What is TF Card and How is it Different From Micro-SD Card

The tiny mobile storage device known as Micro SD card was first produced by SanDisk Corporation under the name TransFlash, back in 2004, and at the time it was introduced as the smallest external memory device in the world.

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Following its success in the mobile phone market, the TransFlash card was formally adopted by the current authority in digital storage, the SD Card Association, as part of the third category digital storage device in the official Secure Digital umbrella.

The other two devices are Mini SD, and SD Memory Card. And what Difference Between A TF Card And A Micro SD Card?

At some point along the way, SanDisk Corporation changed the device’s name to MicroSD Card and started producing what we now use as a standard memory storage chip, which the majority of mobile phones are designed to accommodate.

But even though the new micro storage device was designed after the original TransFlash, there are a few differences between the two chips.

In addition to storing data, Micro SD cards can perform a couple of other functions not related to memory. For instance, the chip supports SDIO communication so it could be used to facilitate GPS tracking over satellite, as well as short-field digital communication technologies like Near Field Communication and Bluetooth.

The SD card is also designed with a switch that is built into the device itself and is used to secure the device – kind of like a manual access block that works in place of a password.

But while this is not an entirely secure form of security, it still shows a distinct uniqueness in terms of design – at least when compared to the TransFlash.

The TF card measures 15x11x1mm, slightly smaller than a typical Micro SD, which measures 24x32x22mm. Apart from size and the turn-off switch, there are no other significant differences between the two chips, and both cards are still used today on mobile devices – although it’s hard to find the original TransFlash chips.

Can I Recover Deleted Files on SD Card?

If you recently deleted a file on your SD card and would like to get it back, there may be a way to recover lost files before they get overwritten with new data or other deleted files.

Third-party recovery software allows you to get back a deleted file while it’s still intact, but this is harder to do when other forms of data have been added to the card or removed since.

To run recovery software on your Micro SD card, insert the drive into a computer, tablet, or other device using a USB cable or card reader, and download free data recovery software (should be a relatively small program).

Follow the instructions on the program and once installed, use it to search for deleted files on your SD Card, and if it manages to collect data that hasn’t been corrupted, select an option to recover the files.

Keep in mind that free recovery software is only designed to recover data that has not been corrupted, so if the files have been overwritten, a standard recovery program won’t work.

These types of software typically work on devices such as thumb drives, camera SD chips, smartphone SD chips, picture cards, TF cards, and other different memory devices.

How Does It Work?

Recovery software scans through the memory device for files that have been marked as deleted and will change the access parameters to allow the file or folder to be recovered.

In normal circumstances, when a file is deleted the device’s internal program identifies the file as “marked for disposal”, but the data is usually intact unless other files are added and written over the deleted file.

So when the program scans through the folders, it can only recover a few of the most recently deleted items, though in some cases the data may be corrupted.

Acting quickly when files are lost improves the chance of getting them back. Other recovery methods involve paying for advanced software or sending the device over to specialists, who use a variety of tricks to recover data. If the data hasn’t been left for long, there are higher chances of full recovery.

Which Card Should I Get?

These are the only notable differences between these two cards so if you’re looking to add storage space to your device, then we recommend you choose the most commonly used chip.

Current mobile devices are made with space for both cards, so it’s only a matter of memory size.

TF cards are simple and functional, but SD cards are more commonly used.

The memory card is a small or flash drive generally used for storage purposes. It can also be called an electronic storage device that stores digital information inside it.

It is used in any kind of portable electronic gadget such as laptops, tablets, computers, MP3 players, PDAs, video game consoles, electronic keyboards, synthesizers, mobile phones, and digital cameras.

Talking of memory cards you might have come across TF memory cards and microSD memory cards and often felt confused about two of these cards whether they are identical or different.

So let’s talk about both of these memory cards and how what is the actual difference between these two storage cards. Memory cards are also referred as:

1. TransFlash
2. TF
3. T-Flash
4. MicroSD
5. MicroSDHC

Are TF Memory Card and microSD Memory Cards Same? Or any Difference?

