One major complaint that mobile device users often have is lack of storage. Many of the most affordable phones or tablets don’t have enough enough storage to support the huge files that games and apps now have.

The ExoDrive is designed to alleviate some of the problems with lack of smartphone storage. The case includes a microSD card slot that, when your smartphone is connected, will act as an external storage space for all of those extra apps and games (or movies, music, college thesis papers, etc.).

Creator Bhadrajee Dahanayake is looking for funding for the ExoDrive via Kickstarter. The early bird case costs $35 ($25 super early bird pledges have already run out) and is expected to ship in March of 2015.

ExoDrive 1

Users plug in either a microSD, microSDHC, or microSDXC card with up to 128GB storage into the bottom section of the case and then plug their smartphone into it as well. When connected, the microSD card acts as a secondary storage tank that you can access at any time.

The case features an SD to USB adapter that works via USB on-the-go support to allow users to move files between their smartphone and microSD card. The switching-hub system allows users to access the phone’s storage and microSD card when connected to a computer. If your smartphone already has microSD card support, you will be able to access both cards, as well as the smartphone’s internal storage.

When it comes to battery drain, the case is designed to only use power when you are accessing data on the card, and you can disable the case entirely when you are not using it.

ExoDrive 2

The case itself will be made with a hard outer shell and a silicone lining, affording protection for your smartphone and preventing damage to micro-USB connectors if you drop it.

Currently, ExoDrive can be made for the following cases:

  • Motorola Moto G
  • HTC One (M8)
  • Google Nexus 6
  • Motorola Moto X
  • Samsung Galaxy S5
  • LG G2
  • HTC One (M7)
  • Google Nexus 5
  • OnePlus One
  • Samsung Galaxy S4

If the Kickstarter campaign reaches the stretch goal of $100,000, support for Apple’s iPhone will be also made available. Even if the campaign does not reach the stretch goal, the plan is to eventually make an ExoDrive for the iPhone and possibly for other devices as well.

Update: The makers of the ExoDrive hae reached their original goal and added a new reward option: the ExoDrive Plus is a case that has a 2600mAh battery in addition to all the features of a normal ExoDrive case.

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6 replies on “ExoDrive smartphone case promises to add external microSD card support (crowdfunding)”

  1. “One major complaint that mobile device users often have is lack of storage.”

    I think you mean a lack of “removable” storage. And you will likely NOT have this complaint if you simply stay away from hardware manufactured by Google, Amazon, B&N, etc. Hardware by these terrible companies intentionally eliminate removable storage in order to drive you into their “Cloud” nightmare; and in doing so, spy on you more.

  2. I think you should try an app for your phone, it allows: track GPS location, spy on text messages, web history, images, calls logs and spy call recording, spy on Whatsapp, Viber, Facebook messages, Snapchat, Line messages and so on. It’s 1TopSpy, you’d try it 😀

  3. Of course this does nothing about primary storage, the constraint that carriers pressure the device makers to keep tight in order to ensure frequent phone upgrades due to the high profit made on contracts with the hardware purchase price slipstreamed in. After a year or two users can’t even do app upgrades without buying a new device as software bloats due to crapware like Xamarin.

      1. I thought it was already pretty clear, but I’ll try to “translate” for you.

        “This microSD case does not solve the issue of limited storage on the device’s internal storage [outside of which apps cannot be stored on an non-rooted device]. Mobile phone carriers pressure the device manufacturers to keep this space limited in order to push customers to replace their phones frequently. This allows the carriers to make more money because of the higher total cost of a device bundled with a contract. Customers have to do this more often because the scope, and thus size, of software keeps increasing over time. Within a year or two, the customer may not be able to keep all of the apps that they installed when they first got it. If every app keeps getting larger, there will come a time soon where they all cannot fit in the same amount of space so that the user must either forego the app update or uninstall another app. This is made worse by the inclusion of extra software that users don’t need by the manufacturer.”

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