iPhone 6 Storage Capacity

[MDMachiavelli]

I have an iPhone 6 with the advertised 16GB storage capacity. I've had the phone for several years and for the most part it has been a good phone except.........


Although it is advertised as the 16GB storage capacity in actuality it only has 12GB. For future reference, is 4GB less than advertised acceptable, and if not what is an acceptable variation between listed and actual?

I've had almost every iPhone since the first one came out except the 5C and one or two others and they all were a little less than what they were supposed to be. But 25% is just unacceptable to me.

What do you think?

 

[Applejuiced]

Storage device manufacturers measure capacity using the decimal system (base 10), so 1 gigabyte (GB) is calculated as exactly 1,000,000,000 bytes. The capacity of the storage media in your Mac, iPad, iPod, iPhone and other Apple hardware is measured using this decimal system.

"When you view the storage capacity of your iPod, iPhone, iPad, or other electronic devices within its operating system, the capacity is reported using the the binary system (base 2) of measurement. In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes."

Technically speaking we would differ slightly from Apple's explanation, which doesn't explain that two different units are being used here. A gigabyte, shortened to GB, is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes as explained. But the binary version of a gigabyte is known as a gibibyte and shortened to GiB; this is equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes.

That might not sound like a huge difference, but this alone would result in 128GB of storage being reported as 119.2GiB, 64GB as 59.6GiB, 32GB as 29.8GiB and 16GB as 14.9GiB.
iOS 10 is as large as 1.1 GB so the operating system also takes up room and needs space on the chip.

• 128GB: approx. 114GiB
• 64GB: approx. 56.5GiB
• 32GB: approx. 27.5GiB
• 16GB: approx. 11.5GiB

 

[rui no onna]

iOS 10 is as large as 1.1 GB so the operating system also takes up room and needs space on the chip.

• 128GB: approx. 114GiB
• 64GB: approx. 56.5GiB
• 32GB: approx. 27.5GiB
• 16GB: approx. 11.5GiB

iOS 10 itself may only be 1.1GiB but I've noticed Apple seems to allocate a bigger partition for root/system the bigger the storage capacity.

Mind, it seems Apple has changed how storage is reported on newer iOS versions so 1GB is actually 1 billion bytes now.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Storage device manufacturers measure capacity using the decimal system (base 10), so 1 gigabyte (GB) is calculated as exactly 1,000,000,000 bytes. The capacity of the storage media in your Mac, iPad, iPod, iPhone and other Apple hardware is measured using this decimal system.

"When you view the storage capacity of your iPod, iPhone, iPad, or other electronic devices within its operating system, the capacity is reported using the the binary system (base 2) of measurement. In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes."

Technically speaking we would differ slightly from Apple's explanation, which doesn't explain that two different units are being used here. A gigabyte, shortened to GB, is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes as explained. But the binary version of a gigabyte is known as a gibibyte and shortened to GiB; this is equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes.

That might not sound like a huge difference, but this alone would result in 128GB of storage being reported as 119.2GiB, 64GB as 59.6GiB, 32GB as 29.8GiB and 16GB as 14.9GiB.
iOS 10 is as large as 1.1 GB so the operating system also takes up room and needs space on the chip.

• 128GB: approx. 114GiB
• 64GB: approx. 56.5GiB
• 32GB: approx. 27.5GiB
• 16GB: approx. 11.5GiB

I know you know this, but for everyone else. This is not just an Apple thing, this is all storage in general. All storage hardware does this.

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

I have an iPhone 6 with the advertised 16GB storage capacity. I've had the phone for several years and for the most part it has been a good phone except.........


Although it is advertised as the 16GB storage capacity in actuality it only has 12GB. For future reference, is 4GB less than advertised acceptable, and if not what is an acceptable variation between listed and actual?

I've had almost every iPhone since the first one came out except the 5C and one or two others and they all were a little less than what they were supposed to be. But 25% is just unacceptable to me.

What do you think?

Don't worry, starting from iOS 11, you won't be able to see that "Actual capacity of 12gb"

 

[joeblow7777]

Don't worry, starting from iOS 11, you won't be able to see that "Actual capacity of 12gb"

Can you not see the available storage on your device in iOS 11?

 

[MDMachiavelli]

Storage device manufacturers measure capacity using the decimal system (base 10), so 1 gigabyte (GB) is calculated as exactly 1,000,000,000 bytes. The capacity of the storage media in your Mac, iPad, iPod, iPhone and other Apple hardware is measured using this decimal system.

