There used to be a time when 16GB was quite huge. Those times, a device with 16GB internal storage was badass but it’s no longer the same now. Data is getting bigger and some OEMs have stepped up the game, fitting 128GB of internal storage in their devices. Asus even went as far as slamming a whopping 258GB ROM on its Deluxe Special version of Asus Zenfone 2.
This brings up the question whether 16GB devices are really worth it
The low end market still has smartphones with 8GB ROM and some even have a measly 4GB internal storage. I always assume these phones are primarily meant for kids and adults who use their smartphones just for making and receiving phone calls. However, it seems the storage capacity starts at 16GB in the mid-range tier, but is this even enough for the average user?
In most cases, the system leaves just about 10GB for the user. I’ve tried using 16GB devices but most of the time, I find myself deleting stuffs to accommodate more.
One might consider the SD card slot some sort of liberation but Android Kitkat almost rendered the external storage alsomost useless. Apps will only write to the internal storage but this changed with Android Lollipop. Then again, not everyone likes those tiny memory chips.
16GB is no longer sufficient
With only 10GB storage left, a couple of HD games and a few 1080p movies will leave you running out of memory in no time. 16GB ROM in a device is no longer sufficient and as time goes on, this storage option too will be relegated to the low end. This is why a large number of users with 16GB devices still go for external storage. Data is getting bigger and it seems there’s no way to stop that.
It even becomes worse if you’re stuck with a 16GB device with no memory card slot… like the iPhone.
