Sony launches Memory Stick Micro

Just what the world needs is another memory card format. This time we can thank Sony, again, for making consumers have to buy a new memory card just so the company can sell additional product.

vnunet.com reports that Sony is launching the Memory Stick Micro (not to be confused with the Memory Stick Pro or Memory Stick Duo) "for mobile phones in a further attempt to extend its proprietary format." The Micro will be avaialble in "in 256MB and 512MB versions in March with a 1GB version due in July."

According to the article, the first handset to support the new format will be the Sony Ericsson M600i smartphone.

Rachel Lashford at Canalys said, "As usual this is a lock-in attempt by Sony on the valuable accessories market. This in keeping with Sony's strategy of getting Memory Stick onto all its devices, but I do not see any other manufacturers getting behind it. It is not as though we're short on storage formats."

Always having to get a new memory card when upgrading your handset is a pain. I can understand wanting to make the memory card smaller, but at some point if's just too much (or too little). I'm just hoping that my next smartphone will take a miniSD card so I don't have to shell out an extra $40-50....

Photo via Digital Photography Review