"When you view the storage capacity of your iPod, iPhone, iPad, or other electronic devices within its operating system, the capacity is reported using the the binary system (base 2) of measurement. In binary, 1 GB is calculated as 1,073,741,824 bytes."

Technically speaking we would differ slightly from Apple's explanation, which doesn't explain that two different units are being used here. A gigabyte, shortened to GB, is equal to 1,000,000,000 bytes as explained. But the binary version of a gigabyte is known as a gibibyte and shortened to GiB; this is equal to 1,073,741,824 bytes.

That might not sound like a huge difference, but this alone would result in 128GB of storage being reported as 119.2GiB, 64GB as 59.6GiB, 32GB as 29.8GiB and 16GB as 14.9GiB.
iOS 10 is as large as 1.1 GB so the operating system also takes up room and needs space on the chip.

• 128GB: approx. 114GiB
• 64GB: approx. 56.5GiB
• 32GB: approx. 27.5GiB
• 16GB: approx. 11.5GiB

I understand most of this and your points are well taken. That being the case I have never seen an iPhone with that much deviation. What is yours?

 

[Mlrollin91]

I understand most of this and your points are well taken. That being the case I have never seen an iPhone with that much deviation. What is yours?

He already posted what all iPhones are.

• 128GB: approx. 114GiB
• 64GB: approx. 56.5GiB
• 32GB: approx. 27.5GiB
• 16GB: approx. 11.5GiB

I have a 128GB iPhone, its 113.9GB, 64GB iPad its 55.9GB and a 32GB iPad and its 28.1GB.

 

[MDMachiavelli]

He already posted what all iPhones are.

• 128GB: approx. 114GiB
• 64GB: approx. 56.5GiB
• 32GB: approx. 27.5GiB
• 16GB: approx. 11.5GiB

I have a 128GB iPhone, its 113.9GB, 64GB iPad its 55.9GB and a 32GB iPad and its 28.1GB.

Obviously not all are the same, mine is not the same as he listed. Most I see are different.

 

[Mlrollin91]

No need to be a jack ass.

Obviously not all are the same, mine is not the same as he listed. Most I see are different.

The only variation is the version of iOS its running. All devices are going to be within a couple hundred MB of what AppleJuiced posted. He said "approximately".

 

[LoveToMacRumors]

Can you not see the available storage on your device in iOS 11?

Apple is hiding them, you will see the 16GB, but not that 12.5GB or whatever

 

[MDMachiavelli]

The only variation is the version of iOS its running. All devices are going to be within a couple hundred MB of what AppleJuiced posted. He said "approximately".

All I can tell you is that mine doesn't match what you are saying.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Apple is hiding them, you will see the 16GB, but not that 12.5GB or whatever

iTunes still reports the capacity though. My iPad Air 2 on iOS 11 shows the 55.9GB size.
[doublepost=1501863057][/doublepost]

All I can tell you is that mine doesn't match what you are saying.

How does yours not match. You said its 12GB. AppleJuiced said it will be around 11.5GB. That seems pretty spot on to me. Like I said depending on iOS version there will be a little wiggle room. Again, the word approximately was used. We are trying to help you.

 

[joeblow7777]

Apple is hiding them, you will see the 16GB, but not that 12.5GB or whatever

It's not even the maximum capacity that I'm concerned about, I just want to be able to see used (by app) vs available space so that I can manage my device properly.

 

[Mlrollin91]

It's not even th maximum capacity that I'm concerned about, I just want to be able to see used (by app) vs available space so that I can manage my device properly.

I just wish it showed the actually size of iOS. And not group it in with other/system storage.

 

[MDMachiavelli]

iTunes still reports the capacity though. My iPad Air 2 on iOS 11 shows the 55.9GB size.
[doublepost=1501863057][/doublepost]
How does yours not match. You said its 12GB. AppleJuiced said it will be around 11.5GB. That seems pretty spot on to me. Like I said depending on iOS version there will be a little wiggle room. Again, the word approximately was used.

I was approximating as you do. I said 12 just as a good round number. I just looked it is 12.3 which is more than the "couple hundred MB" you stated.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I was approximating as you do. I said 12 just as a good round number. I just looked it is 12.3 which is more than the "couple hundred MB" you stated.

