The 16GB iPad only has half the available space

As applications and multimedia content take up more and more space, it is time for manufacturers to rethink the minimum storage space settings of their own devices. The new generation of iPhones and iPads launched by Apple this year are divided into three storage capacity options: 16GB, 64GB and 128GB, and the 32GB model has been completely removed. But for today's users, is 16GB of storage space enough? Technology blogger Kirk McElhearn recently explored this issue.

McElhearn's iPad mini hadn't yet been updated to iOS 8, so he decided to take the opportunity to completely wipe the device clean. He then immediately loaded up all the apps Apple recommends new users download, including iWork apps, iMovie, and GarageBand.

But before installing any apps, he noticed that the device showed a capacity of only 12.73GB, with only the operating system itself and those apps that could not be deleted.

So how much free space does McElhearn have on his iPad after installing all the Apple apps? Just over 8GB. Compared to the storage capacity advertised by Apple on the box, the actual storage you get is only half. This is not enough space to install even one or two pages of apps, let alone store a high-definition movie.

"Apple should simply stop selling the 16GB model," McElhearn wrote. "After installing the base package, the 16GB model has only about half the advertised free space left, making it impossible to store a lot of content on the device. Many people may not care, but once you start downloading a few games, you may run into a situation where you don't have enough free space to upgrade."

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.