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Can I Get Away with the 64GB model?

M

modernmoments

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 15, 2012
191
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I'm thinking of ordering the iPhone X and I'm with T-Mobile. As much as I want the 256GB version, I can't justify spending $430 on a down payment for Jump on Demand.

I haven't been on iOS consistently for 3 or 4 years, mostly on Android. Can I get away with a 64GB model?

Here's my use case:
  • I use Google Play Music for a subscription service. I don't have a very large library that I download (~6GB).
  • Photos - this is where I worry a bit. Although I pay for extra storage for Google, so I suppose I can use Google Photos.
  • Apps - at any given time, I usually have around 60 apps.
On my current Note 8, I only use around 30GB with apps and the OS taking up some space.

Anyone else in the same boat or have advice?

Thanks!
 
I mean, based on your usage on the current Note 8, I would say you should be fine. I imagine if you get a 64 GB version you would have 59~ available...? That’s (at the low end) another 25 GB for you to use now on top of what you are currently using on the Note. Personally, I had this dilemma because I definitely didn’t need 256, but would have jumped on a 128 for sure. Luckily I plan to keep the X for 2-3 years, so I decided 256 was just worth it.
 
In my experience photos and videos are what hog up storage. I'm both lazy and paranoid when it comes to pics. I eventually upload my pics to my computer but I don't delete them from my phone just because it's another backup. I have over 100 apps and could easily get away with 64GB if I had no photos or videos. I have a 128GB now with about 40GB free. Lots of pics and decent amount of music. Also a bit lazy about deleting emails because invariably as soon as a I delete I need to reference it again.
 
Your usage sounds in line with mine. You should be ok. The only caveat is...if you plan on taking 4K 60FPS videos, you may want the larger memory model. Otherwise, Google photos will be a good way for you to offload pics/videos from your phone into the cloud.

I'm on a Pixel XL now with 128GB and only like 41 used. :/ Like you I'm heavily cloud vested.
 
I have just under 30GB of Photos and Videos in iCloud, yet on my iPhone I have 33GB in my Photo Library (this has always confused me). So no way could I opt for a 64GB model.
 
justinTlME said:
I mean, based on your usage on the current Note 8, I would say you should be fine. I imagine if you get a 64 GB version you would have 59~ available...? That’s (at the low end) another 25 GB for you to use now on top of what you are currently using on the Note. Personally, I had this dilemma because I definitely didn’t need 256, but would have jumped on a 128 for sure. Luckily I plan to keep the X for 2-3 years, so I decided 256 was just worth it.
Click to expand...

On my Note 8, I do have a 256GB SD card that I use to hold all my music and local photo storage.
 
The added cost is pretty negligible. In my experience it’s better to have and not need than to wish you had.
 
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It is hard to answer if 64gb is enough for everyone but generally I would say it will not be enough.

You will be using the phone for 1 year. You said with your Note 8 you have already used 30gb and the Note 8 just recently released. With Note 8 you get the option to use MicroSD bit with iPhone you don't.

64gb gives you about 58gb storage to use. Is that enough for 1 year usage?
That is too little for $11xx phone.
 
It really depends on your usage. I have had a 128GB iPhone 7 for the past year and 2 months. I have only filled up 44GB of the 128GB and that is including the amount of space the iOS takes. I take a lot of pictures and I have a lot of music downloaded on Apple Music. I also travel a lot for work so I download shows to my device from Netflix for later use on the planes or later use. I just don't record a lot of 4K video or download a lot of apps.

If you have usage similar to mine, you will absolutely get away with a 64GB model. Especially if you take it upon yourself to back up photos and videos to Google Photos or the iCloud or your computer to free up space.
 
MCube74 said:
It is hard to answer if 64gb is enough for everyone but generally I would say it will not be enough.

You will be using the phone for 1 year. You said with your Note 8 you have already used 30gb and the Note 8 just recently released. With Note 8 you get the option to use MicroSD bit with iPhone you don't.

64gb gives you about 58gb storage to use. Is that enough for 1 year usage?
That is too little for $11xx phone.
Click to expand...
I guess what makes it hard is in someone who switches phones a lot which is why I have jump on demand. Knowing myself, I'm sure in March or April when the Galaxy S9 comes out, I would likely jump to that phone. Now that the down payment is so exorbitant, it just makes it tough to throw down $430 on a phone I'll likely lease for 6 months. Unless the phone is so great, it makes me not want to go back to Android.
 
modernmoments said:
On my Note 8, I do have a 256GB SD card that I use to hold all my music and local photo storage.
Click to expand...

You didn't add that bit. Obviously you have to look at the total amount of your storage used (onboard + cards). If you use a decent portion of that card then don't even consider the 64GB. It will feel like a 200lb man in a pair of 30 waist jeans.
 
With my iPhone 7 Plus 256gn I had about 78gb left.

Everyone will have different usage but for me 64gb is way too little especially when you can't add any Microsd card.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
In my experience photos and videos are what hog up storage. I'm both lazy and paranoid when it comes to pics. I eventually upload my pics to my computer but I don't delete them from my phone just because it's another backup. I have over 100 apps and could easily get away with 64GB if I had no photos or videos. I have a 128GB now with about 40GB free. Lots of pics and decent amount of music. Also a bit lazy about deleting emails because invariably as soon as a I delete I need to reference it again.
Click to expand...
Google Photos is another free backup. Unfortunately Google Photos uploads your images in its own compressed high resolution format instead of its native format, but still, it’s nice to have another backup and it seems to upload very quickly so even if you lose your phone minutes after you take a picture, it will be saved. (And for what it’s worth I can’t tell the difference between the originals and the compressed backups, but I also haven’t drastically blown up images or done serious editing to them).

If you’re an Amazon Prime member then they also offer free photo backup and they don’t further compress your images.

It never hurts to have backups of your backups, eh? =)
 
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Yes, you'll be fine. Using either iCloud or Google's services, you don't need to think about it. iOS does this really well using iCloud. Turn on iCloud Music and Photo library, turn on optimize storage, and forget about it. As long as you have an LTE connection, you'll be fine.
 
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