More than 11 years have passed since the introduction of iCloud and Apple still offers only 5 GB of free storage.
Apple introduced iCloud on June 6, 2011 at the Developers Conference as a cloud platform where Apple users could save and sync their files, photos, contacts, and just about any data they had on their devices. Apple offered at that time 5 GB of free iCloud storagea free storage that still valid Today.
It has always been said that Apple should offer more space in iCloud to those users who have more devices. In the end, if you have an iPhone, an Apple Watch and an iPad, with 5 GB you don’t even have space for backups. Beyond that, though, free iCloud storage has been stagnant compared to device storage.
iCloud was introduced 11 years ago and still offers the same 5 GB free
iCloud stores your music, photos, documents and more and sends them wirelessly to all your devices. Automatic, effortless and hassle free – it just works.
5 Gb in iCloud that have become obsolete
At the time iCloud was introduced, 5GB of free storage seemed like a lot. That same year the iPhone 4s was introduced, with initial storage options of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Namely, free iCloud storage offered about 30% of the minimum iPhone storage.
However, smartphones have since evolved into an “everything device.” We play, we work, we take photos… everything has improved and now the apps take up more, the backups include more things and the photos and videos are much heavierThat is why the internal storage of the iPhone has been gradually increasing in these 11 years, reaching a minimum of 128 GB in the current iPhone 14.
Apple has improved iCloud over the years, but still only offers 5GB for free
If Apple had increased the free storage in its cloud by the same percentage, right now we should have approximately 40 GB free in iCloud. Storage that most users would find sufficient, especially if they have multiple devices.
Services are the future, the 5 GB of iCloud stays
It does not seem that Apple will increase the space of free iCloud storage at this point, despite the fact that 5 GB has become obsolete. Companies like Google offer 15 GB free in Google Drive, triple what Apple offers in iCloud. But Apple knows that most users of its devices will subscribe to an iCloud storage plan.
Apple subscription models can be your next step to success
Subscriptions are the future, and the present. The Apple’s services business continues to grow quarter-to-quarter streaks to Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, or all of them together: AppleOne. And there are many users who are subscribed to an extra storage plan, reporting millions of dollars to the company every month.
Therefore, we do not expect that Apple will increase the free 5 GB it offers in iCloud. We have recently seen a move in this direction, albeit on a limited basis. When you switch to a new iPhone, Apple will let you use as many GB as you need in iCloud during the data transfer, but then you’ll go back to 5 GB. It’s something.