Apple sued over shrinking storage with iOS8 updates

[lxskllr]

Also, MicroSD is incredibly ugly and impractical. It's not as fast as the internal NAND and it requires royalties to be payed to sony for use of the format. It is garbage and I would stop buying iPhones if they added a MicroSD hole to the side of it.

Yea, I obsess over the ugly pinky nail size chip every time I look at it; about once a year; maybe... I also hate being able to buy more storage over the counter at just about any minor electronics store, grocery store, or pharmacy. I much prefer the simplicity of buying a whole new device.

I'm not sure why anyone would pay Sony for sd cards. They aren't involved in the standard, and I'm unaware of any patent claims they've won against the technology. The patent system is a disaster though, so I may be wrong. I'd also be *very* surprised if Apple weren't paying Sony for something. The solution to that is fixing the patent system though.

 

[Commodus]

MicroSD cards aren't *that* expensive (I just bought a 32GB card for $30 Canadian).

With that said, it's the principle of the thing: you shouldn't have to buy extra storage to make up for Samsung's bloatware. If Apple merits a class-action lawsuit for not giving you 20-25% of the listed storage on a 16GB phone, then Samsung is guilty of out-and-out fraud -- you're getting just over half of the storage you thought you paid for. I don't think complaints like these have much legal merit, but it's simply unacceptable that many Android OEMs ship multi-gigabyte OS installs on 16GB of storage on most of their higher-end phones. Apple should've gone 32GB minimum this year, but on Android it's virtually mandatory.

 

[sgrinavi]

I'm really sick of these attorney's getting rich off class action suits.

 

[TreVader]

Yea, I obsess over the ugly pinky nail size chip every time I look at it; about once a year; maybe... I also hate being able to buy more storage over the counter at just about any minor electronics store, grocery store, or pharmacy. I much prefer the simplicity of buying a whole new device.

I'm not sure why anyone would pay Sony for sd cards. They aren't involved in the standard, and I'm unaware of any patent claims they've won against the technology. The patent system is a disaster though, so I may be wrong. I'd also be *very* surprised if Apple weren't paying Sony for something. The solution to that is fixing the patent system though.

I will give you that it is nice to have the option, however I totally defer on the "nail size chip". I look at the same little phone for 12 months every year and I want it to look PERFECT. That is personal taste.. its just around me so often that it is important it looks good, but I am a bit OCD about that kind of thing.

That tiny nail sized hole totally ruins water resistance if it's open to the outside, and if not the vendor must give you a means to open the case by hand, which means it won't be as solid or as good looking a case (S4 vs HTC One).

There is just zero reason why HTC or Samsung couldn't put 128GB as an option. They are cheap, that's the reason, so I guess there is one reason. Apple is cheaping out with 16GB but in their defence they offer more space than almost any android set out of the 16.

 

[lxskllr]

I will give you that it is nice to have the option, however I totally defer on the "nail size chip". I look at the same little phone for 12 months every year and I want it to look PERFECT. That is personal taste.. its just around me so often that it is important it looks good, but I am a bit OCD about that kind of thing.

That tiny nail sized hole totally ruins water resistance if it's open to the outside, and if not the vendor must give you a means to open the case by hand, which means it won't be as solid or as good looking a case (S4 vs HTC One).

The card's hidden under the battery cover on my S5. Water, and dust resistant. One could argue the Galaxy design is inferior to Apple, but that's subjective. I'd take the ugliest thing a company could put together if it meant more modularity, and ability to swap out components.

 

[ponyo]

I will give you that it is nice to have the option, however I totally defer on the "nail size chip". I look at the same little phone for 12 months every year and I want it to look PERFECT. That is personal taste.. its just around me so often that it is important it looks good, but I am a bit OCD about that kind of thing.

That tiny nail sized hole totally ruins water resistance if it's open to the outside, and if not the vendor must give you a means to open the case by hand, which means it won't be as solid or as good looking a case (S4 vs HTC One).

There is just zero reason why HTC or Samsung couldn't put 128GB as an option. They are cheap, that's the reason, so I guess there is one reason. Apple is cheaping out with 16GB but in their defence they offer more space than almost any android set out of the 16.

So what's Apple's reason for not having water resistant/proof phone? Samsung phone is waterproof with microSD slot and removable battery. Apple offers neither and is still not waterproof or dust proof.

