256GB: enough for the average user You can download the latest apps and games without having to worry about how much space you have left. You have plenty of storage space for photos, videos, and music. You don't necessarily have to use iCloud. You also like taking photos in portrait mode recording 4K videos.
The Pragmatist Option: 256GB
You'll be able to hold around 70,000 photos from the iPhone 14's 12MP camera or shoot up to 98 hours of HD video. It's not too much storage that you'll never use it up, but it's not so little that you'll have to consciously think about whether you want to delete this or that.
To summarise: 128 GB of storage space will be sufficient for average use cases (calls, SMS, emails, social networks, some photos, videos, music, etc.). 256 GB will be more useful if you take many photos, some videos, or if you want to be able to download a movie from time to time.
If you're going with iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max
All in all, it's possible that the 128GB variant is going to get filled up quite fast, which is why we recommend you move to get at least 256GB or the 512GB model.
For instance, if your phone takes 12MB per image by default, 256GB will allow you to take roughly 20,000 photos, or up to 14 hours of 4K video (at around 300MB a minute) or 40 hours of 1080p video.
It can be anywhere from nearly six and a half hours to under an hour, depending on the bitrate used. For example, on 256GB, you can fit over 16 hours of 4K footage at a low bitrate of 35 Mbps or about one and a half hours of 4K footage recorded on a high-end camera at 400 Mbps.
Number of RAW vs JPEG Photos on Memory Cards
128GB = 4,368 photos. 256GB = 8,732 photos.
Apps and photos are big enough now that you're going to be running out of space quickly. If you constantly use your iPhone for professional work — if you're a photographer, for example — or want it to be your main gaming device, then consider 512GB.
The iPhone 14 256GB should hold at least 48,200 JPG photos when stored at standard resolution and compression. The iPhone 14 256GB should hold at least 1,205 minutes of 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. If you prefer to film at 4K, you can expect at least 482 minutes of UHD video at 30 frames per second.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
A phone with 128 GB storage is actually the best choice for the majority of users. Especially if you are buying a phone for a child or teen. 128 GB storage has been the smallest option since the launch of the iPhone 13, but before this the smallest size was actually the 64 GB.
The iPhone 13 256GB should hold at least 48,200 JPG photos when stored at standard resolution and compression. The iPhone 13 256GB should hold at least 1,205 minutes of 1080p HD video at 30 frames per second. If you prefer to film at 4K, you can expect at least 482 minutes of UHD video at 30 frames per second.
Your iPhone memory is full and you can no longer save new apps, photos, and other data on your iPhone. It also means iOS can no longer delete cache data and other system files to clear up storage on your iPhone.
256GB might seem like a lot of storage for a smartphone at first, but if you either hoard media files, play resource-intensive games, or create video or image content online, this option gives you more freedom than 128GB.
Should I get 256GB or 512GB? For the average person, 256GB should provide plenty of storage. But if you anticipate storing a large number of games, music, and local movies, then it may be worth it to jump to 512GB.
iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max models with 128GB of storage will be limited to shooting 1080p ProRes video at 30 frames-per-second. The 256GB model is an excellent middle-of-the-road option that can work with or without iCloud.
To upgrade to iCloud+, go to Manage Account Storage in Settings on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then choose Buy More Storage or Change Storage Plan. Or follow the instructions for your device.
A very rough estimate based upon what I have would be about 35 GB for 10,000 photos.
64 GB: Not recommended for anything but very light use: Few apps, not much media storage. 128 GB: Good size for medium-duty use. This should be the minimum size Apple offers. 256 GB: Great for heavy mobile games, and will allow storing more photos and other media files locally.
You'll Own Your Phone
Nowadays, most mobile carriers don't offer subsidized prices on phones if you pay in installments over the course of a few years. That means that if it's financially viable for you, buying your iPhone in full and upfront is advantageous, particularly when purchased from Apple.
Backups of your devices are often the culprits behind a full iCloud storage space. It's entirely possible you had your old iPhone set to upload backups to the cloud automatically, and then never removed those files.
You Can't Upgrade iPhone Memory.
How many photos can a 256GB SD card hold? A 256GB SD card is more than most people will ever require. On your phone, it should be able to capture about 50,400 images. And on a GoPro shooting at 12MP, it will theoretically be able to take 60,960 images.
Apple states in the iPhone's camera settings that 1 minute of 4K video at 60fps takes around 400MB of space, so a 256GB iPhone should give you enough space for around 10 hours of recording.