iPhone 14 Storage: Which Size Should You Buy?

Picking the right iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max storage size for your needs and budget can be tricky so we want to help you decide between the cheapest option, the middle-of-the-road options, and the most expensive versions of the iPhone 14 series.

You might be tempted to buy the cheapest iPhone 14 model or, perhaps, a variant with the most storage. Some people will be perfectly fine buying one of those. However, many others will want to buy a model that falls in between.

One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll likely wind up paying for more storage one way or another. Either you’ll spend the money up front when you buy your new phone or you’ll have to buy a compatible hard drive or pay a monthly fee for additional storage via Apple’s iCloud service.

There are several factors you need to consider before you settle on one storage size or another. We’ll break down everything you should think about about before you buy a iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 14 Storage Options

Apple offers three iPhone 14 storage options at three different price points.

The iPhone 14 starts at 128GB and the company also sells 256GB and 512GB options for those who need more storage. The 128GB model is the cheapest option while the 512GB model is the most expensive.

iPhone 14 Plus Storage Options

Like the iPhone 14, Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus also comes in three sizes: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB.

iPhone 14 Pro Storage Options

As for the iPhone 14 Pro, there are four storage options, but they’re different than the company’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus variants.

The iPhone 14 Pro starts at 128GB. From there, the iPhone 14 Pro’s storage capacity goes up to 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

iPhone 14 Pro Max Storage Options

The largest and most expensive iPhone 14 model, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, comes in the same sizes as the iPhone 14 Pro: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

Pay for Storage Today or Pay Later

You can add additional storage to Android devices using external memory cards, but the iPhone 14 series, like its predecessors, doesn’t have a microSD card slot. If you want to add additional storage to your new iPhone you’ll need to use iCloud or buy a Lightning-compatible drive.

If you plan to shoot high-resolution video on your iPhone, download movies or songs, or play games on your device, you’ll need quite a bit of storage space.

While 128GB or 256GB might seem like enough, there’s a chance your storage fills up quickly. At that point you’ll, again, be forced to continuously delete files you no longer need, buy a compatible external drive, or pay for iCloud.

Fortunately, Apple’s iCloud storage is fairly inexpensive. You can get 50GB of cloud storage for a dollar a month. Here’s how the pricing breaks down:

• 50GB: $0.99
• 200GB: $2.99
• 2TB: $9.99

You can also share iCloud storage with your family members.

Why You Should Buy the 128GB iPhone 14

The 128GB iPhone 14 models are the cheapest options and they should be considered if you don’t think of yourself as a power user.

Here are a few reasons why you might want to buy Apple’s 128GB iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max:

• You stream most of your movies and music.
• You don’t plan to shoot a lot of high-resolution video.
• You plan to store your photos in iCloud Photo Library or on a computer.
• You come nowhere close to using 128GB of storage on your current phone.

Why You Should Buy the 256GB iPhone 14

The 256GB option is the middle of the road choice for prospective iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus users. It’s the second largest option for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Here are some reasons why you should buy the 256GB iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max:

• You like to store some movies, photos, and music locally.
• You plan to shoot some high-resolution video.
• You’re close to using 128GB of space on your current phone.
• You hate having to occasionally manage the data on your phone.

An 256GB iPhone 14 model is an excellent middle-of-the-road option that can work with or without iCloud.

Why You Should Buy the 512GB iPhone 14

Some of you might want to spend the extra money for more space, even if it’s for the peace of mind that comes with having a bit more storage to play around with.

Here are a few reasons to buy the 512GB iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, or iPhone 14 Pro Max:

• You like to store lots of movies and music locally.
• You need or prefer to keep your photos stored locally.
• You plan to shoot a lot of high-resolution content.
• You’re close to using 256GB of space on your current phone.
• You can’t stand having to constantly manage the data on your phone.

Why You Should Buy the 1TB iPhone 14 Pro

The expensive 1TB iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models are solid options for those that desire a ton of local storage.

It should provide enough space for photography buffs, avid gamers, and those who plan to tackle school or work projects while on-the-go.

Unless you’re already using well over 512GB or don’t use iCloud, you probably don’t need this much storage. Here’s who we think should buy one of these models:

• You’re an extreme power user.
• You’re planning to use the iPhone as a professional creative.
• You’re a photo buff who doesn’t want to use iCloud.
• You’re someone who travels often and wants everything store locally.

How to Check Your Current Storage

Before you pick one of these, you should check your current storage because you’ll be able to gather some great insight into your habits. Here’s how to do this:

• Tap on your Settings app.
• Tap on General.
• Tap on iPhone Storage.

This will show you how much free storage you currently have and how much you are using. It’ll also tell you exactly what’s taking up the most storage. For many of you, it’ll be photos and videos, apps, and messages.

If your current device is around a year old, you should still have around 50% of your storage left. If you are within 10-15% of its capacity, you probably need more storage.

If you’re using iCloud, you should also check on your iCloud storage usage:

• Open Settings.
• Tap on your Name at the top of the screen.
• Tap on iCloud.

This screen shows your iCloud storage use and your current plan. If you tap on Manage Storage you’ll get a better breakdown of how you use cloud storage.

Wait for Design Changes

> 1 / 10

Last year, Apple introduced a brand new pill-shaped notch the company calls Dynamic Island. Unfortunately, this change is only available on the company's high-end iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max models. That will likely change this year. Analyst Ross Young believes Apple could bring Dynamic Island to the lower-end iPhone 15 models. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman does as well. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 15's proximity sensor will be integrated into Dynamic Island. The proximity sensor on the iPhone 14 Pro models is under the display outside of Dynamic Island. This could lead to Face ID improvements. This might give some of you considering Apple's iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Plus a reason to hold out and wait for the new models. On the flip side, Young doesn't think the standard iPhone 15 models will get 120Hz/LTPO like the iPhone 15 Pro models. This has been backed up by another source who says the iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus won't get ProMotion and Always-On display capabilities.  We've heard the the iPhone 15 Max's design will be made out of titanium as opposed to stainless steel. The frame supposedly has a brushed finish. In a tweet, a prominent leaker says the iPhone 15 Pro models will "have thinner bezels" with curved edges. The display is reportedly still flat, however. ShrimpApplePro says additional sources now agree with the information and that the bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro models will indeed be thinner. In a tweet, well-known leaker Ice Universe says the iPhone 15 Pro Max will break the record for thinnest bezels on a smartphone. The record is currently held by the Xiaomi 13.  In a follow up tweet, he's shown off what are evidently glass displays and third-party screen protectors for the iPhone 15 series.  Analyst Jeff Pu from Haitong International Securities also believes the company is working to deliver a new titanium design. So does Gurman. In a report Gurman says the iPhone 15 Pro models could be about 10% lighter than their predecessors thanks to the new design.  We've also heard the iPhone 15 Pro will have a new mute button that replaces the switch. This "Action" button could work like it does on the Apple Watch Ultra in that it will allow users to map it to different functions. This new addition has seemingly been confirmed by the iOS 17 beta.

> 1 / 10