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Apps are getting bigger; there’s no two ways about it. Our smartphones are getting more and more powerful, but unfortunately their storage is staying more or less the same. Now a study has shown that, in just six months, iOS apps have gotten 16 per cent bigger, and it’s not going to stop any time soon. That 16GB of locked-down storage is looking mighty small right about now.
I first noticed a massive app size increase on my iPhone when the retina iPad was released. All those universal apps that worked great on my iPad 2 and my iPhone 4S with just one, neat file, suddenly ballooned in size as they were updated for that colossal retina screen. My roomy-feeling 16GB iPhone 4S suddenly felt very short on space, which iTunes Match semi-compensated for, but I eventually had to start deleting apps — limiting myself to those that I used regularly, which really put a dampener on things. I had to ditch that occasional game of Street Fighter because I simply couldn’t afford the space for it.
Since then apps have continued to increase in size, making installing a new app, or downloading a video for the Tube ride home, an active space management decision, which isn’t the way it should be.
Right about now, I expect all those wielding Android phones with microSD slots (I envy you) are looking proper smug, but even Android suffers from locked-down storage — just look at the awesome Nexus 7. So, a word to the wise — even if it’s a little, or sometimes a lot cheaper, don’t buy the smallest model. Buy at least 32GB or the biggest that’s on offer, and that goes for all those looking eagerly at Apple’s incoming iPad mini — plonk for the 32GB at least if you’re going to buy one, or you’ll be sorry like I am, because just 16GB of storage isn’t enough anymore. [ABI Research via MacRumors]
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I think some companies really need to consider if a web app or native app really is best for them.
If you rarely use an app, what’s the point in having it on there and taking up space?
Like for me, personally, I see NO point in having any apps on my phone that allow you to buy things. Because I’m not going to be using it every day, week, month. I use the Amazon web app every now and again and have no problems. Yeah, the UI could do with an update, but that’s not a limitation on the platform, it’s that the designers simply haven’t been assed to make it as intuitive as possible.
It’s a mute point because of the Cloud. Look at the cloud for answers and you’ll receive.
Glory is the Cloud.
Moot point*
Moo Point
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLwYpSCrlHU
Have a ‘like’ and may you be starred soon for linking to that, such a classic moment, I always think of it whenever I hear ‘moot point’.
Pendant.
I really hope that’s supposed to be ironic.
Don’t you agree it’s pendantic?
I would agree that it’s *pedantic*, and that I am also being pedantic in pointing out your apparent spelling error.
Unless of course you said ‘pendant’ (in the context of a parallel or match) as a statement suggesting that a moot point is the same as a moo point.
A bit useless for my underground journey of 30 mins though.
And it’s a moo point, like a cow’s opinion, it doesn’t matter.
its fucking useless if you dont have a 3g+ signal though.
True dat, cant rely on the cloud until 100% of the country has 4G – Fiber optic home broadband – Fast Wifi routers.
The cloud right now as Mr LiamT would say “is fucking useless”.
Hmm I’m somewhat baffled by this especially since you mention iTunes Match. I’m don’t have a ridiculous amount of Apps a quick count I recon 50 or so and my total storage is under 5Gb. Even with a doubling of App size I should still be able to cope with 16Gb. I use iTunes Match (64Gb library of music) and so don’t store any music locally and I don’t carry any video on my phone. I’ve not had my 5 that long so my picture video library hasn’t grown too much but this usually sits around 2-3Gb. I think that this advice is a little extreme and think that many users could easily cope with the entry level storage options.
Well, I don’t think I have a lot on there, but I currently have 128 apps, 172 photos, 139 songs and 488MB left out of 13.6GB (16GB). I do use iTunes Match, but I can’t always stream songs because the data network just isn’t good enough.
Is it possible too keep songs locally (permanently) with iTunes Match and iOS 6?
Yes, you just choose to download it. Each song has a cloud download icon next to it like you would get in the Purchased section of the App store. If you don’t wish to download a song you can just select the track and it will stream. You can also download entire albums and all tracks by an artist.
My individual tracks don’t have the cloud icon. It does appear that the full albums I chose to download are still there though, so score.
It is an absolute joke that Apple will charge you an extra £170 to go from the 16GB iphone 5 to the 64GB version, where as those people with a Galaxy S III or similar can upgrade from 16GB to 80GB for £40 by buying a Micro SD card.
Annoying for sure. Bring your own storage is definitely better for the tech-savvy consumer.
Exactly! Noway I’m paying so much more for some extra storage.
Just buy something with expandable storage. Simples.
More simples if the Cloud-bringers didn’t select against it.
