For what it’s worth, any user of Google Photos can store unlimited photos at a reduced quality for free.
But this week it emerged that iPhone users have in fact been enjoying free unlimited original resolution storage. A Redditor originally posted the information that has since been reported across tech publications.
It seems Google has taken note though and has confirmed it is a bug to Android Police, saying “We are aware of this bug and are working to fix it.”. So, bye bye to that lovely little loophole. Thanks a bunch, Internet.
The loophole was, according to the Reddit post, down to the fact the iPhone shoots in HEIC format which is even smaller than JPEG. It would make sense for Google to offer free original resolution storage if that were the case, but it seems that is not the reason because Google is going to change it.
It’s possible that Google PR decided to say it was a bug to appease the frustrations of new Pixel 4 owners who won’t get unlimited high-res storage – we won’t ever know. But we do know that the move is to try and get people to pay Google for cloud storage.
Henry is Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, ensuring he and the team covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about for readers and viewers all over the world. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.
