Samsung on Galaxy S4 storage complaints: Go buy an SD card
Samsung has some advice for buyers of the 16-gigabyte model of its new Galaxy S4 stung by its low storage space: if that's not enough storage for you, that's why we put in a microSD card slot.
The 16GB version of Samsung's newest flagship handset has only just over half of its listed memory available for owner use, according to CNet UK. The rest is taken up by the smartphone's operating system and built-in apps.
"For the Galaxy S4 16GB model," Samsung said in a statement, "approximately 6.85GB occupies [the] system part of internal memory, which is 1GB bigger than that of the Galaxy S3, in order to provide [a] high resolution display and more powerful features to our consumers."
For users unsatisfied with the 8.49GB or so of free space left to them on the 16GB model, Samsung has a solution:
"To offer the ultimate mobile experience to our users, Samsung provides [a] microSD slot on Galaxy S4 for the extension of memory."
Galaxy S4 owners are able to expand their devices' storage capacity via microSD up to an additional 64GB, bringing the potential total capacity of the device to 80GB ? of which 73.15 would be available to the user. That additional space, though, couldn't be used to store apps, as Google removed that capability with Android 4.0. Users would, though, be able to store downloaded books, music, movies, and other files.
The disparity between listed storage and usable storage isn't particular to Samsung: device manufacturers typically list their capacities at the maximum amount the device could conceivably hold, regardless of how much is taken up by system software. The size of the disparity, though, is uncommon.
The Galaxy S4 has only about 55 percent of its storage capacity available to the user, as noted by ExtremeTech. An iPhone 5 running iOS 6.1, by comparison, will have about 77.5 percent of its capacity available for users.
Other notable manufacturers have encountered this problem with storage as well. The 64GB version of Microsoft's Surface Pro was said to ship with as little as 36 percent of its advertised capacity. Some 41GB of the device's storage was taken up with the Windows 8 OS, pre-installed apps, and a recovery partition. Removing that recovery image made the Surface Pro comparable to Apple's MacBook Air in terms of storage.
The 16GB version of Samsung's newest flagship handset has only just over half of its listed memory available for owner use, according to CNet UK. The rest is taken up by the smartphone's operating system and built-in apps.
"For the Galaxy S4 16GB model," Samsung said in a statement, "approximately 6.85GB occupies [the] system part of internal memory, which is 1GB bigger than that of the Galaxy S3, in order to provide [a] high resolution display and more powerful features to our consumers."
For users unsatisfied with the 8.49GB or so of free space left to them on the 16GB model, Samsung has a solution:
"To offer the ultimate mobile experience to our users, Samsung provides [a] microSD slot on Galaxy S4 for the extension of memory."
Galaxy S4 owners are able to expand their devices' storage capacity via microSD up to an additional 64GB, bringing the potential total capacity of the device to 80GB ? of which 73.15 would be available to the user. That additional space, though, couldn't be used to store apps, as Google removed that capability with Android 4.0. Users would, though, be able to store downloaded books, music, movies, and other files.
The disparity between listed storage and usable storage isn't particular to Samsung: device manufacturers typically list their capacities at the maximum amount the device could conceivably hold, regardless of how much is taken up by system software. The size of the disparity, though, is uncommon.
The Galaxy S4 has only about 55 percent of its storage capacity available to the user, as noted by ExtremeTech. An iPhone 5 running iOS 6.1, by comparison, will have about 77.5 percent of its capacity available for users.
Other notable manufacturers have encountered this problem with storage as well. The 64GB version of Microsoft's Surface Pro was said to ship with as little as 36 percent of its advertised capacity. Some 41GB of the device's storage was taken up with the Windows 8 OS, pre-installed apps, and a recovery partition. Removing that recovery image made the Surface Pro comparable to Apple's MacBook Air in terms of storage.
Comments
Plus Google has made it know they are against more storage on mobile devices they want you putting everything on their servers so you have solely dependent on them to get your content and use it.
Manufacturers need to start using 32, 64 and 128GB chips.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTR
"You're storing it wrong!"
I seriously got a good chuckle out of this one!!! LOL
Can you run apps from there?
If there is too much on internal storage, and you need to upgrade, will the phone use the SD card for temporary space?
Will it automatically move apps onto the SD card if it needs to?
Is there a good mechanism for upgrading the card and preserving all of the data?
