For years, 128 GB of storage has been the standard for smartphones. Although some companies offer devices with 256 GB, even Apple and Google still stick to this basic amount of memory in phones costing over $1,000. But is this storage enough for high-end devices?
That’s the debate I’d like to open today as a user who owns both smartphones with 1 TB like the iPhone 16 Pro and 128 GB devices like the Pixel 9 Pro. RAM, megapixels, milliamps... Everything has increased in recent years except internal storage.
Systems are getting lighter and lighter. Android is an OS that can take up as much memory as the manufacturer wants. In the early days, developers focused on filling the system with features that differentiated it without much concern for the final weight. Now, this trend is reversing.
Samsung moved from TouchWiz to OneUI to continue offering one of the most complete Android experiences with a more optimized ROM. More recently, Xiaomi followed suit with HyperOS, which is basically MIUI but much lighter.
Without the OS and the partitions needed for system processes, it’s common to find just over 100 GB of storage on a new 128 GB device.
Media content depends on your digital hygiene. Google stopped offering free storage on Google Photos three years ago, a dramatic decision that some users still have scars from. This forced some to search for alternatives to make backups, such as Amazon Photos. Users began to look more carefully at those screenshots, repeated photos, and WhatsApp files that over time begin to occupy a lot of internal space.
Since I’m organized and combine Amazon Photos and Telegram, I’m OK with the 128 GB. However, I try not to accumulate too much media content in my gallery.
Games and absurdly heavy apps. Since apps like Genshin Impact can take up nearly 30 GB of your smartphone’s ROM, gaming is a clear argument against 128 GB of storage. If you use your phone for gaming, it’s simply not enough.
In recent years, the most basic apps have doubled in size. WhatsApp, X, YouTube, and TikTok are already around 100 MB. As such, just downloading these apps takes up several gigabytes.
256GB is the new standard. In short, 128 GB may be enough if your use is basic, and you aren’t too demanding with media content. Also, it may be enough if you’re willing to use microSD cards and are aware of moving the files that the system allows to them.
For everything else, 256 GB is a necessary storage standard in a context where apps, games, and media content take up more internal memory daily.
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