Will the iPhone 5 Be Available With 64 GB Storage Capacity?
Posted by CharlesMoore on Saturday Feb 12, 2011 Under iPhone 5 Predictions
Will the iPhone 5 feature 64 GB storage?
It’s an exciting time for Apple fans, and the community here at the iPhone 5 News Blog is buzzing with great questions and comments about the debate between Verizon and AT&T service, as well as all of the exciting rumors surrounding the release date and features for the iPhone 5. The questions and ideas of our readers here are inspiration enough to write new iPhone 5-related posts.
For example, a commenter to one of my recent blog posts asks:
What about a 64GB iPhone 5? What had been heard about that? My main reason for not getting an iPhone 4, even on Verizon, is the 32gb limit. I have a third generation iPod Touch with 64gb, which has met my needs to store my audio and video files. But 32gb is too limiting for me.
Another says:
iPhone 5 definitely needs to be faster, but am I the only one who wants a larger capacity? You can own an iPod Touch and store 64GB of audio on it, but then you cannot store the same audio, etc. on your iPhone.
I think that’s a conundrum many are pondering as we wait for the iPhone 5. The short answer is that I think 64 GB iPhones, and even 128 GB iPhones, will be inevitable at some point – the operative question is: “When?”
Will the iPhone 5 Have 64 GBs of Storage?
While a definitive answer to this question will not likely come until the day Apple unveils the iPhone 5, I don’t think an iPhone 5 with 64 GB capacity is a terribly unlikely expectation for an extra cost option, although I don’t believe it’s a slam dunk at this point, either.
Possible impediments to 64 GB capacity being offered might include: 1) a physical space limitation inside the iPhone 5 enclosure, and 2) Flash memory supply availability.
Diminishment of the size of flash memory modules is ongoing, so that one is probably not a major roadblock. However, world NAND Flash memory production capacity is pretty much running at capacity limits these days, and Apple will not want to promise a 64 GB capacity version of a high-volume product like the iPhone 5 will be and then have problems satisfying demand.
A recent Seagate Point of View white paper on the topic of Flash memory notes that in 2010 the entire NAND flash memory industry had only enough installed capacity to produce just over 11 exabytes of storage, with more than 10 exabytes (93%) of that installed in consumer devices like smartphones, tablets and SD cards.
The good news is that capacity is being ramped up, with NAND flash memory production capacity forecast to nearly double to 21exabytes in 2011 (an impressive 82% increase), with some 91% destined for use in smartphones and other consumer devices — most of the the rest to laptop computers. Increased production capacity should also ease pricing somewhat.
However, the Seagate paper cautions that that the cost to build a facility capable of producing 3.75 exabytes of non- volatile NAND flash memory is $10 billion, and that the minimum commitment for any significant increase in NAND production will take two to three years to ramp to full production, and that with the rapid expansion of the came-out-of-nowhere tablet computer sector and also nowhere near saturated smartphone market, the vast majority of new NAND production capacity will go to these consumer devices, the yawning gulf between NAND flash memory production capacity and demand mobile storage will continue to widen in Seagate’s estimation, although it should be noted that Seagate specializes in manufacture of conventional hard disk drives.
The Bottom Line for 64 GB Storage in the iPhone 5
It’s always easy for us consumers to simply “wish” for increased storage, memory, speed, and other performance-related features to be included in the iPhone 5. And if we don’t get them, that will be an easy and obvious source of consternation for us all: commenters and tech writers alike will freely and loudly complain about what we see as “missing ingredients” for the iPhone 5.
But as you can see, there’s more to this decision than Steve Jobs simply saying, “beef up the storage for the iPhone 5.” Cost, production, manufacturing, and technological considerations all have to be considered before adding components like increased NAND flash memory production.
That being said, Apple may be able to conjure up some magic and grant people’s wish for more storage. We’ll just have to wait and see on this one, but don’t give up hope.
Charles W. Moore is a columnist for PBCentral and Applelinks, Appletell, and LowEndMac, and an exclusive iPhone news contributor for the iPhone 5 News Blog.
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February 12th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kevin Wood, iphone5stream. iphone5stream said: Will the iPhone 5 Be Available With 64 GB Storage Capacity?: It’s an exciting time for Apple fans, and … http://bit.ly/hoHRs1 #iPhone5 [...]
