All iPads How much storage is actually needed for iPad?

[Crow_Servo]

Apple’s storage tiers (usually):

Bottom = Enough for now (but maybe not later)
Second = Just right for most (all-around best for most)
Third/Fourth = For power users (or those who like the fanciest)

With the M4 iPads, I probably would’ve gone with 512GB if they all had the same specs otherwise, but I really wanted the most RAM and the non-binned processor, so I went with 1TB.

I do game, so it’s nice to have a sizable amount of storage for it. I added an extra 2TB to my 1TB PS5, and I absolutely needed the extra storage. I don’t think Apple will suddenly compete with consoles and PCs in terms of quantity of games, but you never know.

I really love FPS games on the touch screen compared to using a controller, and it does look like more and more games will make their way to Apple. It’s exciting that gaming is at least improving on Apple.

 

[Greggio]

Figure around 1-10GB per mobile game.

Personally, I'd go 256GB if you plan on having several games on your iPad. On mine, firmware+other occupy 20GB already and I can see that growing with the on-device AI stuff on iPadOS 18.

One of my iPads only has 64GB and I can only keep a couple of smaller games on it (2-4GB). There's definitely more breathing room with 128GB but games can be huge and they've been growing in size.

Also, take the app size listed on the App Store with a grain of salt. For example, Genshin Impact shows 2.68GB on the store but it doesn't tell you that there's another 18GB in-app download required in order to play the game. 🤦‍♀️

I just installed RetroArch on my iPad but haven't really set it up yet. I can see my favorite multi-disc PSX games easily taking up another 20-30GB. Even moreso for PS2.

That’s a good point about app sizes. Music is more than 1GB on my ipad and I only stream and have it set not to store anything locally. Messages is over 4GB. Lots of stuff seems to accumulate that way exceeds the size of the soft program

 

[Greggio]

Apple’s storage tiers (usually):

Bottom = Enough for now (but maybe not later)
Second = Just right for most (all-around best for most)
Third/Fourth = For power users (or those who like the fanciest)

With the M4 iPads, I probably would’ve gone with 512GB if they all had the same specs otherwise, but I really wanted the most RAM and the non-binned processor, so I went with 1TB.

I do game, so it’s nice to have a sizable amount of storage for it. I added an extra 2TB to my 1TB PS5, and I absolutely needed the extra storage. I don’t think Apple will suddenly compete with consoles and PCs in terms of quantity of games, but you never know.

I really love FPS games on the touch screen compared to using a controller, and it does look like more and more games will make their way to Apple. It’s exciting that gaming

I’d normally agree with your take on how the tiers usually are, although I’d normally say the bottom tier has for a while been = probably not enough.

With the M4 iPads starting at 256GB, it’s the first time I’m thinking that the bottom tier is probably workable

 

[AlexJoda]

I agree esp since we know now that for Apple Intelligence RAM is a limiting factor. If I would go for the M4, and I’m still very much on the fence, the 16GB Ram 1TB 10 Core M4 is the one to go for

I am still thinking that AI on the iPad need some more years to get really useful. For the start 8 GB RAM might be enough. If AI is more important in some years you buy a new iPad anyway (with more RAM and TOPS at that time)

 

[Bradenmikael]

2Tb … because I can.

 

[Crow_Servo]

I am still thinking that AI on the iPad need some more years to get really useful. For the start 8 GB RAM might be enough. If AI is more important in some years you buy a new iPad anyway (with more RAM and TOPS at that time)

This isn’t a bad point, but when you consider that the four-year-old M1 supports version one of Apple Intelligence, it makes me think that M4 will be able to use many of the future iterations of AI. 8GB RAM I’m sure will remain the minimum standard for a while, but perhaps 16GB RAM will run it even better on some of the later iterations.

Maybe, maybe not.

 

[rui no onna]

It’s so easy to get drawn into paying for the next tier… My current iPad has only 32GB and is really struggling ‘cause it’s completely full. I can’t really update the software.

I decided I was going to get a new iPad before the new devices were announced, thinking I should at least get 128GB. My phone has about 90GB and I pay for iCloud storage so that should be enough.

