FAT32-formatted microSDXC card with 128 GB on a S4 Mini with CM12 or better?

[heilbron]

So far I've successfully used a 64GB microSDXC card on my Dual-SIM S4 Mini (GT-I9192) with a CM12.1 custom ROM from k2wl.
I've had it reformatted it with FAT32 (it might have worked with the original exFAT, but unfortunately I didn't bother trying).

Now I'm wondering, whether it might be possible to even use a microSDXC card with a 128 GB?

If yes, which ROM and which card were successful? Did it work with FAT32 or exFAT?

Results:
Update on 2016/01/16: I got a new 64 GB Samsung Evo card formatted with exFAT out-of-the-box, it also worked with CM12.1.
Update on 2016/02/07: Posts #9 and #17 and #19 suggest that a (maybe partitioned) 128 GB card should work well, too.
Update on 2017/01/07: Post #19 mentions a 200GB card working fine, too.
And the large sizes also work for CM13 and CM14.1.

 

[csendre]

Hi there,

So far I've successfully used a 64GB microSDXC card on my Dual-SIM S4 Mini (GT-I9192) with a CM12.1 custom ROM from k2wl.
I've had it reformatted it with FAT32 (it might have worked with the original exFAT, but unfortunately I didn't bother trying).

Now I'm wondering, whether it might be possible to even use a microSDXC card with a 128 GB?

If yes, which ROM and which card were successful? Did it work with FAT32 or exFAT?

TIA, Stephen

Unfortunately our hardware can not handle more than 64GB SD

 

[heilbron]

Unfortunately our hardware can not handle more than 64GB SD

Thanks for your fast reply!
Where can I find documentation on this? (The GSM Arena page on the GT-I9190 isn't specific about this.)

 

[csendre]

Thanks for your fast reply!
Where can I find documentation on this? (The GSM Arena page on the GT-I9190 isn't specific about this.)

Yes it is, you must have missed it http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9190_galaxy_s4_mini-5375.php Look under memory
Memory: Card slot microSD, up to 64 GB
Internal 8 GB, 1.5 GB RAM

 

[heilbron]

Yes it is, you must have missed it http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i9190_galaxy_s4_mini-5375.php Look under memory
Memory: Card slot microSD, up to 64 GB
Internal 8 GB, 1.5 GB RAM

Actually, I read that But how do you that this is not a limitation of the stock ROM instead of the hardware? (That's what I meant by saying that the entry is not specific)
Thanks again, Stephen

 

[pckloss]

Unfortunately our hardware can not handle more than 64GB SD

On my S4 Mini 128 GB (Samsung EVO+) microSD card (exFAT) works perfect (Stock ROM + alexax Kernel)

 

[csendre]

Actually, I read that But how do you that this is not a limitation of the stock ROM instead of the hardware? (That's what I meant by saying that the entry is not specific)
Thanks again, Stephen

SD Card capacity is normally limited by the hardware memory controller, not ROM. There are phones out there that can run cards from 32GB up to 200GB, running the same CM12.1 for example.

---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:42 AM ----------

On my S4 Mini 128 GB (Samsung EVO+) microSD card (exFAT) works perfect (Stock ROM + alexax Kernel)

Interesting. Do you have the S4 Mini plus?

 

[pckloss]

SD Card capacity is normally limited by the hardware memory controller, not ROM. There are phones out there that can run cards from 32GB up to 200GB, running the same CM12.1 for example.

---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:42 AM ----------



Interesting. Do you have the S4 Mini plus?

i9195 - s4 Mini

 

[gladson1976]

SD Card capacity is normally limited by the hardware memory controller, not ROM. There are phones out there that can run cards from 32GB up to 200GB, running the same CM12.1 for example.

---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:42 AM ----------



Interesting. Do you have the S4 Mini plus?

I am using a 128GB SanDisk card on my GT-I9192 (Duos). ROM - CM12.1 by f4K

 

[heilbron]

I am using a 128GB SanDisk card on my GT-I9192 (Duos). ROM - CM12.1 by f4K

Thats as close as it can get to the CM12.1 by k2wl on my GT-I9192!
Did you reformat the card to FAT32 or did you leave it on exFAT?