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February 12th, 2011 at 9:13 pm
Thanks for this detailed and nuanced discussion of this issue (I was one of the people that asked about the likelihood of the 64gb IPhone5). My hope had been that Apple would upgrade storage on the IPhone5, but based on your article, one has to say this is uncertain at best. One way to reduce the need for more storage on the Iphone is to stream music and data from a PC or the “cloud”. I have purhcased an App for my IPod Touch (Air Video) that allows me to stream videos from my PC. While this app works very well to do that, there are still a number of issues in streaming, chief or which, for the IPhone, is having an unlimited data plan (unless you primarily use WIFI). Currently Verizon is offering an unlimited data plan for those purchasing an IPhone4. But, they are threatening to eliminate this plan in the near future, probably before the IPhone5 is released. So one can get an Iphone4 with 32gb of storage an an unlimited data plan now or wait for the Iphone5, possibly with 64gb of storage, but no unlimited data plan. Of course, Verizon could eliminate the unlimited data plan down the road even for those who buy the Iphone4 and plan now. On this last point, so far, 3 Verizon reps have assured me that they won’t/can’t elminate the unlimited plan for those purchasing an Iphone4 now, while 1 rep. has told me they could do it. Maybe Sprint, if it gets the IPhone5, would keep their unlimited data plans, or maybe Verizon and even AT&T would be pressured to make an unlimited data plan around, but who knows?
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February 13th, 2011 at 8:48 am
I have already reached my 32GB limit on my iPhone 3G S. Luckily my contract is up this summer, so I am hoping for a 64-128GB replacement as well!
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February 13th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
[...] Fresh rumours suggest that the iPhone 5 might be the first iPhone series to feature a 64 GB or higher option, making it a true hub for music and video. If this is the case, then audiophiles and music lovers will undoubtedly be moving their vast music libraries from CD to their new iPhone 5, making it easier than ever for them to tote their tunes with them everywhere they go. [...]
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February 13th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Hi!
when will be in Middle East “Kuwait”?
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February 14th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
Actually, phone storage will get smaller in the future. Once iTunes and everyone else goes to subscription based music libraries there will be no need to store it all on your device. You will simply pay a subscription to listen to any song on itunes and have it streamed to your device. Same with movies and other content. Time to get ready for the future.
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February 15th, 2011 at 6:17 am
Hi, does anybody know if this baby has a better camera? N8 was considered the best right? I hope this 5th version has a more advanced camera. Also that it should have no reception problems like last time. Heard samsung galaxy android phone, playstation phone and nokia’s newer models will have some newer features and I phone should be better to beat them. I am an I phone fan for life…Hope this one beats the others…
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February 15th, 2011 at 7:03 am
Personally i’m not sure how useful a 64gb memory will be, however with the increase in apps and gaming, there may be the necessity for such a large portable drive.
If (without Jailbreaking) you could use it as an external HD, then 64gb would be great news for the iPhone.
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February 16th, 2011 at 10:35 am
With Apple expected to do a complete overhaul of it’s MobileMe service, making it free for customers to store information on an Apple secure server, I don’t see the memory size of future Apple products increasing, but actually decreasing in size. With the leftover space of a smaller storage device, or no storage device at all, there is more room to install superior hardware.
I’m not an advocate of COMPLETE over the air storage, but I would be more than happy to sacrifice a larger hard drive for over the air storage for the inevitable possibility of multi-core processors (such as the A5), to take root in mobile devices.
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February 18th, 2011 at 8:02 am
i wouldpay top money for a 64gb or 128gb iphone 5, hardcore customers will pay they dont care about the money……. average users will still buy a 16gb or 32gb but they should think about the high end users…… or even add a micro sd slot read only so we can atleast watch or listen to files… i know they hate the thought of micro sd but why be so arrogant and controlling….. 4inch screen is a must…. the current one is too small!!
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February 21st, 2011 at 9:59 pm
64Gb should have been included in the Iphone 4 I was dissapointed it wasnt. If its not this time I wont be getting a 5. and 4 inches is too small needs to be 4.3 or 4.5 screen and no bezel.
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March 9th, 2011 at 8:10 am
[...] The iPad 2 has already been criticised for sticking with the earlier version's 64 GB limit, and releasing an iPhone 5 with the earlier model's 32 GB limit would be bound to increase the complaints. Previous speculation about the 32 GB limitation on the iPhone's memory capacity centered on lack of physical space, production capacity and cost. With capacity due to almost double this year and prices falling, it looks like the third barrier may now have fallen if Apple can secure enough supplies. [...]
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March 9th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
[...] The iPad 2 has already been criticised for sticking with the earlier version’s 64 GB limit, and releasing an iPhone 5 with the earlier model’s 32 GB limit would be bound to increase the complaints. Previous speculation about the 32 GB limitation on the iPhone’s memory capacity centered on lack of physical space, production capacity and cost. With capacity due to almost double this year and prices falling, it looks like the third barrier may now have fallen if Apple can secure enough supplies. [...]
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March 31st, 2011 at 2:45 am
Apple just bought a huge warehouse storage unit to store the worlds information. Mobile Me has been rumored to be soon released as a free service since it is no longer sold at their stores. China and Asia are all fans of prepaid phones. For apple to inch it’s way in they are going to offer a less expensive iPhone with less storage. It’s no longer about making money with the phone. iTunes is making a killing on Apps and music. If Apple’s following any pattern it will keep the same design as the iPhone 4 with physical changes only as big as those from the 3G to the 3GS.
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