Will 128 GB of storage be enough on an iPhone in 2025
Apple’s iPhone 17 series finally launches with a minimum of 256 GB storage, even in the base model. At the same time, more affordable iPhone 16 and 16e models with standard 128 GB remain available, raising the question of whether this amount is sufficient.
According to SlashGear.
Who 128 GB is enough for — and who it isn’t
If you primarily use your smartphone for calls, messaging, and occasional browsing, 128 GB will most likely suffice. However, games and multimedia libraries are a different story. Heavy titles quickly consume storage: World of Tanks Blitz takes up almost 12 GB, War Thunder Mobile over 3.5 GB, and Real Racing 3 approximately 10 GB after all assets are downloaded.
For photography and video enthusiasts, it’s better to opt for at least 256 GB, especially if you store content directly on the device. Even without considering games or many apps, photo and video archives can easily exceed 100 GB — meaning 128 GB fills up fast. For "heavy" use cases such as mobile video production or filming, 512 GB or 1 TB is recommended.
How to free up space on an iPhone
iPhones have never supported microSD cards, so hardware expansion isn’t possible. Cleaning system data can help partially, but the effect is limited. A practical option is transferring photos and videos to an external drive or computer via USB-C or Lightning, while periodically organizing your library.
For convenient automatic syncing, iCloud with paid plans is available:
- 50 GB for $0.99/month;
- 200 GB for $2.99/month;
- 2 TB for $9.99/month;
- 6 TB for $29.99/month;
- 12 TB for $59.99/month.
Alternatives to Apple’s cloud services exist — often cheaper but usually less integrated within the iPhone ecosystem. If you use multiple platforms, such solutions may be more suitable.
128 GB is a compromise for highly "minimalist" users. To avoid running into storage limits in a year or two, most users should consider 256 GB, while power users should look at 512 GB or 1 TB.
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