Update May 16, 2013: It does appear that Samsung is dealing with this issue. Apparently through software optimization, Samsung thinks they can increase the available storage on their 16GB model. See the story here.
The most talked about and most anticipated smartphone right now is the Samsung Galaxy S4. It’s a beauty but an emerging and hot button issue right now is with the actual available storage on this so-called 16GB model.
CNET is pointing out that to you, the end user, you’re actually able to use 8.53GB of storage, not 16GB. Think about this for a moment because it’s a big deal. Yes the Galaxy S4 provides you with a nice microSD card slot which gets you an extra 64GB of storage. However, and this is a big however, you cannot store apps on the microSD card storage. As CNET points out, a new game can take as much as 1.2GB. When you think about it this way, it is going to be a major point of frustration for a lot of people.
Samsung defends the storage of course by suggesting the used storage on the device is because of the additional features in the smartphone and the high resolution screen.
If you currently have a smartphone and are looking to upgrade then perhaps look at your current favorite apps. Do you enjoy cutting edge games? If you do then consider the storage situation beforehand. Going into a big purchase like this with your eyes open will save you a lot of frustration. Without a doubt, I would suggest buying a microSD card at the same time as you get your Galaxy S4. It’s mandatory when you consider things like photos and videos that you will be taking.
Samsung is going to get a lot of bad PR from this. There is no question about that. The fact that apps can’t be stored on a microSD card? I’m not sure if that is something which can be adjusted by a phone update or not. I don’t know the reasoning behind that and if it’s a Google Play Store guideline or rule.
Is this bit of news going to make you rethink buying a Samsung Galaxy S4?
[read more about this story on CNET]
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