I made sure to get the one in the retail packaging when ordering. It arrived next day from Amazon. I tore open the packaging and inserted the card directly into my Note 10.1. The card was picked up right away, no formatting needed. I will say, I had updated my unit to 4.1.2 first so I am unsure if the update is what made the recognition so easy. Already crammed it half full with movies and music. Plays all of them smooth with no lag or speed issues whatsoever. I think I will get another.