For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with well-known storage and memory company Lexar to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a bundle that includes Lexar's Lightning-based MicroSD Card Reader and a high-performance 64GB MicroSD card.

Lexar's MicroSD Lightning Reader is a tiny coin-sized dongle that makes it easy to transfer content from a microSD card to an iPhone or iPad, so it's an ideal companion to products like drones and GoPro-style action cameras. Many Android phones also feature microSD slots, so it's also a good way to transfer files between Android and iOS device, and it's also useful for transferring files directly between two iOS devices.


The Lightning MicroSD Reader is small enough that it can go anywhere, from a pocket to a small camera bag, but it looks like a high quality accessory that matches well with Apple's design aesthetic. It's so compact that it's potentially easy to lose, but it comes with a little strap so it can be attached to a set of keys or a loop on a backpack. The Lightning connector of the MicroSD Reader fits well into the Lightning port of an iPhone even with a case on, including Apple's own line of cases.

With a USB microSD reader (included with the 64GB card in the giveaway) you can also offload files from a computer and transfer them directly to the iPhone through the microSD reader, or use the reader to offload files from an iPhone to the microSD card for extra storage space.

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The MicroSD Lightning Reader has to be used with the Lexar app, which is decent. If you put content like videos and photos on the microSD card, you can view them directly within the app and save them to the camera roll. You can also use the app to back up your iPhone's photos and contacts and transfer files to Dropbox.

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The Lexar MicroSD Lightning Reader can be purchased from Amazon for $19.99, but four MacRumors readers will win a Lightning Reader and a 64GB Lexar microSD card through our giveaway. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner and send the prize.

You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (August 12) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on August 19. The winners will be chosen randomly on August 19 and will be contacted by email. The winners have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Top Rated Comments

LovingTeddy Avatar
120 months ago
Wait. Who need SD card. People are fine with 16GB storage. And really external storage for iOS is pointless, there is no file system to mange all the file. You will rely on lame app to access your file.
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By putting everything in a cloud storage you can service that gives you whatever filesystem you want. Dropbox has it. icloud sort of has it. I am sure you can get it with others.

The point of this device is to get information from one device to another - I am sure this device does a fine job. All I am saying is that it is possible to do that today without any physical device - and that would be my preference.
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I have a DSLR that I can create a wifi connection to from my iphone and download photos. It is not fast, but it works. I have a pair of 64gig memory cards for the DSLR, so I have never really needed to do it, but it's nice knowing that I have that option. I would think that with time the camera companies will improve this because it would be very nice not to worry about running out of memory on vacation somewhere.
I dislike cloud storage and perfer local. And I am cheap, I refuse to pay extra dollar for bigger storage. What should I do?

If anything. Not able to manage my file and store my content local via expandable storage is my biggest gripe about iOS.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CrystalQuest76 Avatar
120 months ago
I have a inexpensive HD Muvi action camera and think this device would be great to do some editing in the field with video that camera captures on my iPad that I can then share with others.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ihatefall Avatar
120 months ago
This thing is awesome and I hope I win it!

I use GoPros everyday and I am getting a Phantom 4 soon. Sure I can use wifi to preview footage but it's not full quality and it takes just shy of forever.
This would be awesome to check shots in the field and wouldn't take up anymore room.

Personally, I think this is awesome.

My bigger cameras also have wifi but they also have nice big screens to review on.

Fingers crossed on this one.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kkspire Avatar
120 months ago
One of the major complaints I hear is lack of access to the file system on iOS. This bypasses or solves that. Right?
Apple makes a lighting to SD card reader. I have it and it works wonderfully. And you don't need an app to use it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
120 months ago
I use the cloud for all this. There are so many services out there. Dropbox and icloud are only two of them. Carrying another dongle that I will probably lose or break before I ever use it is not for me thanks.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
9081094 Avatar
120 months ago
Although I'm not an US citizen and can't participate, it's a nice offer from Macrumors. It shows they're valuing their visitors.

Thanks Macrumors for making this nice gesture :)

I wish Apple had built in an card reader in their iPad in the first place because next week I'll be on holidays and probably don't have wifi. I'll be using my iPad for storaging photos. Didn't know there was such a device around.
Again, thanks Macrumors :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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