Most handsets rely on flash memory cards for extra capacity, with current-generation SDHC cards maxing out at 32GB. The SD Association - the industrial standards body for SD cards - has a new spec coming out later this year that will push card capacity beyond more gigabytes.
The new SDXC (eXtended Capacity) format, due for publication in the first quarter of this year, supports capacity up to 2 terabytes. Key to making it work is a spec that increases SD interface read/write speeds to 104 Mbps. The SDA intends to accelerate that to 300 Mbps in future.
However, the first SDXC cards to hit shelves won't be quite that roomy, sporting storage capacity of 64GB.