We carry out a lot of our work on iPad or even iPhones. That’s right, y'all tin write a lot of content on these devices, they have a lot of functionality. Merely how much space do you really need? What’southward the minimum? Is 32GB a lot of space? Or not nearly enough?
Information technology’south one of those occasions where bigger is almost e'er improve, right? Only Bigger means greater cost. And that cost might well exist wasted if y'all’re not going to take advantage of information technology. And then you’re correct to recollect carefully nigh the amount of space you demand. So you’re thinking of getting 32GB, and is 32GB a lot?
32GB storage is plenty for most phone and tablet users
storing an average number of applications and data. Capacities of 64GB or college may be necessary to shop large libraries of documents, photos, videos, music, downloads, and/or games. Keep in mind that your Os and apps besides consume storage.
The staff I accept who write on iPad employ it mainly just for that purpose. Compared to photos and videos, our articles, while great, are negligible in size. As well, about people go along their documents in cloud storage nowadays.
Other than the browser and occasional client files, there isn’t much need for a big corporeality of storage. But of course, everyone is different, devices are used in so many ways.
Is 32GB a lot?
A frequent blogger who relies on their telephone for filming would struggle to get past with only 32GB since video files can become very large. The same goes for the avid music fan with thousands of tracks, or the amateur lensman with thousands of photos.
But if your phone usage is limited to texts, a game or two, some photos, and the occasional funny cat video, and then 32GB is more than enough. And then allow’due south look at what 32GB tin can typically concur…

How much can 32GB concur?
32GB of storage holds around 250 i-minute videos, or around 8800 photos, or around 10,650 average length songs. Combinations of these require some calculations. A i-minute video is an average of 130 MB for case. A Photo is an average of 3.6 MB on a 12MP phone camera,
while a song is around 3 MB.
And, by songs, I mean those stored locally, not songs held in the cloud via services like Spotify. If they’re in the cloud, then your song drove is only as big as the Streaming App.
Unlike a flash drive, although your device has 32GB of storage. Yous will not get to use the full 32GB on a phone or tablet …because of the Bone and other data.
Then, setting aside 12 GB for the Os and apps, the table beneath gives you an idea ofroughly how many photos and songs, and videos, you could fit in the remaining twenty GB.
Songs + photos (Avg. three.3MB each) | Video (Avg. 130MB/min) |
---|---|
5000 | 26 minutes |
3000 | 77 minutes |
thou | 128 minutes |
500 | 141 minutes |
50 | 152 minutes |
0 | 153 minutes |
Maybe you lot don’t use any – or many of these. So howdo you know if 32GB is enough for sure, for your needs.
To help the states futher, we need to look at what kind of size various kinds of information take upwards. then nosotros can combine that with the above.
We’ll just look at some typical apps. Pop apps, that use typical amounts of data …and then a real-world example.
Based on this as a guide, it should give you a much meliorate idea of how much data you’re likely to demand and utilise.
How much data does the Bone apply?
Start off, the Operating system is going to accept some space. And information technology’s going to update, and likely get larger. There’s just no getting away from it.
iOS 14 for instance takes up most 2.7GB of space, and as the limited quite rightly pointed out, you’ll demand to allow for future updates. They recommend allowing about 6GB of space for this purpose and I’m inclined to agree.
And if you think Android is lighter on file size, you’d often be right when it comes to apps – but not the Os. This tin can take between 4GB and 8GB, sometimes even college depending on device etc.
Once nosotros’ve immune for that, we can already see that our 32GB is now reduced to something more around 25GB to 28GB. Not looking nearly every bit attractive at all now. Ok, let’due south look at some typical apps.
For this I’m taking apps on the iOS as examples, but you may well find similar (or possibly smaller) file sizes with Andoid Apps.
How much of the 32GB is used up with Apps?
I’ve listed below some full general utilise apps. These include the near popular apps that many people use worldwide and a couple of examples of apps as extremes. Besides remember, it’s not just the size of the app, in that location is the data that it holds or produces to accept into account as well.
