Over two months later, is it worth it to wait/hope for a Nexus 4 32GB?

[badbrad17]

They bothered with the 8 gigabytes on the Nexus 4 after releasing the unlocked galaxy nexus only as a 16 gigabyte model. That indicates that when it comes to phones, Google is not looking to expand on board storage. Instead, it is looking to expand the use of cloud storage. It also seems to be more interested in keeping the price low to appeal to the broader market even if they have to be done at the expense of greater storage capacity.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

Ya I get that but for many people they run out of room just with installed apps. It doesn't make sense for anyone to sell anything less than 16gb. The price thing is fine but if they do the same thing as they did with the Nexus 7 then that doesn't even measure up. The extra 8gb is such a negligible cost that many people who buy the 8gb are bitter after they release the 16gb for the same price.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[badbrad17]

Let's crunch the numbers -

The top-grossing app downloads list is here: https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...O1ljJ_fZk&feature=top-grossing&token=BE9SjqqG

Of the top 25, 23 are games.

Rage of Bahamut16
Candy Crush Saga32
MARVEL War of Heroes8
Dark Summoner14
Slotomania - slot machines26
Blood Brothers (RPG)19
The Hobbit: Kingdoms30
Slot City - slot machines11
Live Hold'em Poker Pro13
Minecraft - Pocket Edition6
Zynga Poker26
Shipwrecked25
Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle28
Modern War28
Bingo Bash28
DoubleDown Casino - Slots13
Legend of the Cryptids40
Age of Empire18
DragonVale25
BINGO Blitz by Buffalo Studios26
Ruzzle17
Subway Surfers22
TurboTax SnapTax12
HellFire37
FoxFi Full Version Key0.5

The number next to each app is their download size.

That's about 520.5MB worth of stuff, averaging to about 20.82MB per download. Of course, this doesn't take into account if any of those apps require additional data downloads after install.

You're right, most of the top grossing apps are games. But the 1GB per game seems to be off the mark.

But there is also associated data for some apps too. Saved data, preferences etc. It may not be huge but can add up. A program like Titanium backup can store over a GB easily.

I would also like the option to not have to save all my photos and videos to the cloud when I'm on vacation if needed. WiFi in some remote spots is sketchy or really expensive. 8gb disappears pretty fast with this in mind. 16gb works fine for me but I can see that 32GB would be the best option for lots of people. Especially when HTC is going to 64.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[yfan]

Ya I get that but for many people they run out of room just with installed apps. It doesn't make sense for anyone to sell anything less than 16gb. The price thing is fine but if they do the same thing as they did with the Nexus 7 then that doesn't even measure up. The extra 8gb is such a negligible cost that many people who buy the 8gb are bitter after they release the 16gb for the same price.

With respect to price, Google is already most likely selling the Nexus 4's at a loss (or at least at cost). This pretty much rules out the option to increase storage capacity without raising the price. And for a lot of people like myself, 8gb is actually plenty. I have a fair amount of apps but no games. I am a pretty heavy user of streaming video, podcasts, and so forth. All my music is on Google Music, on the cloud. I have all my photos/videos automatically uploaded to Google Plus and/or Dropbox. I had the 16gb Galaxy Nexus and saw then that I was using way less than half the storage. So I opted for the 8gb version of Nexus 4 and saved $50. Not saying that I'm a typical case. I'm not. But it does in fact make sense for some buyers to get the 8gb model.

I would also like the option to not have to save all my photos and videos to the cloud when I'm on vacation if needed. WiFi in some remote spots is sketchy or really expensive. 8gb disappears pretty fast with this in mind. 16gb works fine for me but I can see that 32GB would be the best option for lots of people. Especially when HTC is going to 64.

You may well be correct for a broad spectrum of the market. But Google didn't make the Nexus 4 for that broad spectrum of the market. It made it for those who actually can use the cloud most of the time, for those who don't leave their photos and videos all stored on their phone. And it made it for them at a rewarding price point. From the robust interest, it seems to have hit the sweet spot on balance as well.

The Nexus 4 won't meet everyone's needs or wants. It isn't designed to. That's why we have so many different phones with different options and different prices.

 

[Hubertsng]

But there is also associated data for some apps too. Saved data, preferences etc. It may not be huge but can add up. A program like Titanium backup can store over a GB easily.

I would also like the option to not have to save all my photos and videos to the cloud when I'm on vacation if needed. WiFi in some remote spots is sketchy or really expensive. 8gb disappears pretty fast with this in mind. 16gb works fine for me but I can see that 32GB would be the best option for lots of people. Especially when HTC is going to 64.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

yes but with 23 games and lets say titanium backup lets just clock that up to 2GB for the heck of it (even though it easily isn't) That still leaves about 10 GB left on your device for anything else. 5 GB of music? Still got 5 GB of music left. Put some root stuff in (i'm just putting storage because i mean why not) of 1 GB, still got 4GB left. 16GB is fine for me and I can't see me using anymore than that. 8GB is completely useless for me but some people might have unlimited data and it works fine for them.

