This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Credit where it's due, Apple finally did it. In 2025, even the base iPhone 17 ships with 256GB of storage. That's double what the company offered for years and, for once, puts Apple ahead of rivals Samsung and Google, where base flagship models still start at 128GB.
But before we start handing out awards, let's look at what happens when you want more. Because while Apple made advances in base storage, it is still playing the same old game when it comes to upgrades.
Moving from 256GB to 512GB on the iPhone 17 Pro costs a full $200. Not for a better camera or faster chip, just more storage. The kind of memory that costs manufacturers about $20 to $30 in bulk.
Meanwhile, Samsung and Google ask around $120 for the same jump. OnePlus does it for $100 and even adds more RAM at that. Xiaomi's 15 Ultra doesn’t upsell at all, starting at 512GB.
The business strategy
Over the years, Apple has turned storage upgrades into a business strategy. The base model always gives you just enough to start feeling comfortable (well, except for those 64GB iPhones back in the day), but not quite enough to stay that way.
256GB sounds like plenty. But then you start shooting 4K videos, saving 48MP photos, or downloading some games. Suddenly, your "plenty" turns into "barely enough," and Apple has the perfect $200 solution waiting.
And the competition
We already touched upon other brands, but let's recap:
In 2025, 512GB is no longer an exotic storage tier, yet Apple still treats it like a luxury option, not a very logical upgrade.
This way, by discouraging users from buying higher storage models (due to the inflated price), Apple indirectly pushes people to upgrade sooner when they run out of space. That also contradicts Apple's sustainability narrative of "the greenest iPhone being the one you already own." More affordable storage tiers could drastically extend the lifespan of phones, reducing e-waste.
The iCloud Double Whammy
The double whammy and arguably the even bigger money drain happens if you subscribe to iCloud+. It's downright criminal that the free storage allotment in iCloud remains just 5GB. Yes, let me spell that – five gigabytes. Apple obviously deliberately keeps iCloud’s free tier that low to force a decision: either pay for more local storage upfront, or get hooked on a monthly iCloud plan.
Recommended Stories
Google is not much better, but at least it offers a 15GB free tier for its cloud offering.
The worst part of the subscription model for both companies is that it's very hard to leave it once you are in. Few people would be willing to download all their photos and back them up to a physical drive, plus it's a bit of a challenge to do it for those who are not technically inclined. Apple doesn’t just sell you storage, it sells you dependence.
There are only a few cloud storage solutions that offer lifetime cloud storage. I recommend checking out pCloud and this is not a sponsored message. I just like the service and the pricing — $200 for a 500GB lifetime cloud storage, or $400 for the 2TB option.
Loyalty and the meaning of Pro
Apple’s pricing model survives because of loyalty. Once you are deep into iMessage, AirDrop, and the Apple Watch, switching ecosystems feels like leaving behind a part of your digital life.
Apple knows this. And it uses that comfort to justify pricing that few competitors could ever get away with. When a storage upgrade costs as much as an entire midrange Android phone, it stops being a premium option and starts looking like a tax on devotion.
If "Pro" really stands for professional, then a $1,200 smartphone should not make you worry about running out of space. True professionals like filmmakers, photographers and journalists need consistent storage access without worrying about space.
I don't think that Apple should just be giving away storage upgrade, nor do I think that it should make the 512GB the new default. However, lowering the price of those storage upgrades would make the company seem just a bit less greedy and evil.
Bottom Line
At the end of the day, it's clear that Apple still makes some of the best smartphones in the world. The iPhone 17 is powerful, refined, and now starts with more storage than ever. But its upgrade pricing remains one of the most blatant profit strategies in consumer tech.
This is Apple at its finest and most frustrating: brilliant engineering paired with a business model that knows exactly how far its fans are willing to go.
Iconic Phones is now up for pre-order in the US!
Our new coffee table book, Iconic Phones, is a stunning visual tribute to the legends in the world of phones, featuring exclusive high-resolution photography, stories, quotes and fun trivia. Pre-order now and save 15% with code: PARENA15
Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: