Which iPhone 8 Storage Size Should You Buy: 64GB or 256GB?

Choosing the right iPhone 8 storage size for you and your needs can be tricky so we’re here to help you decide between the 64GB model and the larger, more expensive 256GB iPhone 8.

The easiest thing to do is to just buy as much storage as your bank account allows, but many of you don’t need 256GB of internal storage on your phone.

There are several important factors to consider before you settle on one storage size or the other and we’re going to break all of those down for you in this guide.

iPhone 8 Storage Options

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus come in three colors, but there are only two storage options to choose from. The previous model, the iPhone 7, came in three storage sizes (32GB, 128GB, 256GB).

The decision to eliminate the 32GB model was a good choice (32GB simply isn’t enough space for most people), but the lack of a third option actually makes the decision a little bit tougher because there is such a wide gap between 64GB and 256GB of internal storage space.

Apple’s 64GB iPhone 8 is $599 or $24.99 per month through a payment plan via Apple without a deal or trade-in. The 256GB model is $749 or $31.99 per month via a payment plan at Apple.

The 64GB iPhone 8 Plus is $699 or $29.99 with a payment plan at Apple without a trade-in or deal. The larger 256GB iPhone 8 Plus model is $849 or $35.99 via a payment plan at Apple.

Unlike Android phones, you can’t add storage with a microSD card. Apple’s iPhones don’t come with expandable storage. If you want to add storage you need to add it via the company’s iCloud service or with a Lightning drive.

We don’t expect Apple to add any additional storage options in 2019 so you’re stuck with 64GB or 256GB for now.

Pay for Storage Now or Pay Later

In our iPhone 8 review we determined 64GB isn’t enough for a lot of people. If you plan to shoot 4K video, download a bunch of movies for travel, or play games, you’ll need more space.

In the months since the phone’s launch we’ve managed to fill up 100GB of space on a 256GB iPhone 8. We aren’t storing any huge movie files or 4K videos on the phone, rather, we’ve filled it up with important apps, 1080p videos, photos, and to a lesser extent, messages and music.

Some of you might be able to survive on very low amounts of storage, but many others will likely wind up having to pay for additional storage.

Typically when we’re helping people solve issues with their iPhone it revolves around storage and the amount of space photos, videos, and apps are taking up on the device’s internal storage. A lot of times, they simply don’t have enough storage on their computer to properly store their files.

You can survive on 64GB of space, but you’ll have to pay close attention to your storage space and app usage and you’ll most likely have to buy into an iCloud Storage Plans. Remember, you can share iCloud storage with your family members.

You also might have to rely on streaming movies and other content should you run out of space. This in turn could lead to overage charges or picking a bigger data plan to better handle your needs. This costs money.

So you have a choice: Pay for the extra storage now or wind up paying for it later on down the road.

Who Should Buy the 64GB iPhone 8

So who should buy the cheaper 64GB iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus? You’ll save money on the upfront cost of the phone and that makes it tempting to those looking to get into Apple’s ecosystem on a budget.

• You stream most of your movies and music.
• You don’t plan to record a lot of 4K videos.
• You plan to store your photos in iCloud Photo Library or on a computer.
• You have plenty of room on your current iPhone.

Who Should Buy the 256GB iPhone 8

The 64GB will be the perfect size for some people, but others might want to the peace of mind that comes with the 256GB iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus. Here’s who should think about buying the larger model:

• You store a lot of your Movies and Music locally.
• You need or prefer to keep photos stored locally.
• You plan to shoot tons of 4K video.
• You are close to using up all of your current iPhone storage.

We should also add if you hate managing the storage on your device, the 256GB is the way to go. If you get the smaller model and you start nearing the threshold, you’ll need to spend time combing through your files figuring out what you need to delete or move off the device.

How to Check Your Current Storage

If you’re currently using an iPhone, you should check your current storage before you decide on 64GB or 256GB. A quick check will provide 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 your photos and videos, apps, and messages.

If you’re using Apple’s iCloud service, you should 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 plan you’ll get a better breakdown of how you use cloud storage.

Which iPhone 8 Storage Size Should You Buy?

We’ve found both the 64GB and 256GB iPhone 8 models to be manageable though it depends on how you use your current device and how you want to use your next iPhone.

If you aren’t using up all of the space on your current device, you might opt for the 64GB iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus.

If you only plan to use the iPhone 8 for a year before upgrading, there’s less pressure to go with the big storage size. You can simply make do and upgrade to a larger model when the time comes.

If you don’t plan to upgrade for awhile and plan on shooting lots of photos and videos and downloading lots of content (apps, movies, music) the 256GB model is a safer bet.

You should be able to avoid iCloud and spending additional money this way.

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