How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (2024)

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (1)

Written by Dewy

If you're looking for a new iPhone, you also have to decide on the storage capacity. We recommend the 256GB version, but there are even devices with 1TB. Such a high storage capacity isn't important for everyone. An iPhone with such a high storage capacity also means it's more expensive. We're happy to help you choose the right storage capacity for you.

  1. Choose iPhone storage capacity
  2. Your operating system also takes up storage
  3. 64GB
  4. 128GB
  5. 256GB
  6. 512GB
  7. 1TB

Choose iPhone storage capacity

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (2)

You've finally found the perfect iPhone. But how much storage capacity do you need? Here, you'll find a brief explanation about the different storage capacities:

  • 64GB: limited storage space
  • 128GB: enough for basic use
  • 256GB: enough for the average user
  • 512GB: store your entire photo, video, and movie collection
  • 1TB: never worry about storage space and store photos in Apple ProRAW

View all Apple iPhone models

Your operating system also takes up storage

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (3)

With a 256GB storage capacity, you never actually have 256GB of storage space. The operating system on your device and standard apps already take up quite a bit of storage capacity. Calculating in advance how much storage you need for your device? Add about 20% to that. That way, you know for sure you're making the right choice. It's best to think about this before placing your order, because you can't expand the storage of your iPhone later on. You can of course always use cloud services to store all your files.

View all refurbished iPhone models

64GB: limited storage space

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (4)

With 64GB, you'll have enough if you use your iPhone for WhatsApp and calls. In addition, you have space for some social media apps and light games. You can use streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify and you don't record 4K videos. You can quickly remove unnecessary apps and store photos in your iCloud photo library. Was 64GB just enough on your previous device? Choose an iPhone with more storage space.

Apple iPhone 64GB

128GB: enough for basic use

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (5)

An iPhone with 128GB storage capacity is suitable for basic use. With the new iPhone 15 models, this is the minimum storage capacity. With 128GB, you have enough space to store some photos, music, and videos locally on you iPhone. As a result, you don't have to exclusively use iCloud storage. Want to download a movie for on the go? Not a problem. Simply delete it from your device afterwards so you can download a new one.

Apple iPhone 128GB

256GB: enough for the average user

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (6)

You can download the latest apps and games without having to worry about how much space you have left. You have plenty of storage space for photos, videos, and music. You don't necessarily have to use iCloud. You also like taking photos in portrait mode recording 4K videos. You can even download a few episodes of your series for on the plane. Cleaning up isn't your thing. Perhaps you do it once a year, just to see if you have some unnecessary apps on your device.

Apple iPhone 256GB

512GB: store your entire photo, video, and movie collection

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (7)

Do you want 512GB of storage? Your options are the iPhone 15 Pro (Max), iPhone 15 (Plus), iPhone 14 Pro (Max), iPhone 14 (Plus), iPhone 13 Pro (Max), and iPhone 13 (Mini). You do everything on your device, whether it's for business or private use. Cleaning up isn't in your vocabulary and you're always testing the latest apps. You store a lot locally and you don't use cloud services for storage. You also want to access all your series and music offline regularly, for example while traveling.

Apple iPhone 512GB

1TB: never worry about storage and store photos in Apple ProRaw

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (8)

Are you an avid photographer? With 1TB, you can easily store all your photos in Apple ProRAW. Thanks to this file format, you can adjust your photos the way you want to afterwards. You can store movies and series from streaming services like Netflix and Apple TV+ in the highest quality. That way, you can watch all your favorites in places without an internet connection. We recommend 1TB if you don't or hardly use cloud services and like to store photos and videos in the highest quality. The 1TB storage is only available for the iPhone 15 Pro (Max), iPhone 14 Pro (Max), and iPhone 13 Pro (Max).

Apple iPhone 1TB

How do you choose the right storage capacity for your iPhone? - Coolblue (2024)

FAQs

What is the right storage for iPhone? ›

A phone with 128 GB storage is actually the best choice for the majority of users. Especially if you are buying a phone for a child or teen. 128 GB storage has been the smallest option since the launch of the iPhone 13, but before this the smallest size was actually the 64 GB.

