Amazon Offers Unlimited Photo Storage for Prime Subscribers

[MacRumors]

As part of ongoing efforts to improve its Prime subscription plan, Amazon today announced a new unlimited photo storage option for its Amazon Prime members. The option is part of the retailer's Cloud Drive service that allows customers to store their files in Amazon's cloud.

"This time of year in particular, families are capturing thousands of photos of holiday parties, family gatherings and opening presents," said Greg Greeley, Vice President Amazon Prime. "With free unlimited photo storage, we're providing one more reason for members to use Prime every day. Prime has always allowed members to conveniently save time and save money, and now with Prime Photos they can save memories too."

Amazon's photo storage is accessible via the Cloud Drive Photos app for the iPhone and iPad [Direct Link]. The free mobile app automatically and securely uploads full resolution photos to Amazon Cloud Drive. Users then can view their photos on a variety of devices and share them directly from the mobile app.

This new unlimited Photo storage is one of two new features Amazon has added to its Prime membership after raising the annual cost of the service to $99 earlier this year. Amazon previously debuted its Prime Music streaming service, providing members with unlimited, ad-free streaming from a library of over a million songs.

Article Link: Amazon Offers Unlimited Photo Storage for Prime Subscribers

 

[73b]

Now I'll have photos in Amazon's Cloud, documents in Dropbox, and still nothing in iCloud Drive because it's so inconvenient to access.

 

[bushido]

Omg please come to Germany. I love prime.

Free over night shipping, instant video, two free ebooks a month for only 15€ a YEAR as a student

ICloud Drive is the worst apple service. So confusing and complicated to use

 

[TsMkLg068426]

And Apple still offers only 5GB of iCloud storage when will Tim Cook learn.

 

[mdridwan47]

Apple should at least give free 5GB icloud space for EACH iOS device. And maybe they should consider making that 10GB in the near future. Because with the current plan, I'm not using iCloud.

 

[troop231]

Does this mean we could theoretically rename file extensions with .jpg, .png, etc. and store virtually anything?

 

[citi]

Well. I'm already paying for it so I might as well give it a try. It's truly the best service out there. So much return on my membership $$.

 

[TsMkLg068426]

Apple should at least give free 5GB icloud space for EACH iOS device. And maybe they should consider making that 10GB in the near future. Because with the current plan, I'm not using iCloud.

OneDrive gives a lot more I forgot how much but Microsoft a lot more free than 10GB, iCloud free storage space is a joke.

 

[mdridwan47]

OneDrive gives a lot more I forgot how much but Microsoft a lot more free than 10GB, iCloud free storage space is a joke.

They give out 30GB for free!!

 

[Ray Brady]

Apple should at least give free 5GB icloud space for EACH iOS device.

I wouldn't even limit it to iOS devices. The 128GB of storage included on base model MacBooks indicates they're expecting laptop users to keep a lot of their files in the Cloud. Why not throw in an additional 5GB for each OSX device you're running, as well?

 

[talmy]

Not impressed because computer access to Amazon's cloud is via the web browser instead of integrated like iCloud, Dropbox, Google, and Microsoft.

 

[QuarterSwede]

And Apple still offers only 5GB of iCloud storage when will Tim Cook learn.

For $12/year (0.99¢/month) for 20GB it's a no brainer for ease of use directly from iOS devices. That makes them money. Cook and team aren't idiots.

 

[bushido]

For $12/year (0.99¢/month) for 20GB it's a no brainer for ease of use directly from iOS devices. That makes them money. Cook and team aren't idiots.

But its a pain in the d to use... even on iOS devices

 

[netnothing]

The app says it automatically uploads photos when on Wifi?!? Do you have to open the app to have it do that? It can't just upload when not open correct?

-Kevin

 

[MacVault]

I'm so undecided...

...on which cloud to store my Photos in! I just upgraded my Google+ to 100GB and uploaded ~4000 photos. Just not sure whether to stick with that, or try Flickr, Dropbox, etc.

What I do know is iCloud is a disaster and way behind the times. Was Obama in charge of this iCloud project?

 

[Craiger]

The app says it automatically uploads photos when on Wifi?!? Do you have to open the app to have it do that? It can't just upload when not open correct?

-Kevin

You would have to allow "background app refresh" for it to do things like that in the background.

 

[netnothing]

You would have to allow "background app refresh" for it to do things like that in the background.

Ok testing it now. So as long as the app was once open (finding if I kill the app it won't auto upload), if you choose auto save and have background app refresh on....it will auto uploads photos without needing to ever open the app?

Will this last through reboots?

That's been my biggest issue with these 3rd party apps and photo uploads....I don't want to have to open the app to have my photos uploaded. I think the auto upload on Dropbox only works when the app is open correct?

EDIT: Ok, think I'm answering my own questions here.....seems if you lock your phone for a while, then take a photo, it's not auto uploaded. Guessing iOS killing the background process?

-Kevin

 

[JoEw]

Don't want to be stuck on Amazon prime reoccuring.
1TB free on flickr - no subscription needed

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Make you more and more tied to Amazon means higher chances you'll renew your yearly Prime subscription and Prime users spend more than 4x more with Amazon than normal members.

 

[DonutHands]

Time to stop penny pinching apple. Cater just a little less to your stock holders.

 

[D.T.]

For us, it’ll just be another backup redundancy for our photos, which are probably the most important digital content we own. Already duplicated locally, Time Machine and on a cloud based backup service

 

[acousticbiker]

Are videos included? That's my current biggest pain point: PhotoStream syncs the photos to my desktop iPhoto library automatically, but I still need to plug-in to my laptop to sync videos (and they take up a lot of phone storage, especially a limitation on my 16GB model)

 

[Alimar]

As with every Cloud service... it takes FOREVER to upload!

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Are videos included? That's my current biggest pain point: PhotoStream syncs the photos to my desktop iPhoto library automatically, but I still need to plug-in to my laptop to sync videos (and they take up a lot of phone storage, especially a limitation on my 16GB model)

Yes, videos included.

 

[soheilk]

Was just talking with my wife last night what to do now that both our free Dropboxes (each 20GB thru referrals and promotions) are full now. Dropbox's 1TB is expensive (same price as Google's 1TB) but Google also has a dirt cheap 100GB option though I don't wanna give our personal data to Google more than what they have now. I feel safer if Apple has my dara but iCould Drive is a joke now! So was thinking there should be another option and voilà, Jeff Bezos to the rescue. Happy Prime member here

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Make you more and more tied to Amazon means higher chances you'll renew your yearly Prime subscription and Prime users spend more than 4x more with Amazon than normal members.

Yep, you're exactly talking about me

 

[talmy]

Don't want to be stuck on Amazon prime reoccuring.
1TB free on flickr - no subscription needed

No matter what your choice you are at the mercy of the provider not to change the terms of service. I'd never rely on any of them for a sole long-term storage.