Xiaomi is making a SIM card that could make microSD cards redundant

The proprietary card is likely to be offered only in China.

What you need to know

• Xiaomi is developing a SIM card that can also be used as a microSD card.
• The card will have the standard SIM technology on one side and flash memory on the other side.
• The "hybrid" card is likely to be compatible only with Xiaomi devices.

A dedicated microSD card slot used to be a standard feature on Android phones a few years back. Now, however, things have changed. Most flagship smartphones these days lack expandable storage since they come with ample onboard storage.

To give users added flexibility, Xiaomi is now working on a SIM card that can also be used as a microSD card. A new Xiaomi patent application spotted by IT Home has revealed that the Chinese brand is developing a card that will have your usual SIM technology on one side and storage technology on the other. Going by the patent sketch, it appears the card will only be compatible with a proprietary SIM tray and won't use the same microSD technology that manufacturers currently use.

Even though Xiaomi has filed a patent for a SIM card that can double up as a microSD card, there is still no guarantee that the company will introduce such a card in the near future. Even if it does launch such a card, it will likely be limited to the Chinese variants of its phones. With smartphone manufacturers slowly switching to the more modern eSIM technology, it is more likely that physical SIM cards will become a rarity in the future.

Xiaomi is testing a new privacy feature that flags suspicious app behavior