iPhone 15 It offers “plenty of memory for lots of photos,” at least that’s what Apple boasts in its latest ad. Whether this is right for you depends on what you do with yours iPhone and which storage option to choose. But before you open your wallet, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Entry level memory level iPhone 15 It is 128 GB. This is a significant increase over the base 64GB storage level that was retained until the iPhone 13 in 2021. Considering that the 2018 iPhone X only comes with 64GB, even the base storage option of Apple’s newest device may seem generous.

However, this upward generational shift reflects the growing demand for more storage space as our digital habits expand to include everything from high-resolution photography and multi-gigabyte Triple-A games to large software libraries.

With the iPhone 15’s camera features now including 48 MP photo and 4K video recording, the space required for these high-resolution files is quite large. These advancements undoubtedly improve the quality of recorded content, but they also eat into local storage capacity, making what once seemed adequate storage inadequate for many users’ needs.

iCloud to the rescue?

Apple’s iCloud service offers a solution to device storage limitations, offering a range of plans that go beyond the paltry 5GB of free storage, which frankly isn’t enough for most users. Apple’s paid ‌iCloud‌+ storage subscription plans offer 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB. All plans include additional features like ‌iCloud‌ Private Transfer, Hide My Email, and Private Email Domains. Currently, subscribers pay $0.99 per month for 50GB of cloud storage, $2.99 ​​per month for 200GB, and $9.99 per month for 2TB.

Recently, Apple also added 6TB and 12TB storage options to meet the needs of users with large storage requirements. However, accessing your files has a cost, both financial and internet connection. The 6TB ‌iCloud‌+ plan costs $29.99 per month, while the 12TB plan costs $59.99 per month. (By comparison, Google’s 5TB and 10TB cloud storage plans cost $24.99 and $49.99 per month.)

iPhone vs iCloud storage space comparison

While the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models start with 128 GB of storage, Apple offers upgrade options to 256 GB and 512 GB, as well as an additional 1 TB option for the iPhone 15 Pro. (iPhone 15 Pro Max models start with double the storage at 256GB; 512GB and 1TB are available after upgrading.)

By offering a maximum capacity of 1 TB for the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple appeals directly to users who prioritize large amounts of storage space on their devices. But this option costs $1,499, which is $700 more than the base model. So it’s worth considering whether choosing a smaller capacity model and supplementing it with additional iCloud storage might be a more economical and practical choice. For example, five years of 2TB of iCloud storage will cost $500 to $200 less than a 1TB iPhone 15 and may well outlast your device’s lifespan.

Whatever you decide will depend on the flexibility and potential cost savings of cloud storage versus your usage habits and the value you place on instant offline access to your files.

The future of iPhone storage

Given the current state of affairs, it seems plausible that Apple will increase the starting capacity of all iPhone models to 256GB in future generations. Let’s hope it also reconsiders the paltry 5GB of free iCloud storage it offers; A more generous allocation that reflects the reality of today’s digital consumption patterns is certainly overdue.