Weekly poll results: most people are fine with 256 GB of storage on their phones

Weekly poll results: most people are fine with 256 GB of storage on their phones

Last week we asked you how much storage you use on your phone. It seems that most can fit within a total of 256 GB. “Total” because we also asked you about your thoughts on microSD slots on phones.

Here is the explanation. Just over 40% of people can impress 128 GB or less. That said, 36% need at least 256 GB. This means 128 GB models are still viable, but you should look for a phone with more space if you want to keep it long.

A newly set-up phone is rather slim, but crank starts to pile up pretty quickly. Photos you took quickly and did not intend to keep, images coming in from instant messaging programs, program box and other things eating in your storage.

You can, of course, manage those things. There are automated tools to help you, e.g. Google’s files application and Google Photos automatically suggest which files can be deleted or archived. But even then, it’s a hassle and programs grow in size over time, which you can not do much about except delete an application or two.


Google's files application has automated tools to help you delete old, unwanted files
Google's files application has automated tools to help you delete old, unwanted files
Google's files application has automated tools to help you delete old, unwanted files
Google's files application has automated tools to help you delete old, unwanted files

Google’s files application has automated tools to help you delete old, unwanted files

The importance of microSD slots has diminished. A year ago, more than 50% of people thought that a memory card slot was essential. Now that number has failed up to 40%. It appears that the slot is switching to ‘nice to have’ area.

Weekly poll results: most people need 256 GB of storage on their phone

This is probably for the better, as most manufacturers leave out a microSD slot on the new phones (this has actually been the norm for high-end offerings for a while now). And even when available, it is often in the form of a hybrid slot, meaning you have to decide between extending storage or a second SIM card.

A second SIM slot means you can get cheap data, especially when traveling. And for some, it’s more important than having extra memory on their phone.