 

[gladson1976]

Thats as close as it can get to the CM12.1 by k2wl on my GT-I9192!
Did you reformat the card to FAT32 or did you leave it on exFAT?

I didn't format the card. It is still in exFat

 

[heilbron]

I didn't format the card. It is still in exFat

I got myself another 64GB card. I also left it on exFAT and it works fine with CM12.1.

 

[IronRoo]

On my S4 Mini 128 GB (Samsung EVO+) microSD card (exFAT) works perfect (Stock ROM + alexax Kernel)

128GB! Wow didn't know that was possible, always thought that even though the system might have said you had an "oversized" memory card installed you couldn't actually use the extra space. But your screen shot clearly shows you can

Good to know, I wonder if it will work on my photoholic wife's Note that is nearly full (If it doesn't I get a free 128GB SD card )

 

[pckloss]

I hope it will work. I put my card on galaxy note 8.0 and on my wife's galaxy tab 7.0 and it works on both deviceses without any problem and theoretically both support only 64Gb cards.

Wysłane z mojego GT-N5100 przy użyciu Tapatalka

 

[csendre]

Seeing the success of other people, I also decided to get a 128GB card and works great (Kingston SDCA3/128GB, 90MB/s read and 80MB/s write speeds); Now my SD is worth more now than the phone ).
Seems that gsmarena specs for this are total BS.
I am running CM12.1 (occasionally CM13) and had the card partitioned in 2 for use with link2sd. First larger partition is FAT32, the second (for link2sd) is EXT4. My phone recognizes both partitions. TWRP also works, no issues recognizing the larger card.

 

[gladson1976]

Seeing the success of other people, I also decided to get a 128GB card and works great (Kingston SDCA3/128GB, 90MB/s read and 80MB/s write speeds); Now my SD is worth more now than the phone ).
Seems that gsmarena specs for this are total BS.
I am running CM12.1 (occasionally CM13) and had the card partitioned in 2 for use with link2sd. First larger partition is FAT32, the second (for link2sd) is EXT4. My phone recognizes both partitions. TWRP also works, no issues recognizing the larger card.

In SD cards, upto 32GB is categorised as SDHC (SD High Capacity), and above 32 GB (64GB till 2TB) is categorised as SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity).
If the device is capable of reading a SDXC card, then theoretically it is capable of reading all SDXC cards. Since the S4 Mini supports 64GB cards, it has a SDXC reader and is theoretically capable of supporting a 128GB card as well.

 

[heilbron]

In SD cards, upto 32GB is categorised as SDHC (SD High Capacity), and above 32 GB (64GB till 2TB) is categorised as SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity). If the device is capable of reading a SDXC card, then theoretically it is capable of reading all SDXC cards. Since the S4 Mini supports 64GB cards, it has a SDXC reader and is theoretically capable of supporting a 128GB card as well.

Do you really intend to imply that a 256 GB SDXC card (or larger) should work in the S4 Mini as well???
Is there somebody around who could confirm that (maybe at least with some custom ROM)?

 

[csendre]

Do you really intend to imply that a 256 GB SDXC card (or larger) should work in the S4 Mini as well???
Is there somebody around who could confirm that (maybe at least with some custom ROM)?

The presumption that a device that can read an SDHC or SDXC card can read any such card is wrong. For example I still own cameras and mp3 players that could read a 4GB or 8GB SDHC card but could not use a 16GB or 32GB SDHC.

It all comes down to the memory controller and how much memory it can address. I guess it is only Samsung who could tell what is the upper limit for our phone.

Sent from my GT-I9192 using XDA Free mobile app

 

[Snofru1]

I use a 200 GB micro SD on my I9195 S4 mini without any issue and used a 128 GB card before.

 

[OyyO]

f2fs is better than fat32 for 64GB and larger cards