How do you import photos into your photo app if the photo app is on the SD card?
It's better to just get more internal storage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdkennedy1
It's time to get make 16GB the new 8GB. Phone operating systems and app stores have matured to the point 16GB is just enough for basic storage.
Manufacturers need to start using 32, 64 and 128GB chips.
iOs devices use less than 2GB on 16GB devices.
I never much cared or even really used SD cards. Only on a digital camera I bought 10 years ago and rarely used because the batteries lasted only a couple of hours.
What would USB 3.0 do for the iPhone?
I think that will happen this year but I don't think using 8GB for a mobile OS is commonplace. How large is iOS 6.1.4?
I also wonder how many customers actually use these larger capacities. Up until last year I always bought the max but never used it. Now I've gone to the minimum on my iPad and iPhone and it hasn't been an issue.
It's interesting that the iPhone 4 and 4S sell so well at 8GB. In 2007 the 4GB iPhone was short lived because people wanted 8GB but that is still a highly desirably size despite the OS growing to 8x(?) the original size.
deleted
"The Samsung Galaxy S4
Go Buy an SD card"
Just wait until WWDC when Jony, Phil and company introduce the new leaner and cleaner iOS 7. When we learn how they went through the whole code to eliminate extraneous code with no functional purpose (i.e. those dreaded skeuromorphs) and found new methods to make the software function with more simplified code so that not only is it more stable, it takes up less of the storage space on your device, giving you more space for your photos, etc.
And while they will not add 'unlike those other companies' we all know that's what they were thinking. Especially when they announce that they are removing several of the built in apps from the basic set up and making them optional but free downloads. Things like the calculator, compass, stocks and weather widgets. Saving users even more space and allowing them to choose which apps, if any, for those functions they want.
USB 3 won't change anything, the weak link in the chain is the flash chip.
Keep in mind that phones don't have SSD-like performance. SSDs get their speed because they run 8 or 16 chips in parallel banks, much like how computer RAM modules are banks of 8 or 16 chips each. Phones don't do anything like that.
By the way, I can go a couple days of heavy use on one of my cameras, taking 64GB of photos. Once, I went six months between battery charges on very light use, because the internal charge decay was so low.
If the iPhone took up that much space you can be certain the fandroid community, iTrolls, and bottomfeeding lawyers would demand Apple be sued for misleading advertising.
Yet hardly a peep. Interesting the hypocrisy going on here.
And if Steve Jobs told folks "Go buy an SD card", that would add even more fuel to the fire.
Yet hardly a peep.
I swear. Fandroids are the most hypocritical lot of folks around. I guess they have such low standards and expect dismal support and service, they are used to it.
-kpluck
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maestro64
This just another reason why using android is more complicated than an iOS device. Plus the microSC card sales allow service providers the ability to bilk you for more money. (Most sheep consumers are not smart enough to know you can buy microSD else where and walk out with a card sold by the service provide at 2x to 3x the cost)
Plus Google has made it know they are against more storage on mobile devices they want you putting everything on their servers so you have solely dependent on them to get your content and use it.
It's certainly not as bad as paying Apple $100 to get a bump in memory.
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
using a Micro SD card vs SSD is like using a floppy instead of a hard drive.
I never much cared or even really used SD cards. Only on a digital camera I bought 10 years ago and rarely used because the batteries lasted only a couple of hours.
SD cards and cameras have come a long way in the last 10 years.
So you think Apple should sell their component upgrades at cost?
Quote:
Originally Posted by drblank
using a Micro SD card vs SSD is like using a floppy instead of a hard drive.
I never much cared or even really used SD cards. Only on a digital camera I bought 10 years ago and rarely used because the batteries lasted only a couple of hours.
One of the most demanding requirements you can ask of a microSD is recording 4K video which requires a constant write speed of 5.6 megabytes per second. A SanDisk Ultra can get consistent write speeds of 10 – 15 MB/s. SSD may be faster but it it is hyperbole to compare them to a floppy. They are perfectly adequate for their intended uses and a nice option to people that may need more storage later on. I thought 32GB for my iPhone would be sufficient but now I would love to have the option to add an extra 64GB via a Micro SD with 10 – 15 MB/s write speeds. Once you insert the card you never need to bother with it again.
Doesn't the iPhone 4S now sell with a 16 GB SSD?