Skip to main content

16GB iPhone owner? Google thinks you don't have enough storage

Google Photos: Free Up Space
Google doesn’t think your iPhone has enough storage, and wants to help out those poor iPhone users with Google Photos, which uploads photos to the cloud so that they don’t have to take up space on the phone.

To help bring Photos to the masses, the company has published a pretty awesome ad touting Photos’ ‘Free Up Space’ feature. The ad basically shows situation after situation in which the user is unable to take a photo of an important moment (like watching a friend jump over a fence) because the phone has run out of memory.

Recommended Videos

Of course, rumors indicate that Apple will in fact get rid of the 16GB storage option in favor of a slightly higher minimum, which many expect will be 32GB. Still, with apps increasing in size, we could all always use a little extra storage, which is where Google Photos comes into play.

Free Up Space doesn’t just have great ads — it’s also a great service, especially when it’s paired up with the unlimited storage you can get with “high quality” backups (which are slightly lower quality than original quality). Of course, it’s important to note that Apple can back up your photos with iCloud, however you’ll have to pay extra if you use up all that storage, no matter what quality the photos are.

In any case, whether you favor iPhone or Android, iCloud or Google Photos, we can all appreciate a good dig at the rival company. That’s even if Google ends up also using the ad to promote the Nexus 6P that appears at the end after all those iPhone warnings, and even if — let’s be honest — plenty of Android users face the same dilemma.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 16
Someone holding the iPhone 16.

Apple’s iPhone 16 has arrived, and it’s quite an impressive offering this year. Not only does it come in some of the best colors we’ve seen in a while, but it closes the gap between the base and Pro models even more.

That's all to say the iPhone 16 is a fantastic phone, but if you’re thinking about buying it as your next smartphone purchase, you should also consider some of these alternatives.
iPhone 16 Plus

Read more
I was wrong about the iPhone 16
An iPhone 16 laying on a shelf with its screen on.

The iPhone 16 is a little over a month old, and I've been using it almost nonstop since it was announced last month. I reviewed the phone for Digital Trends and bought one with my own money as my personal phone of choice.

Not long after its unveiling, I wrote an op-ed complaining about the iPhone 16's lack of a 120Hz display. I said it was the "one thing holding back the iPhone 16" and that its 60Hz screen was "an unreasonable spec." I'd still like to see the refresh rate addressed with the iPhone 17, but after living with the iPhone 16 for over a month now, I've found that it's not nearly as big of an issue as I believed it would be.
A 60Hz screen matters, until it doesn't

Read more
This iPhone 16 Pro accessory proves less is more
WaterField Designs CitySlicker Pouch for iPhone in white leather.

Now that we’re approaching the end of the year, hot tech summer and flagship phone season are winding down, too. That means I’ve been looking for fun little accessories to help me carry around all my phones and gadgets.

One of my trusted brands for tech accessories is Waterfield Designs. I’ve been using its bags and other accessories for the past decade, and they’re some of the finest bags I own. They’re built to last, as my first messenger bag is still looking fantastic.

Read more