I don't really fault Apple or Samsung for storage size because both offer you options. Apple has up to 128gb and Samsung offers up to 64gb along with microSD. I'm sure almost all iPhone users would welcome microSD option if offered. I know I would love microSD slot on my iPhone.

iOS apps are larger and take up more space than Android. So the small space advantage you gain from iOS system install is wiped out by bigger and more bloated iOS app file size. It was the first thing I noticed when I switched to the iPhone. That's why I would not buy another 16gb iOS device. But I would have no problem buying 16gb Android device provided it had microSD.

 

[DeathReborn]

The engineers solution to this "issue" is include a 2/4GB NAND chip for the OS/System files & 16/32/64/128GB NAND for user storage.

Bean counters/lawyers solution is sell it as 12/14GB instead of 16GB.

Marketing/management says sell it as 16GB and screw the users. Guess which department wins out 9/10 times.

It's a stupid lawsuit even I hate these marketing "lies" where you never get what they sell you.

 

[dawheat]

Why would anyone argue against choice? The G3 and Note 4 came with 32gb internal + support for up to 128gb mSD. Plenty of fast internal storage apps and 64gb of extra media storage if you want it for $25. Once you put it in, which is no harder than plugging in a USB stick, you can forget about it. My photos, entire music library and dozens of HD movies fit on my 128gb mSD for $90.

I don't believe mSD us a must have, but those who actively are against them have drunk the kool-aid.

 

[lopri]

Unsurprisingly the thread has turned into iOS v. Android, but one should not lose sight on the fact that this is a lawsuit brought by iDevices users against Apple. Unless we are talking about some conspiracy theory in which an Android OEM solicit this lawsuit, I do not get why the first line of defense from Apple fans are dragging Android OEMs into the mix. No competent legal system exempts your wrongdoing because your neighbors did something similar and got away with it.

While I do think the suit itself is frivolous, I do support it for the big picture. Apple being the face of mobile revolution and influential industrial leader, if the suit turns out even remotely successful it can have a huge impact on the whole industry for the consumers' benefit. OEMs will think twice before putting 16 GB of memory in $600+ phones. Carriers will be more hesitant before pushing out large updates that are totally opaque (often riddled with bloatware) to the users. Google/Apple/MS's push towards the Cloud will have to be more accommodating to actual consumers' voices, instead of being shoved down in their throats.

Consumers who are not happy with the storage situation on today's mobile devices have a stake here. Yes, it may suck for those who perceive this lawsuit as an unfair attack on Apple, but it is important to recognize that they also have something to gain.

 

[Zaap]

Why would anyone argue against choice? The G3 and Note 4 came with 32gb internal + support for up to 128gb mSD. Plenty of fast internal storage apps and 64gb of extra media storage if you want it for $25. Once you put it in, which is no harder than plugging in a USB stick, you can forget about it. My photos, entire music library and dozens of HD movies fit on my 128gb mSD for $90.

I don't believe mSD us a must have, but those who actively are against them have drunk the kool-aid.

It always happens.

I do notice all the ranting and raving against phablet sized phones has died down some... hmm... I bet there's even 6+ reasons for that...

 

[TreVader]

So what's Apple's reason for not having water resistant/proof phone? Samsung phone is waterproof with microSD slot and removable battery. Apple offers neither and is still not waterproof or dust proof.

I don't really fault Apple or Samsung for storage size because both offer you options. Apple has up to 128gb and Samsung offers up to 64gb along with microSD. I'm sure almost all iPhone users would welcome microSD option if offered. I know I would love microSD slot on my iPhone.

iOS apps are larger and take up more space than Android. So the small space advantage you gain from iOS system install is wiped out by bigger and more bloated iOS app file size. It was the first thing I noticed when I switched to the iPhone. That's why I would not buy another 16gb iOS device. But I would have no problem buying 16gb Android device provided it had microSD.

The iphone 6 is water resistant, there are videos of people submerging them in a sink for minutes and they come out fine on youtube. Apple just didn't bother getting an IP rating, partially because Apple doesn't want to deal with the hassle of people thinking "water resistance" means they can go scuba diving with it.


I would bet that most iphone users would not want micro SD on their phone. I had it on my S4 and never used it because at the time you couldn't run apps of it.

