storage fluctuations on galaxy a13 running android 12

[xraiderv1]

so I just picked up a samsung galaxy a13(32gb us model), specs linked below from gsmarena.

set it up, noticed the storage was fluctuating almost hourly whilst performing my usual run in/evaluation testing for suitability.

so I set it aside, came back to it after a few hours idle time, saw the used storage had gone down.

came back to it after a few more hours, and the used storage had gone up.

this morning I unlocked it after having enabled automatic restarts the night before(Scheduled for 3am when I'm unlikely to be using it), saw it had eaten at least 500mb of storage.

is it normal for this to happen where android 12 is concerned, or am I ascribing abnormal behavior to the OS that is in fact normal, and I simply never noticed it before due to not actively paying attention to it?

a13 specs

 

[B. Diddy]

It's fluctuating by around 500 MB each time?

It's certainly not unusual for there to be some fluctuation, since data is constantly being generated (often in the cache) or removed by system apps. How much storage does your model have?

 

[xraiderv1]

it fluctuates by varying amounts, 500gb was the largest jump I've noted, and the capacity is noted in the first sentence.. 32gb.

I shopped around on amazon and literally could not get anything but 32gb on this model(the 5g version -which DOES come in 64gb and is like twice the price-only has a 1600x720 display compared to this one's 1080x2408 display, hence my choice)

I've taken steps to mitigate the used storage by going into developer options and turning on 'force allow apps on external' and only one app outright balked..naturally microsoft edge.

I dont mind using my memory card like this, but its the internal storage fluctuations that concern me.

 

[xraiderv1]

the reason I am seemingly locked to amazon as a retailer...I tried motorola's moto g power 2021(I like snap dragon processors) and the device literally flunked key parts of my run in evaluation suitability testing..and had BAD animation issues swiping between home screens, and even scrolling in settings.

I tried two examples of the same device.

so when they processed the refund..they stuck it on my gift card balance rather than refund my original payment method.

$40 to amazon..$120 to my debit card, but thats amazon for you, so go figure.

 

[B. Diddy]

Oops, my apologies, I missed the 32 GB you mentioned in your OP.

At this point, I wouldn't worry too much about it, unless your internal storage is almost full and this is contributing to low memory warnings.

 

[xraiderv1]

so...normal behavior I never noticed before because I wasn't paying attention before?

 

[B. Diddy]

so...normal behavior I never noticed before because I wasn't paying attention before?

I don't know many people who are monitoring their storage on a constant basis, so unless you were doing this before (like with some kind of 3rd party monitoring widget), then it certainly would be plausible that this has been going on as normal system behavior without your awareness.

As a general rule of thumb, I let the system do what it needs to do, and only address things if there are obvious issues with performance, or if error messages are starting to crop up.

 

[xraiderv1]

no..I dont think I was doing this before...dang it, ok. gonna remove the samsung device health widget.

now, about my using developer options to move all my user installed apps to the memory card..are there any risks here with this?

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Yes there are plenty of risks doing that. Memory cards are not as fast as internal storage and they are more likely to fail if they are being constantly written to or read from to access apps. Once they fail you have to wipe the whole device and restore the phone to factory settings and start again. It is not a good idea to use a memory card as internal storage.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[B. Diddy]

The main problems with SD cards are:

1. Unreliability. SD cards have a finite lifespan, and can fail without warning. If you rely on the card for app installation, a failed card can cause data loss and headaches when trying to reinstall the app.

2. Performance. SD read/write speeds will almost always be slower than those for onboard storage, so if apps are moved there, you may notice a significant performance hit.

3. Quality control. Counterfeit and extremely low quality cards are pretty common, especially if you buy from a seller that isn't a major retailer. This can increase the risk for system crashes and data loss.

 

[xraiderv1]

you raise good points. I think I'll move back everything but the least frequently used apps. does that sound like a reasonable compromise?

 

[B. Diddy]

That sounds like a good course of action. The thing about budget/entry-level phones is that the user often has to temper their expectations of the phone's capabilities. Your phone seems to have a decent processor, but the 32 GB of internal storage is too low these days for anything but pretty basic usage. 128 GB has pretty much become the base amount for most midrange through flagships.

 

[xraiderv1]

Yes there are plenty of risks doing that. Memory cards are not as fast as internal storage and they are more likely to fail if they are being constantly written to or read from to access apps. Once they fail you have to wipe the whole device and restore the phone to factory settings and start again. It is not a good idea to use a memory card as internal storage.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

I'm not using it as internal storage, that option doesn't exist. in any event..I'm keeping everything on internal now, now that I'm sufficiently nervous ^^;

That sounds like a good course of action. The thing about budget/entry-level phones is that the user often has to temper their expectations of the phone's capabilities. Your phone seems to have a decent processor, but the 32 GB of internal storage is too low these days for anything but pretty basic usage. 128 GB has pretty much become the base amount for most midrange through flagships.

was gonna move low demand apps over. not now though.

as to 128...my iphone has that, I chose it cause I had an older model that had 128 and never saw any issues with that capacity, so it made sense.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

I would suggest returning and getting the 5GA13 for the extra storage capability. Even if not using 5G, the extra storage really seems to make a difference even with just basic functions.

 

[xraiderv1]

welp..I've got til january 31 since we appear to be in the christmas returns window now, that said, the 5g is like twice the budget I spent on this device and it trades the 1080p 400 ppi for a lesser 720p 270 ppi display which is a deal breaker for me. part of the aforementioned bad experience with the motorola phones I referred to in an earlier post was directly attributable to the display, which is the same 720p 270ppi panel as the motorola.

as to performance..I've not noticed any jankiness past the usual ever so slight hesitations in app about pages or in settings, but nothing thats a show stopper. I'll take that slight hesitation for reliable, looks nice content playback and stable video calls on messenger.

 

[Laura Knotek]

What about the A52 5G? https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a52_5g-10631.php

 

[xraiderv1]

brand new? thats well outside my budget...and I cant find anything wrong with the device other than the storage.

I suppose worst comes to worst, I'll prune out the least frequently used media apps(disney+, hulu etc)