Which 2020 iPad (10.2-inch) storage option should I get? 32GB or 128GB?

Looking to buy the new 2020 iPad 8, but you're torn between its two storage options? Apple still isn't exactly generous with the base option, which is only 32GB, much like it was on the 2019 iPad 7. Could 32GB be enough for you? Or is the 128GB iPad storage option worth the extra $100? Let's find out!

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How much free storage will your 2020 iPad have out the box?

If you're conscious about your storage, you should know that the iPad's operating system (iPadOS 14) itself takes a decent amount of storage out the box, making the advertised 32GB and 128GB storage options realistically somewhere around 22GB and 108GB respectively.

According to Apple itself, iPadOS and preinstalled apps take between 10 and 13GB of space out the box, although the exact number can vary between iPads. The preinstalled apps are normally around 4GB in space, and can be deleted to free some storage. Such apps may include the video editing app iMovie or the music-making app GarageBand. Of course, you can also restore those apps later, if you wish to. In any case, at the very least nearly 10GB are not going to be accessible or usable to you out the box.

Could all my apps and games fit on the 32GB iPad?

Although 32GB is an outrageously low amount of storage for 2020, it is the base iPad at its base storage configuration after all, so let's see if we can still make it work for ourselves. 32GB is actually plenty enough for most people in terms of fitting all the apps they may need.

Apps

To give you an idea – check out how small apps are: Netflix is about 165MB, Skype – 119MB, Discord – 91MB, SoundCloud – 73MB, Gmail – 285MB, Google Maps – 202MB, Instagram – 190MB.

All of those apps amount to 1.12GB. Throw in three or four times more apps like these and they'd still have taken less than 5GB on your 32GB iPad.

Games

Now that we know your apps will fit comfortably even in the 32GB iPad, let's consider games, which can be much, much larger in size. Obviously Fortnite is out of the question right now, but Call of Duty: Mobile is around 2.64GB, PubG Mobile – 2.43GB, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 2.1GB and Max Payne Mobile – 1.8GB.

Those large mobile games and PlayStation 2 ports amount to 8.97GB. If you're not a gamer, or you play small casual games, or alternatively you limit the number of games that you download – the 32GB 2020 iPad option should again be good enough.

So, which 2020 iPad 8 should I get: 32GB or 128GB?

Hopefully now you have a good perspective on how much content you can fit on the base 32GB storage option, and whether it is good enough for you, but let's summarize.

The 32GB 2020 iPad (8th generation) is perfect for students, who are mostly looking to do school work, play the occasional casual game, stream movies and music and watch YouTube. It's not recommended for serious gamers, as it won't fit all the large games you may need. It's also not a good option for those who like to keep all of their movies and music on the iPad instead of streaming it, as again, the 32GB iPad will not fit a whole lot of large-size content.

The 128GB 2020 iPad (8th generation) is worth the extra $100 for those looking to turn it into a computer replacement and do everything on it. Notably, if you want to keep your movies, music and all the games and apps you may ever need on the iPad – you'll have to go with this storage option. 128GB is still not exactly a huge amount of storage in 2020 terms, but will be more than enough for most iPad users. You'll feel much more comfortable having 128GB of space than dealing with the limitations of 32GB.

Apple iPad (2020)

$329 ⁹⁹ Buy at BestBuy $15 Buy at Verizon $15 ³⁴ Buy at AT&T