This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
When the iPhone 16 series came out, I was certain Apple would finally give the smaller iPhone 16 Pro the 256GB base storage it deserves - after all, last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max got 256GB, and so did the new 16 Pro Max.
But as it turns out, I was totally wrong. The smaller iPhone 16 Pro still starts with 128GB of storage, and since no one else seems to be calling this tech crime out, I figured I would… So, here we go…
Apple’s latest tech crime shouldn’t be ignored - iPhone 16 Pro can’t start with 128GB of storage in 2024-2025
If the Moto G85 can start with 256GB of storage (on top of 12GB of RAM), what's Apple's excuse for the iPhone 16 Pro?
I mean… it’s as simple as that - in 2024, nobody should be paying $1,000 for a flagship smartphone with only 128GB of storage. I could end the story here but I guess I must be more professional…
Apple's decision to separate the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max in this way almost feels like a prank. Like seriously - why does the bigger iPhone 16 Pro Max need more storage than the smaller iPhone 16 Pro? Because it takes larger screenshots?!
What makes this whole thing worse is that upgrading from 128GB to 256GB will cost you an extra $100 in the US and an eye-watering €130 in Europe. That's a steep price hike for something that should have been the base option to begin with.
If $200 phones come with 256GB of storage as default, Apple’s $1,000 iPhone 16 Pro has zero excuses to be playing it cheap
And when you look at Apple's competitors, this decision feels even more frustrating…
Take Samsung… The Galaxy S24+, the iPhone 16 Pro’s direct rival, starts at 256GB of storage out of the box, while Chinese brands are also super generous in that regard - for example, the Xiaomi 14 series come with 256GB as a standard.
But let’s make it more embarrassing for Apple, and mention that plenty of budget and mid-range phones like the latest models from Motorola, also start at 256GB for around $200-300.
So, which phone is more “Pro”, Apple? My $200 Motorola or the $1,000 iPhone 16 Pro? That’s a real head-scratcher, and it really shouldn’t be.
What’s the iPhone 16 Pro’s “pro-grade camera” with an amateur amount of storage, Apple?
Look… The truth is that Apple is doing what it's always done, which is trying to upsell iPhone users on storage.
But Tim Cook & Co know iPhone users will run out of space faster than ever in 2024, so this feels like taking advantage. People use more apps now than they did a few years ago since there's literally an app for everything these days - I mean, McDonald’s has an app And apps are only getting bigger.
Plus, people are capturing more content than ever before - whether it's 4K videos for social media, ProRAW photos for editing, or just a bunch of photos and videos from daily life, and all of this data takes up space.
People tend to keep their phones for longer than ever, and 128 GB of storage simply doesn’t cut it - on any brand, and any price segment.
Apple loves to market how great the iPhone is for taking pro-grade videos, and that’s sort of true. But videos, especially 4K, ProRAW videos, gobble up storage like there’s no tomorrow. So why on Earth would Apple think it’s a good idea to offer a Pro model with just 128GB?!
iPhone users are used to getting “robbed” but we shouldn’t let this one slide
The 2024 iPhone 16 Pro shouldn’t have the same base storage as my 2021 iPhone 13 mini.
I’d even go as far as saying that even when/if Apple decides to bump the base storage to 256GB on the smaller iPhone 17 Pro, that won’t make up for the stingy move with the iPhone 16 series. But let’s not jump to such bold predictions - the iPhone 17 Pro might very well go back to 64GB of storage if inflation keeps rising.
While my iPhone 13 having 128GB of storage makes some sense, it’s crazy to think that upgrading to the just-released, $1,000 iPhone 16 Pro will get exactly the same amount of storage space for all the data I’ve been collecting on my phone in the past 3-4 years.
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And let me remind you, it’s not just the iPhone 16 Pro that’s being shortchanged here - the vanilla iPhone 16 models also start with 128GB of storage, and these are still very expensive phones.
I suppose Apple knows iPhone users will pay for storage upgrades, even with these ridiculous storage limitations. But for those of us who care about getting value for our money, this feels like a slap in the face.
For now, the iPhone 16 Pro’s base storage remains one of the most disappointing aspects of an otherwise great phone. Let’s not let this one slide, iPhone users!
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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.
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