1. TF Card Memory:

TF card or fully named as TransFlash card is a named that the SanDisk company generally uses for its micro secure digital cards and was considered to be the world’s smallest memory card. TransFlash was introduced in 2004. These are essentially the same as the SD card. There is no physical or technical difference between them.

2. microSD Card:

microSD card which stands for Secure Digital card is a flash drive that is removable which is sometimes referred to as micro SD card. They are normally used in smartphones but recently it’s also been used in a few GPS devices that are handheld.

The SD card is the broad category here. The thing that really makes the difference is the form factor. Micro SD cards are available in three different sizes

3. Standard Size:

It is the biggest of all. The dimensions are 32.0×24.0×1.4 mm (Thin SD) & 32.0×24.0×2.1 mm. Many devices have a slot that supports standard-size SD cards like laptops.

4. Mini:

Also referred to as miniSD card. It has a dimension of 21.5×20.0×1.4 mm.
Micro SD: Most modern devices have a microSD card slot. Your smartphone might have one too. It is the smallest form-factor with a dimension of 15.0×11.0×1.0 mm.

Main Difference between TFcard and microSD card

As we see why people think that TF cards and microSD cards are different because of their names. microSD card is the commonly used name whereas the TF card is what the SD card was called earlier.

Apart from this TransFlash and microSD cards have no other difference. As of 2014 till now TransFlash and microSD memory cards are considered to be the same as later TransFlash was named as a microSD card by SanDisk Corporation. TF card in 2004 was accepted as the latest generation of memory cards.

The storage capacity of the TF card and microSD card is also the same.

They both support 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 6GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB except TF can support 64 GB as well which microSD card doesn’t.

So, hopefully now the difference between Micro SD memory card and TF memory card is clear and no more confusion exists.

SDIO, SDHC, and SDXC

The original SD card had a maximum memory capacity of 2 GB. Then the SDHC cards came which can hold up to 32 GB data on the same size card. The most recent SDXC uses improved technology and can hold up to 2 TB of maximum data.

The thing to note here is that these SD cards are not backward compatible. That means that a newer version will not work with an older device. However, older cards can be used in newer devices easily.

TF Card Class

The TF or microSD card comes in many form factors as we saw earlier. Apart from it the SD card also has different classes. The SD cards have a speed rating that signifies the maximum rate at which it can read or write data.

SD cards have a number written on them in a circle. It might be 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. It means the maximum data speed in MBps.

Most higher-end cards contain a UHS 1 or UHS 2 rating. It represents a higher BUS speed and higher read/write speed. Higher speed cards are necessary for higher speed.

TF Card vs microSD Card-FAQs

Which one is better ? TF card or SD Card?

As seen above there is no technical difference between the two. You can use a TF card in SD card slot and vice versa.

Is a TF card size is the same as a micro SD card?

SD cards are available in various form factors. Both TF card and MicroSD card have the same dimensions. You can use both cards in the same slot. But keep in mind that the form factor has to be compatible.,

What are the different “class” of TF card?

TF card or MicroSD cards have a different class rating from 1 to 10. It is written on the card in a circle. It represents the maximum data transfer speed that the specific card can support.

What is the Best TF card I can get from the market?

While buying a TF card keep in mind your requirements. If you are using a card for your mobile phone then it will work with almost all microSD cards. But to get fluent performance go with a higher-class TF card. If you need to record 4K videos, then a UHS-II level card is needed to match the high data flow.

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Final Words:

The Micro SD card, originally called TransFlash, was introduced by SanDisk in 2004 as the world’s smallest external memory device. It later became known as MicroSD and is widely used in mobile phones.

While the two cards are similar, Micro SD cards have additional features such as SDIO communication and a built-in switch for device security.

The TF card is slightly smaller in size but both cards are still used today. Recovery software can be used to retrieve deleted files from an SD card, but it’s more effective when done quickly before data is overwritten.

The main difference between TF and Micro SD cards is their names, as TransFlash was renamed as MicroSD. Both cards have the same storage capacity, but TF cards can support up to 64 GB while Micro SD cards typically support up to 32 GB.