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Review on πŸ’Ύ Samsung 32GB EVO Class 10 Micro SDHC Card with Adapter (MB-MP32DA/AM) - Up to 48MB/s by Mac Sterling

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Be careful but know how to spot fakes. Great performance and value for a card that many are trying to copy.

I did a lot of research on these cards before purchasing, especially since I've read so many questions about counterfeiting and foreign scams. These cards seem to be popular with counterfeiters and although many people have reported receiving them I decided to make a purchase and check them out. I bought 3 of these 32GB capacity cards and checked for authenticity. The following information, including photos, is from my personal research, including direct communications and discussions with Samsung. Packaging: One of the first issues these cards point to when dealing with fakes is the packaging. Some report that they received a package with a Samsung Galaxy phone on the lid, while the real one was supposed to be a tablet. I would caution anyone who buys these cards and just making a quick take on the packaging: Samsung shows 2 product images for these cards on their website, one with an adapter and one without and one without an adapter showing a Galaxy phone and one showing an adapter a tablet (Link: http://www.samsung.com/us/photography/digital-cameras-accessories/MB-MP32DA/AM). I bought a micro SDHC with adapter and my box showed the tablet in the hands of the users in the picture. Additional user instructions indicate that English is not the primary language on the packaging. This was the case for all 3 packs of my order as Chinese was the first language followed by an English translation. Also, the barcode on the back was covered with a sticker with the item description, model, and ID number, which I believe is for inventory purposes only. In the US, these cards are model MB-MP32DA/AM. However, the model MB-MP32DA/CN is written under the barcode on the packaging. After investigating this, I was able to deduce from the identified model code that the cards I received were intended for the Chinese market. Physically and functionally they are no different. However, the packaging said it was for the Asian retail market, so this model is not suitable for the US. In Europe, a different code is also used depending on the sales region. The seller of the cards, or whoever prepared them for sale in the US, had to print a sticker to place over the barcode. This does not affect use of the cards and does not affect serviceability, after-sales service or warranty, if applicable. Physical Cards: Physical cards usually look different when they are fake and there are differences between fakes, although the main indicator is the country stamp on the back. Genuine cards have the country of origin (Korea) on the bottom line followed by 3 lines, the first line is the non-regional model ID (MB-MP32D), and the next 2 lines are the batch or production ID and serial number Number. Non-original maps either exclude the country of origin, or they are Taiwan, Japan, China, etc. They also do not contain the rest of the real information. If you receive a model with an adapter, the adapter will say "Made in China" and it will also be printed on the box under the original barcode. For design, the back is semi-gloss black and the edges are white on real cards and the front is a very bright combination of white and orange. The adapters are white and gray with a matte finish. Some fakes are said to have a red tint, while others have black borders or a different back. To confirm the looks, you can check out some of the photos and reports provided here: http://thecounterfeitreport.com/product/504/Samsung-microSD-Memory-Cards.html. The two cards I received had identical serial numbers and some users have reported that this is a way to identify counterfeits. In fact, I called Samsung and had an extensive phone conversation discussing various designs and markings on the cards. The serial numbers printed on the cards are not unique and it is possible to receive 2 cards with the same number. Obviously it depends more on place, time and date of card production. Also, during that phone call, I discussed model numbers and packaging language, so I checked out the retail market these cards were packaged for. According to Samsung, they used to request packaging for warranty or service purposes, but they no longer do so for online sales. The fact that my card's packaging was intended for the Asian retail market does not affect my ability to get support as they look at the non-regional model number printed on the card. I have subjected these cards to 2 capacity tests for the authenticity of the proposed sizes. First, without getting too technical, a 32GB card doesn't have the full 32GB of free space when formatted. Having somewhere between 28-30 GB is perfectly normal. However, some counterfeits modify the cards to report fraudulent capacities that can only be verified with these tests. I used H2TestW and RMPrepUSB (QuickTest option) to check the card count and both tests confirmed the stated capacity. H2TestW leaves the files on the card and requires you to erase them, while RMPrepUSB has a QuickTest option that's faster and erases the data when it's done, which is a bit nicer. give on average. Rather than print out a chart here, know that the tests I ran are broadly in line with others', and in some tests are only slightly slower than what I was able to achieve with a similar Sandisk card. Conclusion: As mentioned, I have researched these maps extensively and wanted to convey additional information. I know others have also reported fakes of their own, but I've seen many users jumping to conclusions about getting fakes just because the packaging is mainly Chinese or because the barcode is obscured. If you receive a card that otherwise looks genuine without the Chinese packaging, it is likely genuine and you are protected by warranty and customer service. Check the capacity and if it is confirmed then everything is fine. However, if there is no "Korea" on the back, assume it is not original and replace it. In terms of performance, these cards are more than worth their money. These aren't the fastest cards out there, but their durability and performance are acceptable for most applications. Lately I've had bad cards from other well-known brands after a short period of time, so I'm glad I've had good luck with others. However, should they suffer a similar fate, I will update this review.

Pros
  • Ideal for mobile phones, smartphones, Android tablets and tablet PCs.
Cons
  • Difficult to say