 

[badbrad17]

With respect to price, Google is already most likely selling the Nexus 4's at a loss (or at least at cost). This pretty much rules out the option to increase storage capacity without raising the price. And for a lot of people like myself, 8gb is actually plenty. I have a fair amount of apps but no games. I am a pretty heavy user of streaming video, podcasts, and so forth. All my music is on Google Music, on the cloud. I have all my photos/videos automatically uploaded to Google Plus and/or Dropbox. I had the 16gb Galaxy Nexus and saw then that I was using way less than half the storage. So I opted for the 8gb version of Nexus 4 and saved $50. Not saying that I'm a typical case. I'm not. But it does in fact make sense for some buyers to get the 8gb model.


You may well be correct for a broad spectrum of the market. But Google didn't make the Nexus 4 for that broad spectrum of the market. It made it for those who actually can use the cloud most of the time, for those who don't leave their photos and videos all stored on their phone. And it made it for them at a rewarding price point. From the robust interest, it seems to have hit the sweet spot on balance as well.

The Nexus 4 won't meet everyone's needs or wants. It isn't designed to. That's why we have so many different phones with different options and different prices.

Really? Okay let's take your logic in this. I know what you are saying and get why you are saying it... But. This would be the stupidest business decision in the history of the universe.

1. Let's put in all the specs that make this the fastest phone to date.

2. Let's add in extra ram to make sure it doesn't slow down.

3. Let's put in a super high quality display in HD.

4. Let's limit the phone to an exclusive group of nerds that don't want to install or store anything on the phone just so we can get our developers to be able to make apps.

5.?

I'm okay with limiting storage. As I've said, 16gb is fine for me, but let's not get all dressed up and not go to the dance over $10 because that's what we are talking about here. The cost to add a bit of space is insignificant.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[badbrad17]

yes but with 23 games and lets say titanium backup lets just clock that up to 2GB for the heck of it (even though it easily isn't) That still leaves about 10 GB left on your device for anything else. 5 GB of music? Still got 5 GB of music left. Put some root stuff in (i'm just putting storage because i mean why not) of 1 GB, still got 4GB left. 16GB is fine for me and I can't see me using anymore than that. 8GB is completely useless for me but some people might have unlimited data and it works fine for them.

this all makes sense if all I cared about was me. Yet in the big picture there are many users with many different needs. Storage comes in many shapes and sizes. We should be looking at the betterment of all users not just what works for us.

I build software and this logic makes a mess of user interfaces all the time. 1 person thinks that everyone should only look at the way they like to use something and another person thinks everyone should only look at the way they like to use it.

Yet the smartest person looks at how everyone may need to use it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[Hubertsng]

this all makes sense if all I cared about was me. Yet in the big picture there are many users with many different needs. Storage comes in many shapes and sizes. We should be looking at the betterment of all users not just what works for us.

I build software and this logic makes a mess of user interfaces all the time. 1 person thinks that everyone should only look at the way they like to use something and another person thinks everyone should only look at the way they like to use it.

Yet the smartest person looks at how everyone may need to use it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

that's why i added tons of stuff that i won't even have. That much memory for root and rom stuff? Nope. Titanium backup? Put that on the cloud so nope. Honestly don't really see how people can put that much stuff though unless it is full of a ton of music videos and some what games. really hard to have 1 GB of picture (i'm pretty sure)

 

[badbrad17]

that's why i added tons of stuff that i won't even have. That much memory for root and rom stuff? Nope. Titanium backup? Put that on the cloud so nope. Honestly don't really see how people can put that much stuff though unless it is full of a ton of music videos and some what games. really hard to have 1 GB of picture (i'm pretty sure)

But the photos and videos and games is the very reason that some people need the space. Also large email attachments can add up in a hurry. I download proofs for print jobs onto my phone and they can be pretty large PDF files. Just saying that lots of people have different needs.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[Hubertsng]

But the photos and videos and games is the very reason that some people need the space. Also large email attachments can add up in a hurry. I download proofs for print jobs onto my phone and they can be pretty large PDF files. Just saying that lots of people have different needs.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

oh.. jobs. I'm still a student XD. I turned off download attachments when connected to wifi anyways and then i clear up all my downloads and crap with solid explorer so i save space. I also clear my cache almost every week or so.

 

[Aquila]

And here we are, 2 months later, and there is no 32 GB version. It was a mistake to compare it with the Nexus 7 in the first place. The better comparison would have been Galaxy Nexus which is the only other unlocked phone Google has released. The Galaxy Nexus , as released by Google, never had a model with more storage then 16 gigabytes.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

My Galaxy Nexus is 32GB. It was sold the first day GNex's were on sale in the US. Verizon Wireless Galaxy Nexus Toro. The one I bought my wife at Target 2 months ago is also 32GB. If they were willing to do it for a carrier version, obviously someone made them aware of the need and trend of growing storage. I also get why they want to shrink it back down, but as otherwise stated, the most popular apps are games and they sell well. I know consumer demand and the vision don't always agree, but it often feels like they're not listening.