Congratulations, you are on the high side of the range then. Again, it depends on what version of iOS you are running as well. If you are on 10.3 or later, you will have a larger available capacity due to APFS. If you are pre-iOS 10.3, you will have less. There are more variables in this than you are accounting for. Just from the GB -> GiB conversion, you lose roughly 1.1GB. The rest is all iOS formatting. A 16GB device is really 14.9GiB. The iOS is the remaining 2+ GB (depending on version).

 

[BaggieBoy]

My wife's 16GB 6S also shows up as 12.3GB, so nothing unusual about yours it seems.

 

[Applejuiced]

I understand most of this and your points are well taken. That being the case I have never seen an iPhone with that much deviation. What is yours?

I hear you, it does suck and since the first iphone I got an 8GB and after that I been using/buying the 16GB models.
So I had to keep an eye on storage and transfer pics and videos to my computer to clear out space.
Right now I have a 7 Plus and its a good move that the base model went up to 32GB.
In settings/about it shows 28.1GB as capacity and I have 14.5GB free currently.

 

[aakshey]

My 128 GB iPhone 7 has 124 GB space. And my 256 GB IPad has 255 GB of which around 9 GB has been used by System on iOS 11.

 

[Mlrollin91]

My 128 GB iPhone 7 has 124 GB space.

Things changed in iOS 10.3.3/iOS 11. You have to plug it into iTunes now. It will show roughly 119GB if you plug it into iTunes. Then you have to subtract iOS size from the iTunes reported capacity. Total available storage on my 128GB 7Plus is 113.9GB. I have tested this by filling it to the max.





If you look at available storage in iTunes, there is 5GB unaccounted for. Thats because something is wrong with how the device is reporting storage under "general".

 

[rui no onna]

Congratulations, you are on the high side of the range then. Again, it depends on what version of iOS you are running as well. If you are on 10.3 or later, you will have a larger available capacity due to APFS. If you are pre-iOS 10.3, you will have less. There are more variables in this than you are accounting for. Just from the GB -> GiB conversion, you lose roughly 1.1GB. The rest is all iOS formatting. A 16GB device is really 14.9GiB. The iOS is the remaining 2+ GB (depending on version).

Actually, with iOS 9, capacity was still reported as GiB. They seem to have changed that starting with iOS 10 and are reporting GB in decimal now.

Pro 9.7 256GB

• Binary: 238GiB
• iOS 9 Capacity: 232GB
• iOS 10 Capacity: 248GB
• iOS 10.3 Capacity: 252.44GB

 

[Mlrollin91]

Actually, with iOS 9, capacity was still reported as GiB. They seem to have changed that starting with iOS 10 and are reporting GB in decimal now.

Pro 9.7 256GB

• Binary: 238GiB
• iOS 9 Capacity: 232GB
• iOS 10 Capacity: 248GB
• iOS 10.3 Capacity: 252.44GB

I wasn't referring to how it was reported in iOS, I was referring to the actual size available. If you look at your iOS 10 capacity vs 10.3, thats the point I was trying to make. Pre-iOS 10.3 had less available storage because of not having APFS.

 

[MDMachiavelli]

I hear you, it does suck and since the first iphone I got an 8GB and after that I been using/buying the 16GB models.
So I had to keep an eye on storage and transfer pics and videos to my computer to clear out space.
Right now I have a 7 Plus and its a good move that the base model went up to 32GB.
In settings/about it shows 28.1GB as capacity and I have 14.5GB free currently.

Yeah man, some of might have something to do with App sizes increasing over the years.

I stream all of my music, transfer all of my pics immediately to the cloud or drop box, and make a conscious effort to keep my storage issues to a medium, and still only have about 2.5GB of free space.

It does suck.

It would be a little more tolerable if you could empty your cache. Its a pain in the but deleting and reinstalling apps when the cache get to big to manage.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yeah man, some of might have something to do with App sizes increasing over the years.

I stream all of my music, transfer all of my pics immediately to the cloud or drop box, and make a conscious effort to keep my storage issues to a medium, and still only have about 2.5GB of free space.

It does suck.

It would be a little more tolerable if you could empty your cache. Its a pain in the but deleting and reinstalling apps when the cache get to big to manage.

I hear you.
There's a few appstore apps that clear out the cash.
That has saved me room and freed up some GB's of storage before.
I use battery doctor, not sure if its still available but there's a few more I heard.