Phone Storage Upgrades Are a Scam: How I Outsmarted Them
Buying a 1TB phone may be one of the worst tech investments for power users and content creators like myself. I initially justified paying a premium for maximum storage due to shooting a lot of 4K video. However, I soon realized that spending extra on 1TB or 2TB models offers poor value, doesn't address real workflow bottlenecks, and traps your data on a single device.
The Expensive Illusion of Bigger Built-In Storage
When you choose flagship phones with large built-in storage, you actually pay a high markup for memory that is permanently soldered in with no option to upgrade.
- Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro with 256GB costs $1,099.
- Google’s Pixel 10 Pro XL with 256GB costs $899.
Upgrading from 256GB to 1TB or more means paying a huge premium for storage you cannot expand later.
A Smarter, More Affordable Approach
Instead of overpaying for internal storage, I bought a 256GB phone and paired it with a fast external SSD to offload files regularly.
"I purchased a 2TB Crucial X9 Pro portable SSD for $180 online."
This method provides massive capacity at a fraction of the cost and frees my workflow from the limitations of built-in storage.
Summary
Opting for smaller internal storage and using a portable SSD saves money, increases flexibility, and avoids the trap of overpriced, non-upgradable phone storage.
Author’s note: Overpaying for large phone storage is an outdated approach; pairing base models with affordable external SSDs is a smarter and cheaper alternative.