[Update: It’s back] Huawei can no longer use microSD cards in smartphones, removed from SD Association

Ben Schoon | May 29 2019 - 6:18 am PT

As days go by, the effects of the US ban on Huawei are only getting worse. Today, it’s been revealed that the SD Association has barred Huawei, effectively removing the company’s ability to use microSD cards or SD slots in any of its products.

The SD Association is a non-profit organization that controls the standards for SD products. This includes everything from standard full-size SD cards to the microSD card in your smartphone. It also includes the port designs that read these cards. If a company isn’t a member of the Association, it can’t officially produce products with these standards.

Now, Huawei has been de-listed from the SD Association, no longer appearing on the list of members. Speaking to Android Authority, the SD Association confirmed that Huawei was removed from this list in compliance with the US order. Huawei also mentioned that its current smartphones with microSD card support won’t be affected, obviously, but declined to comment on any future devices having support.

Update 5/29: Huawei has apparently been restored to the SD Association. Speaking to Android Authority, the company confirmed without further details that its membership had been restored and it’s also been added back to the list of member companies. It’s not totally clear why this has happened, though, seeing that the company was removed in compliance with its addition to the US Entity list. It could have something to do with the 90-day general license that Huawei was granted.

Notably, Huawei has also been restored on the Wi-Fi Alliance and JEDEC member lists, as well as remaining on the Bluetooth member list.

What’s important to note here, though, is that this move isn’t exactly a dagger for Huawei. The company has been moving away from using SD cards in its phones for a couple of years. Instead, Huawei devices, especially flagships, have been adopting the company’s own “NanoMemory” format which is smaller than a microSD card.

Nikkei has further pointed out that Huawei has also been “temporarily restricted” from the Wi-Fi Alliance following its US blacklisting. JEDEC, an organization which sets semiconductor standards, also saw Huawei temporarily withdraw its membership voluntarily in the days since the ban. These two moves mean that Huawei can’t contribute to these standards until things change. The company can still use these standards in developing its products, but they’ll no longer have a say in “crafting” the standards.