This Is The 'Single-Most Disappointing Aspect' Of The New iPhone 6
The reviews of the iPhone 6 are almost universally positive.
Critics like the the new design, the bigger screen, and most importantly, the software that powers the iPhone, iOS 8.
There is, however, one complaint from John Gruber of Daring Fireball. Gruber thinks Apple is bungling the iPhone's storage options.
The iPhone 6 is available in 16 gigabyte, 64 gigabyte, and 128 gigabyte configurations. Previously, the iPhone was in 16/32/64 GB setups. Apple doubled the capacities of the middle and high end offerings, but left the low end as is.
"The original iPhone, seven years and eight product generations ago, had an 8 GB storage tier," says Gruber. "The entry-level iPhones 6 are 85 times faster than that original iPhone, but have only twice the storage capacity. That's just wrong. This is the single-most disappointing aspect of the new phones."
Apple
Owning a 16 GB iPhone 6 is just not reasonable. I have a 16 GB iPhone 5S and I can't upgrade to iOS 8 because I have too much stuff on my phone. I've deleted apps. I've deleted photos. Yesterday, lots of people were forced to blow up their phone, killing apps and photos to get the latest software. That's not a pleasant, sustainable solution to the problem.
The truth is that the iPhone is more of an iCamera than an iPhone. We take lots of photos with our phones. And with slo-mo video, we do more video. That takes up a lot of space.
Apple should make 32 GB the entry point for iPhones.
IHS The iPhone 5S costs.These new storage tiers look like Apple is trying to take care of its bottom line, not its customers, because there would be less of an impetus to spend an extra $100 for 64 GB of space if you have a 32 GB phone to start with.
Since the $100 gap between the 16 GB and 64 GB iPhone 6 models is so big, Apple is nudging people to spend the money, which helps its margins.
It would only cost Apple $9 extra per phone to use 32 GB as the entry point. According to a teardown of last year's iPhone 5S, 16 GB of storage costs Apple ~$9.40. 32 GB of storage is $18.80. And 64 GB is $29.
By making the iPhone start at 16 GB, Apple is pushing people to the 64 GB tier, where it can collect an extra $70+ in profits. Apple has $16o billion in cash. There's no reason to be stingy and create a worse experience for users.