I’ve now decided to get the iPad Pro, so will automatically have at least 256GB. Which should be more than enough for my needs.

But then, I don’t want a lack of storage to limit what I can do with an expensive device. And to have a bit of future proofing. I don’t really game, but if I decided to, the downloads are huge. And the 512GB version has the faster SSD….

So suddenly I’m considering forking out for 512GB. Which is probably way more than I need, but…

TLDR. Coming from 32GB, 256GB should be heaps. But having borne the scars of having not enough storage, I’m in danger of paying for too much.

Mine was a gradual journey by necessity since higher capacities weren’t available yet (32GB iPad 2 -> 64GB iPad 2 after just 3 days -> 128GB iPad 4 -> 256GB iPP 9.7 -> 512GB 2017 iPP 12.9 -> 1TB M1 iPP 12.9).

From my very first iPad though, I knew I needed/wanted 500GB-1TB. I often wish Apple would include a built-in microSD slot (external USB protrudes too much). Apple’s storage tax is brutal and I don’t really need 2Gbps read/write speeds for downloaded comics and videos.

 

[killhippie]

I went for 256GB (my last 2018 iPad Pro was 1TB and I never filled it) I saw a few videos on youtube showing no noticible perfomance gains With a 1TB iPad and the extra core and extra ram on a M4 (it is an iPad not a Mac) it really didn't make any real difference, I went with the base model and that will be fine I am sure, anyway as for storage I can just add a external SSD as needed.

 

[AlexJoda]

This isn’t a bad point, but when you consider that the four-year-old M1 supports version one of Apple Intelligence, it makes me think that M4 will be able to use many of the future iterations of AI. 8GB RAM I’m sure will remain the minimum standard for a while, but perhaps 16GB RAM will run it even better on some of the later iterations.

Maybe, maybe not.

I get your point. I had my Gen 2 12.9 iPP for 6 years and replaced it recently with the 12.9 M1 iPP. Maybe the M1 will not last so long but I am very hopeful. Main reason to upgrade was that IOS 18 is not supported any more with the Gen2 and that the battery was down.
I think that the iPhone and maybe the Mac are the most useful devices for AI by now, so I will get the iPhone 16 (that replaces my old XR) and the M4 Mac Mini (that replaces my 27" iMac 2017) next. For these devices it makes sense to buy them new, but not the iPad Pro...

 

[backstreetboy]

16gb or 32gb to download Netflix, Disney, Apple TV+, Hulu, Youtube etc. for streaming. It's not useful for anything else.

 

[sparksd]

16gb or 32gb to download Netflix, Disney, Apple TV+, Hulu, Youtube etc. for streaming. It's not useful for anything else.

You have a limited imagination.

 

[backstreetboy]

You have a limited imagination.

Or Apple has. Allow me to dock it and run macOS with the zillions of proper macOS apps.

 

[rui no onna]

16gb or 32gb to download Netflix, Disney, Apple TV+, Hulu, Youtube etc. for streaming. It's not useful for anything else.

16GB isn't really enough for just OS + stock apps nowadays. Even 32GB is a pain for streaming. I couldn't install firmware updates without offloading pretty much all my apps.

 

[RoadWarrior56]

My advice - Estimate what storage size you think you will need, and then go up one more size. My experience is that you often will end up using more storage over the long term than you think you will need when you purchase the device, and this will make you future-proof. This advice especially applies if you plan to use the iPad for several years, and this is how I determine the storage size of iPads. To date, since 2012 I have purchased 4 - iPad Mini's and one iPad Air.

 

[ericwn]

Or Apple has. Allow me to dock it and run macOS with the zillions of proper macOS apps.

Zillion of apps? Is that from an alternate universe where Mac has some mainstream importance and iOS and variants have not?

 

[ProbablyDylan]

I got the 1TB. I'm tired of juggling what's stored in the cloud and what's stored locally. I don't want to think about storage for years.

 

[Isengardtom]

Or Apple has. Allow me to dock it and run macOS with the zillions of proper macOS apps.

I prefer Windows then so I can have a multi bazillion selection