The Pixel 4 comes without unlimited photo uploads. Something which has been a staple perk of buying Pixel devices.
To be more clear, the Pixel 4 doesn’t come with unlimited photo uploads at “original quality.”
What this means is that the highest resolution version of the pictures you take will have a cap in regards to the storage amount in Google Photos. It does not mean you won’t get to store your photos at original quality at all.
Pixel 4 photo uploads will be the same as any other device
With this change the Pixel 4 is now just like any other device. At least in this particular area. Photo uploads will still be unlimited for high quality.
These however are compressed versions of your images. So they won’t be as good as the original quality versions.
If you need or want more storage in Google Photos then you will need to end up subscribing to Google One. A small monthly fee (which starts at $1.99) will net you additional storage.
If you take a lot of pictures with your phone, you may end up needing this. Original quality images on the Pixel 4, just like on past Pixel devices, can take up a lot of space.
And it may not take long to fill that space up if you use the camera frequently. Google is probably banking on that to drive up memberships of Google One.
Pixel 4 purchases come with a 90-day trial of Google One
Google very well may be hoping that users end up subscribing to Google One for more storage. It’s even giving users a small taste by throwing in a 90-day free trial of Google One at the 100GB option, which is the one that costs $1.99.
While users try this out for three months, they may get used to having it around. And some users may be reluctant to find new homes for their highest resolution images. Why go through that trouble when a $2 monthly fee will keep you rolling with 100GB of storage space?
Once that three months is up, users will need to decide whether they want to pay that fee, or give up the storage they have been using. Google has reportedly confirmed that unlimited storage of original quality photos is no longer available.
So, Pixel 4 buyers will have to get used to dealing with less storage space in their Google Photos account. Probably not an overly difficult task for some. That may not be the case for all users though.