The High Cost Of Using iCloud

[maxsix]

Here's an excerpt that compares the high cost of iCloud to other services. An interesting read.

The high cost of "Free iCloud"


"I’m feeling like a chump after yesterday’s Google event. I currently pay Apple $2.99 each month in return for 200GB of iCloud storage — space mostly allocated to my iCloud Photos library.

But my free space recently dropped to zero after upgrading all my devices to iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. Now my iPhone is complaining that it can’t backup my data unless I upgrade my storage plan. The next tier is 1TB for $9.99 a month, or $120 a year.

Google Pixel owners, meanwhile, receive free unlimited Google Photos storage at original picture and 4k video quality. Apple’s telling me to pay up or else and it feels like extortion.

Most of the time I’m happy to have gone all-in on Apple. But I feel backed into a corner when it comes to paying for even more iCloud storage when it’s necessitated by Apple’s increasingly cloud-centric app bundles.

But Apple caps its free iCloud storage tier at a paltry 5GB — capacity that’s quickly filled with Live Photos, iOS app data, 4k video, GIFs everyone’s sending you in the new iMessages; and critically, iOS device backups. So in reality, Apple’s apps are not free — Apple charges you for them indirectly by requiring you to purchase more and more storage over time.

Some call this approach cheeky, but I'd call it deceptive in 2016.

Apple sells you on a premium experience that’s undercut by the menial reality of its storage plans. It’s like buying a Rolex and then being required to buy a plastic bag just to carry it out of the store.

I don’t mind paying for storage as long as it’s reasonably priced, but Apple’s 1TB pricing is not reasonable, especially when the iPhone’s camera is a major selling point and iCloud Photos is the culprit maxing out everyone's storage plans.

Apple charges $9.99 per month for 1TB of iCloud storage, or roughly $120 per year. Compare that to Amazon, where for $4.99 per month you get unlimited storage. Hell,

Amazon Prime subscribers ($99 per year) get free unlimited photo storage as just one of many membership perks.

Microsoft’s 1TB OneDrive plan costs only $6.99 per month and you get full access to the Office 365 suite of apps.

Google, meanwhile, is doing exactly what Apple should be doing.

People who buy Google’s new Pixel phones are given free unlimited Google Photos storage to host all their original photographs and 4k video.

It’s bad enough that iCloud’s storage pricing hurts Apple’s most loyal customers — people who want to synchronize their data across multiple iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS devices and then share it with like-minded friends and family. But the pricing also inhibits new customers from experiencing Apple devices to their fullest potential because the owners are reluctant to pay for something they were told was free."




http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/5/13171764/ok-google-why-is-icloud-storage-so-expensive

 

[Julien]

So you ready, willing and able to pay the higher costs of Apple device ownership without complaint but going to bellyache over a few $s for Apple services?

 

[aristobrat]

Here's an excerpt that compares the high cost of iCloud to other services. An interesting read.

Two parts of the article that weren't in your excerpt:

"In fairness, Apple has been lowering its iCloud Storage rates over the years."

"For Google it’s a fair trade, it gets to scrub your photos for anonymous data that will ultimately help it sell better ads <snip> Apple’s not making money from ads like Google"

 

[patt2k]

Use Google photos, if you need more storage it's cheap if you want to retain original quality.

 

[sleepydinosaur]

Google's service are very good, the caveat is that they read your stuff and sell you off to pay for it.

Apple could learn a lot from Google in terms of how the service work (mechanically) but I'd rather pay for not having my tax returns and receipts snooped to advertisers. Many people don't care and thats fine.

 

[mic j]

It's (iCloud) a privacy tax I am more than willing to pay. Just dumped my Yahoo and gmail email accounts in favor of iCloud mail. Sick of everyone scanning my stuff for product placement and God knows what else!

 

[Rigby]

But my free space recently dropped to zero after upgrading all my devices to iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. Now my iPhone is complaining that it can’t backup my data unless I upgrade my storage plan.

What caused this increased storage demand after updating? Did you activate the option to store your Documents and Desktop folders in the cloud? If so, do you really need (or even want) all these files in the cloud?

Google Pixel owners, meanwhile, receive free unlimited Google Photos storage at original picture and 4k video quality. Apple’s telling me to pay up or else and it feels like extortion.

Well, it's really not difficult to switch to Google Drive or Onedrive for picture storage. Their apps can automatically upload your photos.

 

[Sampple]

I am done with "free services" from Google after the announcement of their pixel and new home products.
It's "free" because in exchange, your private life is theirs.
No thanks.
MUCH thanks to Apple, happy to pay.

 

[MacManTexas56]

The article is ridiculous. What google is doing is because they are desperate for people to buy their devices so they include it free. Google Drive 1tb is $9.99, same as iCloud. So not really sure what sense this article makes?

 

[cipher29]

The article is ridiculous. What google is doing is because they are desperate for people to buy their devices so they include it free. Google Drive 1tb is $9.99, same as iCloud. So not really sure what sense this article makes?

I think the OP's complaint is mostly around his photos consuming a majority of his storage and Google offers free storage for photos for Pixel users.

My biggest issue with iCloud storage is the fact I can't share it among my family. An ideal scenario for me would be to buy 1TB of storage for $10 per month, but be able to share that storage with my wife and two kids. As it sits right now, my wife and I both have 200GB plans for essentially the same price as the 1TB plan. My kids are still young, but soon my oldest will have a phone and a requirement to store photos in the cloud and we will have to add yet another 200GB plan.

They have the "Family Plan" option for apps, music etc, but clearly aren't expanding that to storage as they know most people who buy the 1TB plan use far less than half of the 1TB plan, so why not sell multiple 200GB plans to every family member. Annoying as hell.

 

[bohbot16]

Doesn't Google offer unlimited photo backup for iPhone owners as well via the Google Photos app? The free tier limits you to 16MP photos and the iPhone shoots 12MP photos.