Apple switches on revamped iCloud subscription options, pushes 500GB users to 1TB
Apple on Wednesday made its updated iCloud storage plans active, improving some tiers while eliminating another and leaving the free default plan unchanged.
The free tier remains locked at 5 gigabytes, but the $0.99 option has been upgraded from 20 gigabytes to 50, and the 200 gigabyte tier is now a dollar less per month at $2.99. A 500-gigabyte plan has been eliminated, although the cost of the 1 terabyte tier is down $10 to $9.99.
Anyone using 500 gigabytes is being migrated to 1 terabyte automatically, despite the extra cost. Subscribers willing to sacrifice can downgrade to 200 gigabytes.
Fees outside the U.S. vary, and Apple has updated its pricing chart to reflect this. In Canada, for example, paid subscriptions start at $1.29 CAD for 50 gigabytes.
To start or change plans, users must go into the iCloud menu in the iOS Settings app, OS X's iCloud menu under System Preferences, or the dedicated iCloud for Windows client.
Apple announced the revised plans last week during its Sept. 9 press event.
The free tier remains locked at 5 gigabytes, but the $0.99 option has been upgraded from 20 gigabytes to 50, and the 200 gigabyte tier is now a dollar less per month at $2.99. A 500-gigabyte plan has been eliminated, although the cost of the 1 terabyte tier is down $10 to $9.99.
Anyone using 500 gigabytes is being migrated to 1 terabyte automatically, despite the extra cost. Subscribers willing to sacrifice can downgrade to 200 gigabytes.
Fees outside the U.S. vary, and Apple has updated its pricing chart to reflect this. In Canada, for example, paid subscriptions start at $1.29 CAD for 50 gigabytes.
To start or change plans, users must go into the iCloud menu in the iOS Settings app, OS X's iCloud menu under System Preferences, or the dedicated iCloud for Windows client.
Apple announced the revised plans last week during its Sept. 9 press event.
Comments
I started using Adobe's 20GB included with Creative Cloud, but once I started using it regularly, realized I needed more storage to be effective.
Then I transitioned to using Synology CloudStation which has no file size limit, aside from the capacity of my Synology DiskStation. Basically a self-hosted sync service built into a NAS device if you aren't familiar with these devices. This has worked reasonably well though there are occasional sync errors. I have a nagging worry that self hosting sync on a non-Mac device may be a problem someday. It's a rather nerdy configuration, though I understand it's pretty user-friendly as this kind of server goes.
Has anyone used iCloud for mission critical sync across workstations? If it's simple and error-free, and now reasonably-priced…
So no, Apple has not "switched on revamped iCloud storage options."
Has anyone used iCloud for mission critical sync across workstations? If it's simple and error-free, and now reasonably-priced…
I've had lots of problems with iCloud sync. Recently it's been more reliable, though. For mission-critical stuff.... I am not sure.
"A 500-gigabyte plan has been eliminated, although the cost of the 1 terabyte tier is down $10 to $9.99. Anyone using 500 gigabytes is being migrated to 1 terabyte automatically, despite the extra cost. Subscribers willing to sacrifice can downgrade to 200 gigabytes."
It doesn't affect me, but it would have been interesting to see the change in price point.
Have you gone mad ?
You seem to be asking for a little investigative reporting - well I've got news for you.
It doesn't exist anymore and hasn't done in any form anywhere for about 4 years.
Yes - truly dead and buried.
If it can't be copied and pasted (no matter how spurious the source) and isn't deemed to generate x clicks then the "story" ahem, doesn't run.
No worries though, the reporter can always just make crap up to fill the story out, give it a sensationalist title, and generate those clicks, yeehaw.
I realise that the above is a sweeping generalisation - but more or less true.
Here on AI there are a few exceptions of true investigative reporting, DED being one of them ( no offense intended, Daniel) but even here - few and vey far between.
The new pricing seems to be in place in NZ.
I just got the new lower price for the 50gig plan.
I believe the new storage will only be activated on your next billing cycle. Your current storage/price tier will remain as is.
lmao
Well my other post didn't last long !
But yes I agree, it would've been interesting to see the change in price point !
Now they just need to add shared folders, and allow to download files via a web link, and it will be an interesting alternative to Dropbox.
I've seen this before with Amazon for pre-orders. Basically it is a pro forma means of initiating an account transaction by charging the credit card a nominal fee to check validity. You likely will see that drop off. It would be nice it you had an email to that effect.
I believe you're right.
I just restored my iPhone 6 Plus to iOS 9. After setting it up, iCloud in Settings shows my 50GB of space. I can't confirm whether that had a hand in it though, Apple might just have pushed the updated tier to my account.
Icloud is useless to me because it doesnt allow to share specific folders, which means its all or nothing. So i cant activated on my macbook because there is not enough space. Also, there is no family sharing, so cant used it on my wife mac and ios devices.
Icloud drive also bugged my 128g iphone, filling it up with 80g of mac files i cant see on the phone. That thing is broken to the core, such a shame.
So the only thing is does is give me an offsite backup of my files on the imac.
Bit the bullet, signed up for the 50GB option, figured 79p per month for all that space is nothing really, and I need more cloud storage. Will start to move off Dropbox (free 6GB) with some stuff, but as others have already said, they do stuff iCloud Drive doesn't (yet?) do, plus some apps don't yet support iCloud Drive, but do support Dropbox.
Still, quite happy spending 79p/month. Now let's see them improve the service (as per one of the recent articles here) and I'll be even happier.
No, it is not active. I have a 99cent/month 20Gb plan. It still has only 20Gb total storage. If I go to settings>iCloud>Storage>Upgrade iCloud Storage, it says I have a 99 cent 50Gb plan.
So no, Apple has not "switched on revamped iCloud storage options."
Just checked mine for the first time this morning and it's updated to 50 GB. I checked several times yesterday. Just give it some time, I'm sure the system is having to go through every account (millions of them) to make the change. Oh, and my renewal date isn't until October 8, so there was no waiting for my renewal date.
I believe the new storage will only be activated on your next billing cycle. Your current storage/price tier will remain as is.
I think if you're cost is going up (not a factor in the U.S., but in some countries like Canada), the price change will take effect on the next billing cycle. It might be that the increase might also take effect on that date, in order to give users a chance to change to a different plan if they don't want to pay the higher price.
I'm not sure when annual plan users will change. I was on the monthly $0.99 for 20 GB, mine updated to 50 GB sometime between last night and this morning.