Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 12 mini iPhone 12 Mini - is 128gb overkill?

S

satchmo

macrumors 603
Original poster
Aug 6, 2008
5,261
6,164
Canada
I’m waiting to finalize a great deal on a 64gb iPhone 12 Mini. Now for an extra $72, I could pick up the 128gb model.

I know the general advice is to future proof your iPhone with 128 or 256gb storage.
So you pony up an extra couple of hundred dollars and you don’t think twice.

I’m not saying it’s bad advice especially if you keep (and I do) your phones for a long time.
However, looking at my current 64gb iPhone 6 (5 years!), I still have 36gb available!

I suppose I might factor the need for more room with larger sized photos and video in the 12. Thoughts?
 
Depends how much you’ll use the camera. I haven’t found myself using any more storage on my 128GB 12 Pro Max than I did when I had a 64GB XS Max. I’ve got 85GB free. I forked out the money for a 256GB 8 Plus and pretty much instantly regretted that decision. iOS doesn’t blow through storage like Android does.
 
  • Like
Reactions: satchmo
Ethrem said:
Depends how much you’ll use the camera. I haven’t found myself using any more storage on my 128GB 12 Pro Max than I did when I had a 64GB XS Max. I’ve got 85GB free. I forked out the money for a 256GB 8 Plus and pretty much instantly regretted that decision. iOS doesn’t blow through storage like Android does.
Click to expand...

It’s interesting, and I think many of us over buy for peace of mind. Only to realize, we never needed it in the first place.

I’ll probably use it a bit more but I’m by no means a heavy content creator.
Plus can’t you now move stuff onto an external SSD (or iCloud)?

That said, $72 spread over a couple of years use, is nothing really.
 
If its only just over 1/2 full and that has been pretty static for awhile (you don't load a lot of new apps or music, movies, books, docs, pics), I'd question the need to increase the storage. Even larger photos and videos can be stored elsewhere (as noted above) until you need to access them. And my guess is the battery (not ungradeable) would crap out before using available space for a shooting a video would.

I recently moved to Mini from an XR (both 64GB), and I actually regained some space - the move clearly deleting some accumulated gunge! Still, with over 1200 songs, 26 vids, 1600 pics, some books and docs and 135 apps, I have 25GB free.

Maybe for $72 it's worth the additional storage - if you are suddenly re-considering how you've used your iPhone - but equally, that cash could go towards something more useful. Towards AppleCare, for example. Or buy a quality case.

I think 'future-proofing' an iPhone is only really applicable if you know / assume something substantial will happen to the size of the OS in the next couple of years or in how you use your phone - bearing in mind the battery size will dictate how long you can use it at one go - but otherwise, its a pricey guess. The internal hardware is more likely to change first - and that we have no 'upgrade' opportunities to add now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: satchmo
I currently use over 140GB on my 256GB model. I always go for the highest storage model. I’d get 512GB or 1TB if available, but hey, that’s just me 🙂
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Phuz01
Bazza1 said:
If its only just over 1/2 full and that has been pretty static for awhile (you don't load a lot of new apps or music, movies, books, docs, pics), I'd question the need to increase the storage. Even larger photos and videos can be stored elsewhere (as noted above) until you need to access them. And my guess is the battery (not ungradeable) would crap out before using available space for a shooting a video would.

I recently moved to Mini from an XR (both 64GB), and I actually regained some space - the move clearly deleting some accumulated gunge! Still, with over 1200 songs, 26 vids, 1600 pics, some books and docs and 135 apps, I have 25GB free.

Maybe for $72 it's worth the additional storage - if you are suddenly re-considering how you've used your iPhone - but equally, that cash could go towards something more useful. Towards AppleCare, for example. Or buy a quality case.

I think 'future-proofing' an iPhone is only really applicable if you know / assume something substantial will happen to the size of the OS in the next couple of years or in how you use your phone - bearing in mind the battery size will dictate how long you can use it at one go - but otherwise, its a pricey guess. The internal hardware is more likely to change first - and that we have no 'upgrade' opportunities to add now.
Click to expand...

Great post. Similarly the accumulation on my 6 was just the way I worked. And with that, I still had so much storage left. I suspect my workflow may change slightly in the coming years, but again, nothing drastic.

Putting some of the money towards AppleCare is a good suggestion too.
 
Do you know how much storage you were using when you first got the iPhone 6? Or the phone just before that? Might be able to use that to extrapolate and figure out how your usage will increase in the next 5 years?

If you're only using 36gb currently, I think it's unlikely you will use more than the full capacity of 64gb in the next year or two... Also using iCloud photos (I'm saying nothing on CSAM) will bring that down significantly if you don't already use that - though you may find value in always having your photos local.

I agree with others and say that the money may be best spent elsewhere. Will you keep it for another 5 years? If so, one thing to consider is say you get 64gb but fill it up within 2/3 years - would you be okay (financially and justifiability) to sell the device and buy a larger storage one?
 
I use a 64GB ip6+ (for 5 years) and I have 38GB free but I have to cull my camera roll every once in a while to keep my storage space down. I also can't record 60fps video or save many videos or record longer videos. I keep them below 30 seconds and then compress them to 720p afterwards.
Larger storage phones are good for video collectors, hoarders and untidy users who want to keep everything.
 
satchmo said:
I’m waiting to finalize a great deal on a 64gb iPhone 12 Mini. Now for an extra $72, I could pick up the 128gb model.

I know the general advice is to future proof your iPhone with 128 or 256gb storage.
So you pony up an extra couple of hundred dollars and you don’t think twice.

I’m not saying it’s bad advice especially if you keep (and I do) your phones for a long time.
However, looking at my current 64gb iPhone 6 (5 years!), I still have 36gb available!

I suppose I might factor the need for more room with larger sized photos and video in the 12. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
For me it was a no brained to get the 128gb model, I don’t stream my music. I have a large music collection and I carry about 75gb of music on my phone as I travel a lot and like to have my music with me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Barbareren
I don't know the OP. No way for me to tell if he/she takes a tone of photos/videos.(if so, then get the highest storage within budget)

However, I'm almost pretty sure that the OP can easily waste $72 on something else in short period of time. Since most people keep their phone for at least 1 or 2 years, $72 is really nothing. (compared to wasting the same $72 on coffee, booze, or others) Edit: my apologies... who am I to talk? I can't think of the number of times I've wasted money on excellent premium German beers that drowned out my sorrows and caused me to drunk dial my ex-girlfriend who was the only woman I ever loved in my entire life?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: T'hain Esh Kelch and ericwn
Thanks for all the feedback, I ended up with the 128gb model.
For some reason, when the carrier worked it out, it turned out to be only $24 more (not $72) than the 64gb, so I jumped at it!

Initial impressions are that it’s so usable with one hand and it’s wickedly fast!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Soondae, ericwn, Barbareren and 4 others
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back