How much free storage should I have iPhone? ›

You don't need to understand these numbers deeply. To update iOS, you'll generally want to have up to 10GB of free space. If you simply want to have enough free space so you can take new photos and install new apps without worrying about hitting an obstacle, give yourself at least 2GB of free space.

What is the best way to manage storage on iPhone? ›

Remove unused or unnecessary data: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and tap on "Offload Unused Apps" or "Review Large Attachments" to delete unused apps or large attachments. Clear your browsing history and data: Go to Settings > Safari and tap "Clear History and Website Data".

How do I set my iPhone storage? ›

Go to Settings > General > [Device] Storage. You might see a list of recommendations for optimizing your device's storage, followed by a list of installed apps and the amount of storage each one uses. Tap an app's name for more information about its storage.

Does storage size matter on iPhone? ›

The more storage your device has, the more music, apps, photos, and other content you can store on that device. If your device storage is almost full or full, you might get an alert. Here's how to check the amount of device storage you've used and, if needed, how to optimize and manage your storage space.

What uses up the most storage on iPhone? ›

The biggest categories are usually Photos and Apps, but that depends on your usage. Below, there is a list of your apps sorted by how much space they take. You can tap each app to see how much of that space is the app itself and how much of it is the app's Documents and Data.

How to free up storage on iPhone without deleting anything? ›

If you have apps that you rarely use but don't want to delete permanently, you can offload them.
  1. Go to “Settings,” tap on “General”
  2. Select “iPhone Storage.”
  3. Scroll down and tap on the app you want to offload, and choose “Offload App.”

Why is my iPhone storage full when I have iCloud? ›

The key takeaway: iCloud stores your data, but it doesn't remove it from your device by default. Downloaded movies, music you haven't streamed in ages, and those "just-in-case" apps can silently gobble up space.

Do you need iPhone storage if you have iCloud? ›

iCloud storage shines when it comes to accessibility and syncing. Your data stored in iCloud can be accessed from any Apple device connected to your iCloud account, ensuring a seamless experience across devices. On the contrary, iPhone storage restricts access to the data only on that specific device.

What will happen if iPhone storage is full? ›

If your device is low on storage or has storage full, it automatically frees up space while installing an app, updating iOS or iPadOS, downloading music, recording videos and more, To make more storage available, your device may also remove items that can be downloaded again or aren't needed any more.

What clears the most storage on iPhone? ›

Delete apps you no longer use

Open your iPhone's Settings menu, tap General and go to iPhone Storage. You'll see a list of your apps along with how much space each app occupies and the last time you used it. Scroll through the list and try deleting apps that you haven't used in a long time.

Does deleting photos from iPhone delete from iCloud? ›

However, if you have enabled iCloud Photos (previously known as iCloud Photo Library), deleting a photo from your iPhone will also remove it from iCloud and all other devices connected to your iCloud account. This ensures that your photos are synced across all your devices.

Does uploading photos to iCloud free up space? ›

By default, your photos and videos are stored on your device in their original, high-resolution version. This means that they use a lot of space on your iPhone and iPad. With iCloud Photos, you can make more space available on your device and still have access to your entire full-resolution collection wherever you go.

How do you reduce the amount of storage on an iPhone? ›

Open your iPhone's Settings menu, tap General and go to iPhone Storage. You'll see a list of your apps along with how much space each app occupies and the last time you used it. Scroll through the list and try deleting apps that you haven't used in a long time. Get rid of apps you haven't used in a long time.

Can you change how much storage your iPhone has? ›

Go to Settings, then tap your name. Tap iCloud, then tap Manage Account Storage or Manage Storage. Or scroll down and tap Upgrade to iCloud+. If you already subscribe to iCloud+, tap Buy More Storage or Change Storage Plan.

Why is my iPhone storage full after deleting everything? ›

This could be due to several factors: photos might still be in the Recently Deleted folder, your device might be storing full-resolution images due to iCloud settings, or the storage meter might not have updated immediately. Also, cached data and other hidden files can fill up space without being obvious.

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