Easier said than done when people have been using iPhones since 2007 now. I got mine in 2008 but had an iPod in 06- all the music, videos and apps I’ve purchased over the years would pretty much become useless because of the DRM on the files. Untill Apple release a model where we can chuck in memeory cards we’re stuch with 16,32 or 64gb iPads / iPhones.
I got the Acer a500 16gb with 16gb micro SD card, almost filled both up and now found out that its impossible to move apps to SD on the ICS because of a different file structure.
But still helps having a USB slot and good old dropbox!
I am an anti-cloud person, its all well and good for odd photos and files you want to access everywhere, but i want all my apps, my music and everything else on my phone, i don’t want to be reliant on network access for my stuff.
I want sd card storage so i can choose my storage based on my needs
it costs the same to solder on a 64gb chip as it does an 8gb chip, so the only cost is the chip, and that is probably a very nominal amount considering the amount a company buys
Yh i think this more applies to JUST apple devices as they purposely do not but in expandable storage slots. Whilst some other devices dont have it either i agree, this is more aimed at apple i think..
Cloud is great and all but sometimes (most of the time even in London) signal is not enough and Scum like 02 and Voda like to charge you for tiny tiny amounts of data.. so maybe just dont get a sealed unit like all apple items.. most other stuff (but not my OneX as it happens) come with an SD slot, the MS Surface will have SD slot and USD drive options so its not a major issue. Even if you do have a ipad.. how many apps and crap do you really need on there to fill GBs of space.. seems crazy!
The Surface will come with a USD drive!! Dammit. I need a GBP drive, dam Americans get everything.
yer USD just like in the old PSP.. LOL.. ok ok maybe i meant USB.. haha
Yea but the B is quite for from the D on the keyboard, far enough to not be a mistake! I think he actually thinks it’s a UBD haha. unless he is using an ABC keyboard?
as it happens.. im high on pain killers and anti-inflammatories as i had dislocated both my shoulders but we can put this one down to being stupid if you like.. i dont really mind!
I don’t mean to offend, hope you are ok
Thing is, a phone should already have a whole bunch of functions (as in programming) built in. Seeing as most developers now use OOP, i dont see the need for these bloated apps
one of my favs when the app store first launched was the Dinner costing app.. “put in the total for the bill, then put in how much you want to tip then put in the number of people and it tells you what you will each pay” had me in stitches..so its a calculator that only does 1 addition and 1 division.. brilliant!
Yeah, a lot of them do very very little. Like that lighter app, where the flame tilts, what is the point?
The other reason; if you’re buying on contract, everybody else wants the lowest memory too. Case in point, my iPhone 5 ordered on release day won’t be here until November, nor any other 16gb one from 3. Any other memory can be next day delivery.
I can’t be the only one with bags of room left on my ipad can I? My 16Gb currently has 7.3GB free.
Getting the biggest you can seems like poor advice to give when you don’t know how someone is going to use the device.
This.
It entirely depends on the user. I’ve got around 60 apps on my 8GB Nexus 7, no music, no video, a few photos, and I’ve still got over half of it free.
However, I can see how someone might fill it up easily if they were using it to view photos or videos, but that person is not me.
That’s what happens when you buy gimped devices, such as the majority from Apple, that lack basic features such expandable storage. And before anyone calls me an Apple hater (whilst that is fairly true) this is the exact reason I didn’t buy Googles Nexus 7 tablet. The one Apple product I do own is an iPod Classic, because whilst it doesn’t have expandable storage it has plenty built in and more than any flash based PMP.
Just don’t buy hardware without SD slots.
I bought a Nexus 7 then cancelled when I realised there was no proper way (the “cloud” is too unreliable to be taken seriously) to expand the memory.
Peeps get so caught up in how many pixels can be squished onto a screen or how many cores a tablet has they forget the basics.
Now we just need to convince certain tech companies to stop charging £100 to double the memory..
I couldn’t agree more. The devices that are currently out with locked storage are slowly becoming more and more obsolete. Depending on how fast the apps actually grow, the locked down devices, even the most recent ones will start coming to their end even before a sequel model is released.
Imho Apple should definitely consider allowing SD storage or maybe figure out their own solution how to expand space if they want to remain original and incompatible with everything else so much.
I guess the reason why Apple choose not to have expandable storage is that people can exploit it?
I mean, yes there are jailbreaks, but I would’ve assumed something like a memory card slot could make it potentially easier for developers to exploit?
No it’s because they’re money grabbers. Why let people buy a 32GB SD card for a tenner when they can charge like ten times as much for the same storage built in?
Ha that’s a very good point.