battery with support for fast wired and wireless charging.
Best cheap Samsung
Craving that signature Samsung look and feel but can't afford much? Don't fret, as the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G is a fabulous choice for anyone who's hunting for phones with expandable storage. The Galaxy A26 5G sports a Full-HD Plus Super AMOLED screen that measures 6.7 inches and comes with an impressive 120Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, the panel sprots a waterdrop notch that clearly has no business being on a phone in 2026, even if it's an affordable option like this one.
Now, although this is (mostly) an entry-level smartphone, but it has just enough goodies that it sits a notch above that banner. For instance, the Samsung phone is kept alive by a big 5,000mAh battery. You also get an IP67 rating and a 50MP primary camera, even if it doesn't hold a candle to the photographic capabilities of the Galaxy S series of Samsung's smartphones.
You get the Exynos 1380 chipset which is just about alright for everyday use and light multitasking but does struggle a bit during intensive gaming sessions. One thing that sets it apart is the promise of six generations of OS upgrades, which is remarkable for a phone at this price. If you must get a cheap Samsung in a very tight budget, the Galaxy A26 5G is a fairly decent choice.
FAQ
What is expandable storage on a phone?
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Expandable storage is a functionality that lets you increase the available storage on your device. Most smartphones today have at least 128GB of internal storage for apps and files, but if your device has an SD card slot, you can increase the storage to up to 1TB (and more) by purchasing one of the best microSD cards for Android.
What takes up the most storage on an Android phone?
For the vast majority of users, their smartphone is also the default camera for capturing daily moments. As such, even mid-range smartphones these days come with very good (if not great) camera setups, complete with features like 4K video recording. These photos and videos can often end up taking several GBs of storage space.
Apart from that, modern apps tend to take up quite a bit of storage space as well, especially some of the best Android games out there.
What should I do when Android phone storage is full?
If you see that your Android smartphone is running out of storage space, you can take a look at the large-sized files, photos, and videos on it. This can be done via the built-in file manager app, which almost every Android smartphone comes with. Here, you can also check if some of the files, photos, and videos have duplicates. Accordingly, you can delete any unwanted stuff that's just sitting there and recover some storage space.
On the other hand, if the files and multimedia stored on your smartphone are important and can't be deleted, you can back them up to a cloud storage service. You'll be glad to know that backing up your Android phone is simple. In addition to files and apps, you can even back up text messages, contacts, and much more with little to no effort.
How do I get more storage on my phone?
The simplest way of increasing storage on your Android phone is to just use a microSD card for storing all your files, photos, videos, and multimedia. And to do that, the phone needs to have a microSD expansion slot. If you already have (or plan on getting) one of the smartphones listed in this article, it'll just make things much easier.
How do I free up storage on my phone?
If your phone doesn't come with an expansion slot or you'd simply rather not buy a microSD card, there are a few things you can do to free storage space on your Android device.
Uninstall unnecessary apps: Your phone might have a few apps that you installed at some point but no longer use. In addition, some phones come preinstalled with apps that just use up valuable space but aren't needed. You can uninstall some of these apps and boost some of the available storage space on your phone.
Delete app cache/data: As we use apps on our phones over time, those apps keep on accumulating their own cache and data, which can take up quite a bit of space on the phone. You can delete this cache/data by going to the app's settings (generally accessible via Settings > Apps > App Name > Storage & cache) and clearing the storage and cache. This can be particularly helpful for unwanted apps that can't be uninstalled. Some phones also come with a "Phone Manager" app that can identify the apps using too much space and help you clear the cache and data. However, do note that clearing an app's data/cache resets it, so ensure that you don't use that app before proceeding.
How much storage do I need on my phone?
Most smartphones nowadays come with 128GB, 512GB or 1TB of base storage. That said, there are still a few entry-level Android phones that start with 64GB onboard storage. Now, if the Android smartphone you're considering is available in both 64GB and 128GB storage options, and the price difference isn't too much, getting the former variant really doesn't make much sense.
That said, things change if you're a light user. If you plan on using your phone for only basic tasks (e.g., taking a few photos every once in a while) and don't intend to use a lot of apps, going for the 64GB storage version will probably be just fine, and also help you save some cash.
If you're someone who is regularly gaming, downloading apps, or capturing photos/videos on your phone, going with a larger storage configuration makes a lot of sense. It's also worth noting that many new devices will offer free storage upgrades when you preorder. It means that, with the right phone deal, you can get a 512GB phone for the price of the 256GB model, 256GB of storage for the price of the 128GB, and so on.
How to choose an Android phone with an SD card slot
With majority of the best Android phones moving away from microSD card slots, you might think this practical option is well on its way to becoming obsolete, but don't panic just yet. There are still plenty of great phones with microSD support, although the vast majority of them are budget offerings. Grab some of the best microSD cards, and you'll be able to boost your phone storage with ease.
The TCL NXTPAPER 70 Pro is a surprisingly well-rounded device, especially when you remember it can be had under $300. The phone has an innovative eye-friendly display with powerful performance and great battery life, plus you get IP68 protection and 8GB of RAM, both of which are rare features for such an affordable device.
In terms of mainstream full-blown flagships that offer expandable storage, you're out of luck with the latest releases. You won't find a microSD slot in the Galaxy S26 lineup or the Pixel 10 series. You're better off with mid-range value phones such as the Moto G Stylus 2026 or the Galaxy A35 5G. You'll find the internals to be solid in both these phones, pushing out smooth performance consistently. Both devices are good in the camera and battery departments, too.
