Over 11 years have passed since the introduction of iCloud and Apple still only offers 5 GB of free storage.
Apple introduced iCloud on June 6, 2011 at the Developer 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 the time 5 GB of free iCloud storagefree storage that still valid as of today.
We have always said that Apple should offer more space in iCloud to 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 room for backup copies. Beyond that, however, free iCloud storage has stagnated relative to device storage.
iCloud was introduced 11 years ago and still offers the same free 5GB
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 has become obsolete
Back when iCloud was introduced, 5GB of free storage seemed like a lot. In the same year, the iPhone 4s was introduced, with initial storage options of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. That is, free iCloud storage offered around 30% of minimum iPhone storage.
However, smartphones have since evolved into a “multipurpose device”. We play, we work, we take pictures… everything has improved and now apps take up more space, backups include more stuff, and photos and videos are much heavierThis is why the internal storage of the iPhone has gradually increased over 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 free cloud storage by the same percentage right now we should have about 40 GB free in iCloud. Storage which most users would find sufficient, especially if they have multiple devices.
Services are the future, iCloud’s 5 GB remain
It doesn’t look like Apple will increase the space free iCloud storage at this point, despite the fact that 5 GB has become obsolete. Companies like Google offer 15GB 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 after quarter, Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud or all together: Apple One. And many users subscribe to an additional storage plan, earning the company millions of dollars every month.
So, we don’t expect Apple to increase the free 5 GB it offers in iCloud. We have recently seen movement in this direction, albeit on a limited basis. When you upgrade to a new iPhone, Apple lets you use as many GB as you need in iCloud during the data transfer, but then you’ll be down to 5GB. That’s something.