I can tell you that I personally would pay extra to NOT have that hole in my phone.

 

[TreVader]

Why would anyone argue against choice? The G3 and Note 4 came with 32gb internal + support for up to 128gb mSD. Plenty of fast internal storage apps and 64gb of extra media storage if you want it for $25. Once you put it in, which is no harder than plugging in a USB stick, you can forget about it. My photos, entire music library and dozens of HD movies fit on my 128gb mSD for $90.

I don't believe mSD us a must have, but those who actively are against them have drunk the kool-aid.

Can you "choose" to not have a microSD slot in your Galaxy S5? That's not choice, that's forcing people to accept a glaringly flawed storage medium as replacement for a lack of internal storage.


It also adds $100 to the phone, making android phones like the Note 4 cost over $900. Hardly the "deal" android claims to be.

 

[shabby]

MicroSD cards aren't *that* expensive (I just bought a 32GB card for $30 Canadian).

You got jipped http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=11_1216_175_177&item_id=058667

 

[Zaap]

So a simple mSD slot adds $100 more value to my phone? Cool.

Sounds like one of those iArguments where an Ethernet port and more than a pittance of USB & I/O ports add $100s of dollars to the cost of laptops/desktops.

 

[WelshBloke]

I will give you that it is nice to have the option, however I totally defer on the "nail size chip". I look at the same little phone for 12 months every year and I want it to look PERFECT. That is personal taste.. its just around me so often that it is important it looks good, but I am a bit OCD about that kind of thing.

But you're OK with the SIM slot, the lightning connector hole, the mic holes, the speaker holes and the headphone jack?

The iphone 6 is water resistant, there are videos of people submerging them in a sink for minutes and they come out fine on youtube. Apple just didn't bother getting an IP rating, partially because Apple doesn't want to deal with the hassle of people thinking "water resistance" means they can go scuba diving with it.

No it really isn't water resistant. I've dropped my S3 in the bath a few times and it was fine that doesn't make it water resistant either.

You got a source for your reason for Apple not getting an IP rating?

 

[TreVader]

So a simple mSD slot adds $100 more value to my phone? Cool.

Sounds like one of those iArguments where an Ethernet port and more than a pittance of USB & I/O ports add $100s of dollars to the cost of laptops/desktops.

What does your microSD card slot do without a card in it?



Therefore, you have to pay $90-130 for a 128GB micro SD card in order to have equivalent space to an iphone, which makes the phone even more expensive than the iphone.

 

[blankslate]

If Apple are being sued then I suppose Samsung, LG, Sony, and Google among others are being sued for the exact same problem, right?

AFIAK the only phone(s) on that chart released in the past 4 months is(are) the iPhones 6 (and 6 plus)...

even if that is not the case some of those other than Apple phones have a slot for the phone to utilize a microSDcard.

This chart is misleading because some of those phones listed are not the newest in the category.... for example the LG G2 and Galaxy s4 have newer versions available.


There is no excuse to have a flagship phone released in the past 6 month to have the lowest option for internal storage to be 16 gigs... except perhaps if they have expandable storage.

Samsung's flagship phone released in the past 6 months is 32gb internal and it has a slot to accommodate

Apple could have included an option for 32 gb base model instead of 16gb then 64 then 128.
dunno about you but to some people they might see it as Apple's strategy to get people to buy the 2nd tier (64gb) of storage instead of the 1st tier (16gb)... because if the base model was 32GB or if the iphone 6 allowed a microSDcard option then it'd be less of an incentive to spend more for the 64gb storage.



My opinion of course but it seems germane to the subject.



....

 

[blankslate]

If Apple are being sued then I suppose Samsung, LG, Sony, and Google among others are being sued for the exact same problem, right?

AFIAK the only flagship phones on that chart released in the past 4 months with a 16gb base model storage spec....

even if that is not the case some of those other than Apple phones have a slot for the phone to utilize a microSDcard.

This chart is misleading because some of those phones listed are not the newest in the category.... for example the LG G2 and Galaxy s4 have newer versions available.


There is no excuse to have a flagship phone released in the past 6 month to have the lowest option for internal storage to be 16 gigs... except perhaps if they have expandable storage.

