Apple finally upgrades the base storage of the iPhone and iPad

Pink Iphone
Pink Iphone (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • Apple introduced the iPhone 13 and 9th generation iPad today.
  • The iPhone 13 lineup starts at a base storage of 128GB.
  • The 9th generation iPad starts at a base storage of 64GB.

Today, Apple hosted its anticipated "California Streaming" event. At the virtual event, the company announced the iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, redesigned iPad mini, and 9th generation iPad.

While it is easy to get caught up with a redesigned iPad mini or the new cameras in the the iPhone 13 Pro models, the company also revealed an important detail when it comes to the storage options on the iPhone and iPad that you may have missed.

Storage on the base model iPhone and iPad has always been a concern. For years, the base model iPad started at 32GB of storage and the iPhone started at 64GB of storage. In almost every review you would read or watch, the reviewer would caution customers about this and suggest that they upgrade the storage for fear or running out of space. It's a self-inflicted criticism that Apple has dealt with for years.

Ipad 9th Gen Apple Event

Ipad 9th Gen Apple Event (Image credit: Apple)

Thankfully, that problem is going away with the iPhone 13 and 9th generation iPad. The iPhone 13, rather than 64GB, now starts with 128GB or storage. The 9th generation iPad also jumps from 32GB to 64GB of base storage. Each one also does so without increasing their prices. The iPhone 13 mini still starts at $699 and the 9th generation iPad starts at $329.

With this change, customers can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that they no longer have to stress about whether or not their base configuration iPhone or iPad has enough storage for their basic needs. Of course, if you have need for more storage, you can still upgrade. The iPhone 13 Pro models have actually just added a 1TB storage option for those who really need to store a ton on their iPhone.

However, this change is even more impactful for all of us who need the base configuration of an iPhone or iPad and wanted that little boost of storage for peace of mind.

Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.