App (ios) | Installed File Size |
---|---|
TikTok | 413 MB |
280 MB | |
Snapchat | 224 MB |
171 MB | |
Google Meet | 167 MB |
166 MB | |
Zoom | 148 MB |
Messenger | 114 MB |
Netflix | 81 MB |
Telegram | seventy MB |
Total | 1.83 GB |
So allow’s imagine you installed and used all the above apps, so you would utilise almost 2 GB only to install them.
That doesn’t accept into business relationship the amount of data that they concord, I’ll go into a couple of examples of that soon.
How many photos tin 32GB hold?
You’re likely to fit something in the region of 5000 to 6000 photos on a 32GB device such equally an iPad. But that assumes all the 32GB is devoted to photos… which naturally it is non. Taking account of simply the required device Bone, that number is nearer 4000.
When compared to video, photos (and even music) make 32GB a lot of storage. Fifty-fifty the most enthusiastic photographer would accept a while to get to 4000 photos. And likewise with music.
If you’re in danger of getting close to full storage before the device needs renewing anyhow, then consider a 64GB. That much infinite more often than not dedicated to photos should keep yous going for some fourth dimension!
naturally, this all depends on what other data y'all desire to shop forth side your images.
How much video can 32GB hold
Assuming you take around 20GB remaining after the OS and typical apps, this would enable you to add 153 minutes of boilerplate video size at 130 MB per infinitesimal. Video sizes can vary a lot. Depending on the content, resolution, and other technical factors. Merely we can average it out.
Needless to say, if Video is your “thing”, then you lot’re not going to get much mileage out of a 32GB device unless y'all regularly transfer the files onto another device.
But noesis is ability, and knowing that storage requirements are loftier, you lot might even want to consider going for the highest possible storage selection, 256GB or more than.
In that location volition be a college price to pay, simply that’due south always a factor when considering video.
Real-world example of 32GB storage in use
I count myself as beingness a typical user, my phone is a 64GB phone. I use many of the aforementioned apps equally other people. I have an average amount of video footage, the average quantity of photos. In fact, I’m positively
ho-hum
when it comes to exciting uses with my phone!
That bated, here’s a screen capture of my iPhone storage.

Screen capture of an bodily user
I’ve had this iPhone for a few years (yes I know, that’s a long time!).
And I’ve all the same only managed to use up 39.7GB of storage from the 64GB. That includes the OS too.
In fact, according to this example epitome, my phone tells me I can retrieve around eight.21GB in unused apps, and as well delete 3.6GB of one-time conversations.
If I wanted to get a pace further I could become dorsum an additional 3.92GB in erstwhile content within messages besides.
Even just taking advantage of the first two options, I could recoup 11.81GB in total. That would bring me well beneath the 32GB storage nosotros’re talking about.
Then is 32GB a lot? It certainly seems to be for me… or is it…
Is 32GB enough for the futurity
You’ll note that I went to a higher place 32GB. And so in fact, had I simply got 32GB, I would now be accepted to deleting information from the phone all the time in order to regain the infinite I needed.
I’d doubtless need to trim downward the number of apps I have installed. And generally, just carry out more than housekeeping duties.
Maintenance of storage is no bad matter … I hear you say, and that’s true. Once in a while is slap-up. Simply constant maintenance would first to become quite annoying. Specially if information technology prevented me from the costless-flowing use of my telephone.
Playing it condom with 64GB or greater
So for that reason, I’d almost e'er urge anyone to think ahead. A practiced rule of thumb I notice is to think one level upwardly. If yous’re wondering if 32GB is enough – then go for 64GB. If 64GB may not exist plenty, then go for 128GB.
Go one higher – It’southward a good dominion.
Then if you were to opt for 64GB storage, and take our previous estimates, we can at present come across the amount of storage your telephone tin agree…
Songs + photos (Avg. 3.3 MB each) | Video (Avg. 130MB/min) |
---|---|
10000 | 52 minutes |
6000 | 154 minutes |
2000 | 256 minutes |
k | 282 minutes |
100 | 304 minutes |
0 | 306 minutes |
If y'all
are
concerned about getting besides close to 32GB, then the 64GB selection of a sudden looks a lot ameliorate. Given the doubling of capacity, and the
worry-free world
of not having to manage your storage options, I retrieve opting for 64GB is just a much safer pick.
Don’t forget to check out my writing services which we tin can do on our 32GB tablets!