Samsung's flagship phone released in the past 6 months is 32gb internal and it has a slot to accommodate

Apple could have included an option for 32 gb base model instead of 16gb then 64 then 128.
dunno about you but to some people they might see it as Apple's strategy to get people to buy the 2nd tier (64gb) of storage instead of the 1st tier (16gb)... because if the base model was 32GB or if the iphone 6 allowed a microSDcard option then it'd be less of an incentive to spend more for the 64gb storage.



My opinion of course but it seems germane to the subject.


*e2a*

Looks like I was wrong the Blackberry is only 16gb internal storage but it does have a microSD slot according to GSMarena.
....

 

[TreVader]

AFIAK the only phones on that chart released in the past 4 months...



even if that is not the case some of those other than Apple phones have a slot for the phone to utilize a microSDcard.



This chart is misleading because some of those phones listed are not the newest in the category.... for example the LG G2 and Galaxy s4 have newer versions available.





There is no excuse to have a flagship phone released in the past 6 month to have the lowest option for internal storage to be 16 gigs... except perhaps if they have expandable storage.



Samsung's flagship phone released in the past 6 months is 32gb internal and it has a slot to accommodate



Apple could have included an option for 32 gb base model instead of 16gb then 64 then 128.

dunno about you but to some people they might see it as Apple's strategy to get people to buy the 2nd tier (64gb) of storage instead of the 1st tier (16gb)... because if the base model was 32GB or if the iphone 6 allowed a microSDcard option then it'd be less of an incentive to spend more for the 64gb storage.







My opinion of course but it seems germane to the subject.







....

So the cutoff for when 16GB being inexcusable is the exact time Samsung finally made a phone that isn't 16GB? Convenient.


The reality today is you just can't buy any android phone with 128GB. They are too cheap to buy the NAND.

If you personally are too cheap to pay $100 to get 64GB in an iPhone that's your problem. iOS gets more popular by the day while android now looks like an insecure mess.

 

[WelshBloke]

iOS gets more popular by the day while android now looks like an insecure mess.

You may like to look at the global numbers before you try to turn this into a mobile os pissing match.

 

[SunnyD]

Let us not forget that most individuals also have to somehow move their data between their device and these per-byte cloud backup solutions that I'm sure carrier and vendor are happy to collude with each other to offer.

 

[TreVader]

You may like to look at the global numbers before you try to turn this into a mobile os pissing match.

Fair enough. I just looked up this article and am about to read it take a look:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/by-the-numbers-iphone-vs-android-97842025474.html

 

[Zaap]

What does your microSD card slot do without a card in it?

I dunno, what does your lightning port do without a lightning cable in it?

Therefore, you have to pay $90-130 for a 128GB micro SD card in order to have equivalent space to an iphone...

LOL, equivalent space to what iPhone? One that came out a year after my phone?

Or are we talking about all those 128GB super-cheap iPhones that came out prior to that when I've had mSD storage in my phones since 2011 or so?

You're iArguments against choice are so logical!

 

[blankslate]

So the cutoff for when 16GB being inexcusable is the exact time Samsung finally made a phone that isn't 16GB? Convenient.


The reality today is you just can't buy any android phone with 128GB. They are too cheap to buy the NAND.

If you personally are too cheap to pay $100 to get 64GB in an iPhone that's your problem. iOS gets more popular by the day while android now looks like an insecure mess.

It's about as convenient as that chart.

I'll give you that the s5 should've had a base storage of 32gb. However, it had an SD slot with the capability of using a 128gb micoSDcard.

also 16 gb to 64gb to 128gb just doesn't make as much sense as if Apple had 32GB, 64GB and 128GB for storage options.

I wouldn't be posting in this thread if the base 6 and 6+ that had a microSDcard slot.

However, I am biased toward the having that option because imo flagship phones from any brand shouldn't have just 16GB of storage these days... definitely not if there is no way to expand storage without buying a new phone.

In addition to the storage of the lowest storage capacity iPhone 6 that 1gig of RAM is really really outdated for flagship phones.

Sure Apple is able to make iOS 8 run well on 1 gig of RAM because they make sure that it's only for a couple of phone models but imo it seems like planned obsolescence.


.....

 

[WelshBloke]

Fair enough. I just looked up this article and am about to read it take a look:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/by-the-numbers-iphone-vs-android-97842025474.html

Here you go, I'll make it easy for you.