I can hear you already, telling me about how you could fill 8GB of space in one Code Red fueled data binge. That’s fine, berate me all you want, because in the end there’s a strong case for the 8GB Nexus 4, and I’m here to show you why. There was a time, just a few years ago really, when there was little reason to suspect that mobile device storage space was going anywhere but up. Today, however, it’s easy to see why advances in cloud storage make wasting money and hardware space on additional storage pointless in most cases.
But what about my music? I heard you ask it, even if you didn’t say it out loud. How many of you are still using your phone as an actual MP3 storage device? Fewer every day is the answer. Streaming services are the future, and while there will always be those among us who prefer actually owning an individual song or album, many people prefer having access to virtually the entire music library of the world with a small monthly payment. Even if you do prefer carrying your MP3’s around in your pocket, how many do you actually need to get through the day? None of us have more than a few hundred songs we can stand to hear at any given moment, and 8GB should be more than enough space. Oh, you need the entire Pink Floyd discography in your pocket at all times? Then no, the Nexus 4 isn’t the device for you. You can stop reading now.
The same scenario plays out over and over with different forms of media. Movies? Netflix. Books? Kindle, with only the books you’re actively reading downloaded to the device. Personal media like pictures and videos? Dropbox, or your preferred cloud storage option. But seriously, Dropbox. There may come a day when disk storage becomes so plentiful and ubiquitous that cloud storage starts to seem quaint, but I doubt it. Even when you have virtually unlimited space on your mobile device you will still want to keep a back-up in the cloud, or keep it there for access from other devices.
All of this is a roundabout way of letting you know that despite your reservations there just might be a world in which you should purchase the Nexus 4 with just 8GB of storage. Let’s think about price for a second while we’re here. You can get one of the most anticipated and powerful phones on the market for less than $300. OK, so it’s a dollar less, but the point still stands.
Is the 16GB version for just $50 more a good deal? Yes. Don’t games and high-definition apps take up a lot of room? You know it. Are there arguments against everything I’ve said here today? Absolutely. The point is, you have to decide what means more to you in the long run. Is saving a little bit of money important, as long as you get a new generation Nexus device, or, are you a power user that just really needs more storage? It’s up to every user to decide what is best for them, but don’t brush away the 8GB Nexus 4 before you give it a chance.