Available Storage

[erwaso]

For those with experience. What do we have available to use after all the apple software and apps from the 32gb model? What about 128gb?

I've only had iPhone 16gb versions through work and they added all the security junk so just curious.

 

[Pedro Hicken]

I think with the 128gb I was seeing around 112gb of useable space.

 

[BreakingKayfabe]

I've never understood why storage varies out of the box with the same OS installed on the exact same model. For example why does the OS take up more storage on a 128GB 6S Plus as opposed to the OS on a 64GB 6S Plus taking less? Does anyone have the explanation for that?

 

[qnet]

I've never understood why storage varies out of the box with the same OS installed on the exact same model. For example why does the OS take up more storage on a 128GB 6S Plus as opposed to the OS on a 64GB 6S Plus taking less? Does anyone have the explanation for that?

It's not necessarily that the OS is taking up more storage, it's that the capacity of the SSD (phone's storage) is always rounded up. When they make the drives the true capacity varies and is less, they just round it up to make it easier. This is from memory and may not be totally accurate, but it's something like that. I know it's this way with computer hard drive also.

 

[iN8ter]

I've never understood why storage varies out of the box with the same OS installed on the exact same model. For example why does the OS take up more storage on a 128GB 6S Plus as opposed to the OS on a 64GB 6S Plus taking less? Does anyone have the explanation for that?

It also has to do with formatting. The bigger the drive, the more storage you will lose due to formatting. Formatting usually decreases capacity around 8% (maybe a little more) off of the box.

So a 64GB storage module will lose less capacity than a 128GB because it's smaller.

8% of 64 is 5.12
8% of 128 is 10.24

So a 64GB device is working with about 59GB after formatting, and before the OS data is put on the phone, which is roughly accurate as the devices have about 55GB of usable space on first boot.

A 128 GB device is working with about 117GB after formatting, which is probably too generous - it's like about a GB less. This would line up decently well with the 112GB figures after first boot.

Then you have to factor in how files are allocated. Space can be wasted if you have a ton of tiny files on a FS with large allocation units. For example, on a Windows NTFS formatted drive (4KB AUs), a 1 byte file will still take up 4KB of disk space.

 

[afctee]

I'm wondering if the OS on the larger storage devices, isn't as compressed. Thus using more storage space. Merely guessing here...

I've never understood why storage varies out of the box with the same OS installed on the exact same model. For example why does the OS take up more storage on a 128GB 6S Plus as opposed to the OS on a 64GB 6S Plus taking less? Does anyone have the explanation for that?