 

[yfan]

Really? Okay let's take your logic in this. I know what you are saying and get why you are saying it... But. This would be the stupidest business decision in the history of the universe. ...

Let's limit the phone to an exclusive group of nerds that don't want to install or store anything on the phone just so we can get our developers to be able to make apps.

Yeah, we could all do without the sarcasm and strawman arguments, I think. I never said Google wants to limit the phone to a group of nerds who don't want to install or store anything. I even said I have plenty of apps installed. I said that the Nexus 4 is made for people who want a pure Android experience and can use cloud storage effectively. It is priced to reward that group of customers, which is substantial, and not simply a "group of nerds", as you deride. There's a big difference between "a group of nerds who don't want to install or store anything" and a group of super storage hungry users who load tons of games and fill up their phones with HD videos. Let's not do that, please. We're all adults here. The "business decision" as you so cavalierly put it, is not simply the phone for Google. It is also pushing cloud storage, where Google is a huge player.

No phone - no matter how well spec'd and designed is made for everyone. Because people are not monolithic. The Nexus experience has never included expandable storage, Google has explained why, and it isn't going to. The Nexus is not made for everybody.

I'm okay with limiting storage. As I've said, 16gb is fine for me, but let's not get all dressed up and not go to the dance over $10 because that's what we are talking about here. The cost to add a bit of space is insignificant.

One thing to keep in mind isn't just how much extra storage costs (although I would like for you to prove that the difference between 16 and 32 gb of mobile phone storage costs is only $10), it is also whether that storage can fit into the design. If the hard disk is 1 mm thicker, it may not fit.

There is a reason why Google made the decision it did with the storage - specifically that they decided to offer a SMALLER storage option following only a 16 gb unlocked Galaxy Nexus instead of going the way of expanding it. You may not like it, and you don't have to. But that you do not like it does not mean it lacks either utility or value. Nobody said that no one can legitimately need more storage than 16 gb. But the Nexus 4 is not for them, and they have plenty of options.

 

[badbrad17]

oh.. jobs. I'm still a student XD. I turned off download attachments when connected to wifi anyways and then i clear up all my downloads and crap with solid explorer so i save space. I also clear my cache almost every week or so.

Sounds like a lot of work.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[badbrad17]

Yeah, we could all do without the sarcasm and strawman arguments, I think. I never said Google wants to limit the phone to a group of nerds who don't want to install or store anything. I even said I have plenty of apps installed. I said that the Nexus 4 is made for people who want a pure Android experience and can use cloud storage effectively. It is priced to reward that group of customers, which is substantial, and not simply a "group of nerds", as you deride. There's a big difference between "a group of nerds who don't want to install or store anything" and a group of super storage hungry users who load tons of games and fill up their phones with HD videos. Let's not do that, please. We're all adults here. The "business decision" as you so cavalierly put it, is not simply the phone for Google. It is also pushing cloud storage, where Google is a huge player.

No phone - no matter how well spec'd and designed is made for everyone. Because people are not monolithic. The Nexus experience has never included expandable storage, Google has explained why, and it isn't going to. The Nexus is not made for everybody.

One thing to keep in mind isn't just how much extra storage costs (although I would like for you to prove that the difference between 16 and 32 gb of mobile phone storage costs is only $10), it is also whether that storage can fit into the design. If the hard disk is 1 mm thicker, it may not fit.

There is a reason why Google made the decision it did with the storage - specifically that they decided to offer a SMALLER storage option following only a 16 gb unlocked Galaxy Nexus instead of going the way of expanding it. You may not like it, and you don't have to. But that you do not like it does not mean it lacks either utility or value. Nobody said that no one can legitimately need more storage than 16 gb. But the Nexus 4 is not for them, and they have plenty of options.

Okay let's not argue. I wasn't trying to poke at you. You realize by my signature that I have and love this phone right? It is amazing and does everything I could ask... But I am not everyone. This phone does most things perfectly and storage should not be the thing it lacks. Storage is cheap. The HTC one x+ has 64gb. The storage is basically an SD card. There is no thickness or hard drive involved. Google could add the extra space without any problem in cost or technology so it doesn't make sense at the end of the day to me. You may feel differently but I personally don't see it.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[yfan]

The storage is basically an SD card.

I doubt that the case for internal storage is the same. You don't have the space for a whole slot in internal storage chipsets. I am not an expert at these things, but I would think that doubling the capacity would either cost them more, require a miuntely greater physical space, or both.

Right. You're not everyone. No one is everyone. That is the point I was trying to make. Yes, the One X+ has 64 MB on board, but how much is it off contract to buy?

Whether you are right or I am about these details, however, I am still pretty sure no Nexus 4 is coming with 32gb of storage.