My kingdom for a Pixel 10 Professional with limitless Google Pictures backups

Latest Google telephones just like the Pixel 9 collection are higher all-round flagship telephones than the Snapdragon-powered Pixels of bygone years. Certain, earlier Pixels had extra dependable connectivity and top-notch efficiency on the time, however current fashions provide a great deal of AI options, aggressive digital camera {hardware}, massive batteries, and a extra stable all-around physique.

Nevertheless, there’s one factor I miss concerning the first Pixel telephones that I’d like to see on upcoming fashions just like the Pixel 10 collection, and that’s limitless Google Pictures backups.

Google first provided limitless Pictures backups on the unique Pixel again in 2016, delivering limitless original-quality picture and video backups. This profit was tweaked from the Pixel 2 collection onwards, as Google provided limitless high-quality (i.e. compressed) backups as a substitute. Sadly, this perk died with the launch of the Pixel 6 in 2021. In the meantime, Google additionally provided that very same limitless high-quality backups for all customers (no matter system) up till 2021, too, earlier than transitioning to simply 15GB of Google One storage. Nevertheless, previous Pixels had been exempt from these adjustments, successfully gaining limitless backups in perpetuity.

I used the Pixel 4 as my secondary system in 2019 and 2020 and skilled this characteristic first-hand. It was an exquisite addition as a result of it meant I clearly didn’t have to fret about paying a subscription payment for cloud storage of my system pictures.

A giant purpose why I miss limitless Google Pictures backups is that I didn’t have any of the storage-related anxiousness that I now have when taking footage and movies on my Pixel 7 Professional. This downgrade has modified the best way I exploit my telephone digital camera, reminiscent of taking pictures in 1080p as a substitute of 4K, for one. I additionally discover myself considering twice about whether or not I really want to shoot a video within the first place, lest I refill my storage quick.

On the time, limitless Google Pictures storage complemented the Pixel line’s class-leading smartphone images, too. And I’d argue that limitless backups can be a fair higher addition to trendy Pixels owing to their extra highly effective digital camera methods and storage-demanding options like Video Enhance. This perk is much more vital in 2024 because the Pixel 9 collection ships with simply 128GB of storage, that means you’ll have to dump to the cloud extra usually than even some low cost telephones.

And even when the Pixel 10 collection strikes as much as 256GB of base storage, limitless Google Pictures backups would nonetheless be a helpful characteristic that might deliver me and my trigger-happy images love loads of peace of thoughts.

Sadly, I extremely doubt that Google will ever resurrect limitless Pictures backups for future Pixel telephones. For one, knowledge storage may be very costly at this scale. XDA-Builders used some basic math to counsel that Google may very well be paying $318 million on storage for its two billion customers (assuming 15GB of storage every), in comparison with $6.2 million for 10 million customers in 2012. These figures don’t inform us the entire story, as there are many different variables, however they actually give us an thought of the dizzying scale of contemporary storage necessities.

It nearly goes with out saying that Google’s enterprise mannequin with Google Pictures and cloud storage typically was to start out off low cost and even free to seize customers (and their picture knowledge) after which lock them in. In reality, the corporate has been very stingy with Google One storage upgrades through the years, because it’s provided 100GB of cloud storage for $1.99 a month since 2014.

This stingy strategy can also be seen with the corporate providing free six-month or one-year Google One AI Premium 2TB plans with the acquisition of Pixel 9 telephones. This sounds beneficiant at first look, however what occurs when your free trial interval elapses? Nicely, you must delete recordsdata or pay up. It’s one other case of locking in customers.

I’m 99.9999% sure that Google won’t ever revive limitless Pictures backups on Pixel telephones owing to the aforementioned knowledge storage prices and its personal enterprise technique. That doesn’t change the truth that that is nonetheless a characteristic I sorely miss on trendy Pixels and that I’d personally pay a small premium for.

In reality, I’d argue {that a} Pixel 10 collection with limitless backups would considerably improve Google’s present miniscule smartphone market share. For now, although? I assume we simply need to take these bundled free cloud memberships once we can.