Storage in Smart Ultra 7

[jonesnewton]

Hi all, 

I have the 16GB size storage, but when veiwing the used amount it is a little confusing? It states 5.80GB, then below total used of 9.77GB,(this 5.80GB amount changes when adding - removing) so this sounds like the total max size is 9.77GB not 16GB?. When you open the storage section it does clearly state 16GB total space with 3.5GB used for system memory,but however you calculate the apps and stuff it does not add up to 16GB? I currently have 2.26GB apps and 1.62GB audio, plus 231Mb images, so this totals aprrox 3.88 used from 9.77 = 5.89 left. I tried to ask in the shop but they only suggest on returning the phone if I am not happy!

Is there a hidden partition that cannot be seen?

If I were to buy a new SD card what is the best size for the phone to work with? And the Max size?

Sorry to ask here questions, but there is no real customer service within Czech Republic, even the Czechs state this 😞

TIA

[BandOfBrothers]

Hey @jonesnewton

The phone takes a MicroSd Card up to 256 GB (dedicated slot).

The onboard storage will as you've mentioned will have been used by the android operating system. It's possible some more has been gated off for future software updates. 

You'll have approx 10gb of usable storage even though it's market up as 16gb. 

This was the same for me when using iPhone 16gb models. It gave me just under 10gb of usable memory. The retail packages imo should have this on them and on the Spec online pages and in store point of sale when your checking them out to buy. 

As well as the things you've mentioned that take up space to add to your list other things that take up space are....

• Texts from stock app and others like whatsapp/ Snapchat 
• Mms messages.
• Voice Notes.
• Emails and attachments. 
• Notes.
• Calendar Entries. 
• Browser Cache. 
• Browser Cache. 
• Game Data. 
• Call History. 

The above is in no way and exhausted list of what uses memory. 

To add im not sure if your phone and android Os allows the movement of Apps from the phones storage to the Sd Card. You'll know if you go into the phones settings where the apps are and you'd be presented with the option to move it to the Sd Card. 

[jonesnewton]

Hi all,

sorry to reopen this question of what is the MAX size of SD card I can use in this mobile, but I have asked at x3 different Vodafone shops here in Prague, Czech Rep and had different answer from 256 Gb, 128Gb & only 32Gb ability, but they cannot help only other to advise to buy a SD card and try it?

I have checked online and found info of 256Gb within thier Cz website while their magazine states only 32Gb and on another independent site (cant find it now 😞 ) it states 128Gb??

If I was to buy a mid range SD card (say 64Gb) and the mobile was only 32Gb MAX, would the SD card still function up to a limit of 32 or 64,, or just fail completely?

TIA

[BandOfBrothers]

I'd go with the information in......

http://www.gsmarena.com/vodafone_smart_ultra_7-8163.php

which says 256gb.

[hrym]

I think I'm right in saying that the SD format only supports quite small cards and that SDHC uses a degree of trickery to get round that.   There have been reports of some cards (often above 32gb) not working with some devices, especially at larger capacity, so the best advice is to go for the smallest one that's practicable - larger cards also ge proportionally more expensive, although the point at which that happens is moving forward all the time.   Unless you're storing a vast amount of music or other content, frankly, 32 or 64gb might be perfectly suitable.  You can, of course, also move content to and from the device/card depending on what you want or need at the time.

[jonesnewton]

Hi all,

thanks for the advice, I managed to find a 64 Gb SD Micro card, tried it and it worked :smileyhappy:, yes its quite big, can load it with music :smileyhappy:

One quick question is that now I cannot see the option to choose default write disks anywhere to select either on the mobile or when connected to laptop, only the SD card is showing as default (green button on)? I can see Internal storage in Storage and USB only as a partition but its not selectable?

Is there a way of putting it back the way it was before I did something :smileysurprised: with both storage areas available if wanted?

[hrym]

Whereabouts are you seeing this?   Default storage locations are usually set per app and the button may toggle, or there may be a drop-down.   I use Amazon Music for downloads and there's an option there, as there is for the camera for photos.  I don't think there's a global option*.

When you inserted the card, you should have had a choice of how to use it.   I forget exactly how the system describes it, but basically it's either as external storage (effectively an extra drive) or part of the main memory pool.  If you chose the latter, you might get what you're seeing now.  I always choose external storage as the card can then be transferred between devices.  If this is what it is, you should be able to re-format, but note that you'll lose any content, so make sure that's backed up elsewhere.

* Edited to add: Actually, I do remember a global option in Settings|Storage on an older Vodafone device (probably from about 3 years ago).   This pre-dated Android's Adopted Storage (the non-external drive option as above).  The card appeared as external storage, but the phone populated it by itself and used it for photos, downloads and some apps and/or their data.  That's likely to have been superceded, I'd have thought.

[jonesnewton]

Hi Thanks for your detailed reply :smileyhappy:

I asked a IT chap at work and he is believes that when I formatted the new SD card and set it up it encrypted the phone (without a password), maybe my mistake, but it moved all photos,etc to the SD card and left the apps on phone memory.

So I am happy to keep it this way or I can reset mobile to factory settings, but I have to save all before doing this.

Thanks again..

[hrym]

That does sound to me like Adopted Storage.   If you'd left the card as external storage, the device shouldn't have populated it by itself, I'm pretty sure.

I'm not sure whether you'd need to reset the whole phone and I think you should be able to reformat the card, if you want to.   Just make sure you have the content backed up somewhere else (which may mean everything as I'm not sure whether you can tell what's where).  If you're happy with things as they are, leave it alone.   The advantage of having the card as external storage is that you can move it to another device easily.  A card formatted as Adopted Storage will only work in the original device.

Adopted Storage was introduced mainly for emerging markets where low-cost devices are sold with very limited resources and it's an easy way of expanding the main memory pool and having it managed by the OS.   Cards generally work slightly (for most purposes maybe even impreceptibly) slower than internal memory, so are best kept for jobs that involve a one-time save and where ultra-speedy access isn't an issue.  That's mainly content such as saved files, photos and music.  On-the-fly storage (caches etc) is best in main memory.

AFAIK, you can't have encryption without a passcode of some sort - the main entry PIN, usually.

[jonesnewton]

Hi,

you have got it right :smileyhappy: I went to eject the card (dismount) and it states there it will only work on this device.

So I will leave it as it is, at least it is secure if I loose it the mobile - card. I can always reformat SD card or even mobile if required in the future.

Learning things everyday with this mobile :smileyhappy:

Thanks again for info ..