How many GB of phone storage do I need?

If youre looking to buy a new Android Phone one of the questions youll want answering is how much storage space you will need.

The other day I wrote an article about how much space you need for an Android Tablet. I considered whether I could use one article to cover both devices. However, after careful consideration realised we use both devices differently, so a separate article was needed.

So lets take a look at how much space you should be looking for when buying a new Android phone.

MOBILE PHONES HAVE ADVANCED

If you look at how mobile phones have changed over the years. Weve seen huge improvements from the phone we use today compared to a few years ago. These advancements in mobile technology are great to see, but it does mean youve got to keep on top of the specs needed to run new phones.

From the processor, RAM, display and storage. All of these things need to be taken into consideration. So lets take a look at storage, how much you need and why its necessary.

THE STORAGE IN ANDROID PHONES TODAY

Most phones today come with at least 32GB of storage space as an absolute minimum. Youll also find a lot of phones offering 64GB or 128GB. The top of the range phone goes even further with anything from 256GB to 512GB.

All this can make it confusing when deciding just how much storage you will need. Also, youll want to make sure you get it right because its not always possible to add extra storage at a later date.

The amount of storage youll need will come down to two things. The specs of the phone and how you intend on using the phone. If youre going for a high spec phone, youll most likely end up using more storage. Why you may ask?

If a phone comes with a 12 Megapixel camera; it will take up a lot more space than a phone with a 4 Megapixel camera.

YOULL NEVER GET THE STORAGE ADVERTISED

One thing you need to remember is that youll never get the storage advertised as available space. If a phone comes with 32GB, you can expect to have about 24GB available to you from new.

This is because the phone will come with the Android Operating system installed. This can take up at least 5GB of storage and is essential for your phone. Youll also have preinstalled apps that the manufacturer has added.

Some of the pre-installed apps can be uninstalled, but not necessarily all of them. So always take this into account, especially if youre buying a phone with low storage.

WHAT USES MOST OF YOUR STORAGE SPACE

Apart from what Ive already mentioned, which is the Android OS and preinstalled apps. There are plenty of other things that will take up your storage space.

We all love installing Android apps on our phones. They have advanced a lot, but all these advancements in apps mean they can take up a lot of space. Unless you buy a phone with enough storage. Youll be constantly having to delete apps you no longer use to free up some space.

If youre buying a phone with a great camera. Then youll need to remember that any pictures you take will take up a huge amount of storage space.

The same can be said for music. If you use a music app such as Spotify or Google Music. If you stream all of your music, then it will not be an issue because this will not take up much storage space.

However, if you do not have unlimited data streaming all of your music may not be an option. If this is the case, youll most likely want to download your music at home over WiFi. Doing this means you can listen to it when youre out without using up your valuable data. Downloading music will use up a lot of storage space, especially if you download high-quality recordings.

HOW MUCH STORAGE DO YOU NEED FOR YOUR ANDROID PHONE

So weve looked at what uses up your phones storage. Now well take a look at just how much storage youll need when buying a new phone.

It obviously depends on what you use your phone for. If you use your phone to make calls, send text, use the occasional app and social media. Then a phone with 32GB of storage will be just fine.

If you do all of the above but also download music through your favourite music app. Then you may find the 32GB may not be enough. Youll be ok to download a few albums. However, if you want access to lots of music without using up your data when streaming. Then you may want to consider a phone with 64GB of storage.

If all of the above sounds like you, but you also like taking a lot of high-quality photos. Then you need to consider the storage youll need carefully. Will 64GB be enough? Possibly, but if you like taking lots of pictures then your storage will soon run out.

You may find it would be much better to look for a phone with 128GB of storage. This will allow you to snap away on your camera without too many issues.

If youre buying a phone to use the camera as a video recorder. Well, thats a totally different matter altogether. Youll be able to shoot the occasional video, but if you intend on making lots of videos on your phone then 256GB or even 512GB will be a much better option for you.

CONCLUSION

The amount of storage space youll need when buying a new Android phone will depend a lot on what youll be using it for. If you only use your phone for the basics. Then you dont need to worry too much about how much storage is available. Go with the phone that gives you the specs you want at the price you want.

However, if you will be using your phone to take high-quality pictures, downloading music and installing a lot of Android apps. Then youll obviously need a lot more storage than 32GB.

If you already own a phone and are struggling with managing your storage. Then have a read of how to free up space on your Android device. This article will give you practical measures to free up more space on your phone or tablet.

I hope this article has helped and you now know how much storage space you need for an Android phone. It all depends on your budget, but its always best to try and buy a phone with enough storage for what you need now and in the future.