Apple could finally double the storage of cheap phones

Apple has been resisting upgrading the base level of storage on its iPhones, in fact it wasn't that long ago that they were still selling phones with 8GB of storage. Photo / File

The next iPhone may not be as spectacularly different as many had hoped, but it could come with a feature than many have been clamouring for: more storage space.

That's the report from Joanna Stern at the Wall Street Journal, who writes Apple will have a change of heart and release the base model of the iPhone with 32 GB of storage rather than 16 GB. She also reports that we could get a 256 GB iPhone model in the mix.

Apple's been resisting this kind of change for a little while, even as competitors such as Samsung have opted to start their lineups with double the storage space. In fact, it wasn't so long ago that Apple was still offering 8 GB phones. But the company has repeatedly defended itself by saying that the 16 GB model was working just fine for many of its users, thanks in part to the popularity of cloud services.

(Full disclosure: I have a 16 GB iPhone and don't hate it too much.)

But it only makes sense, with a technology shift toward more video, more rich messaging and just generally MORE being centred on your smartphone overall. It's past the time to start offering more storage even for the base model.

That's particularly true if Apple's going to keep pushing the envelope with its displays and also if it will keep encouraging app developers to push the boundaries of what's possible on a smartphone.

Apps are going to get bigger, particularly if they have to support high-end displays, or are expected to expand the number of functions they pack onto the smartphone screen.

And video is only going to become more intensive, particularly if all the forecasts about 360 video and virtual reality come to pass. Even photos are creeping into more aspects of the way we use our phones, particularly in messaging.

If it's true that Apple's using this next phone release to take a pause before a really big change in two years, then it also makes sense that it may want to use this model to address some of the lingering complaints about the iPhone's storage - as a way to entice its loyal customers looking to upgrade to take the leap with this model.