16GB Samsung Galaxy S4 only has 8.82GB of usable space

Those that have tested the new Samsung Galaxy S4 were frustrated to learn that the size of Samsung's Android variant has ballooned in size, again.

The 16GB model only has 8.82GB of usable space, with the rest taken by the operating system, recovery partitions and pre-installed applications including Samsung's own suite that includes S Voice, S Translator and S Health.

Microsoft caused a stir earlier this year when it was revealed that their 64GB Surface tablet had only 29GB of usable space. The Windows 8 OS was the culprit in that situation.

Samsung does offer a MicroSD slot and larger capacity models, but of course those come with an added price.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 30 Apr 2013 18:28

bigfamei

Its 20 dollars for an sandisk 32GB SD card. I think I can manage.

30.4.2013 19:38 #1

PraisesToAllah

Wow. Is this confirmed?

30.4.2013 20:26 #2

KillerBug

Originally posted by bigfamei: Its 20 dollars for an sandisk 32GB SD card. I think I can manage. That's not the point...they wasted 6GB with bloatware. This is the same company that made the S3...a device with almost all of the 16GB available.

30.4.2013 21:09 #3

bigfamei

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by bigfamei: Its 20 dollars for an sandisk 32GB SD card. I think I can manage. That's not the point...they wasted 6GB with bloatware. This is the same company that made the S3...a device with almost all of the 16GB available. That is the point of an microsd slot. Now maybe samsung is taking advantage of that feature in their phones. But you can root it and remove alot of that bloatware.

30.4.2013 21:17 #4

megadunderhead

Actually i find this funny

199.99 for a samsung phone where they advertise 16 gb but only give you 8 ha ha ha ha oh and you have to pay extra for a micro sd card slot

Where my motorola atrix hd hd camera 8 gig's built in actual storage with micro sd card slot for 49.99

i think i will take 49.99 thank you

30.4.2013 22:11 #5

KillerBug

Originally posted by bigfamei: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by bigfamei: Its 20 dollars for an sandisk 32GB SD card. I think I can manage. That's not the point...they wasted 6GB with bloatware. This is the same company that made the S3...a device with almost all of the 16GB available. That is the point of an microsd slot. Now maybe samsung is taking advantage of that feature in their phones. But you can root it and remove alot of that bloatware.
It is a microSD slot...not an XD slot. It only adds a maximum of 64GB, and that isn't much. Rooting is great for some things, but it voids the warranty, and it should not be necessary for such basic things.

30.4.2013 22:34 #6

bigfamei

64GB is quite abit of room for a phone. I don't know what you are storing. Outside of videos and pictures. The average person may not get that close. No at least with Sprint rooting didn't void you warrant when I worked there. And I agree rooting shouldn't have to be necessary but at least its an option.

30.4.2013 22:37 #7

A5J4DX

damn

30.4.2013 23:22 #8

Jemborg

Originally posted by megadunderhead: ... and you have to pay extra for a micro sd card slot I don't think so.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

30.4.2013 23:27 #9

mukhis

Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by bigfamei: Originally posted by KillerBug: Originally posted by bigfamei: Its 20 dollars for an sandisk 32GB SD card. I think I can manage. That's not the point...they wasted 6GB with bloatware. This is the same company that made the S3...a device with almost all of the 16GB available. That is the point of an microsd slot. Now maybe samsung is taking advantage of that feature in their phones. But you can root it and remove alot of that bloatware.
It is a microSD slot...not an XD slot. It only adds a maximum of 64GB, and that isn't much. Rooting is great for some things, but it voids the warranty, and it should not be necessary for such basic things. i agree that ~50% wastage of storage is a bit disappointing. however, even w/o rooting, many apps that you don't need may be uninstalled. in addition, 64 GB card option can be of real benefit (as opposed to 32 GB in many phones). if you want even more storage, you may consider some wifi/battery enabled external drive; i wish something like dedicated wifi enabled external drive comes up though (like in bose audio players) so that i can use it anywhere w/o the need of wifi hotspot. can somebody confirm whether S4 would take 64 GB SDXC with its 10X speed?

1.5.2013 02:04 #10

Interestx

Yes it's annoying to lose 8gb - especially if it is on cr@p - but they do incorporate an SD card slot - and if the S2 can handle a SD XC 64gb card then I'm sure the S4 can too.

72gb (total) is a lot for a phone.

1.5.2013 07:59 #11

Bozobub

Actually, nearly every phone that supports a 32GB microSD can support a 64GB version, even if it doesn't expressly state the capability. This works on the entire HTC Evo series, for example.

1.5.2013 10:06 #12

Mrguss

http://www.shopandroid.com/samsung-gala...osdxc-top10.htm
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Mobile-Mi...3139659-2937617
Best: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SK57ZQ/ref...6linkCode%3Dasn

+5000

1.5.2013 15:42 #13

SeventhSon

The problem is some apps - including Spotify - dont recognise Sd storage and havens to be tricked into using it. The OS should make it seemless but it doesnt.

1.5.2013 18:26 #14

SeventhSon

In any case, why should you be redtricted from deleting unwanted crap from your new phone? Because Samsung are getting a kick back?

1.5.2013 18:35 #15

tongs007

who cares about rooting/sd cards, They are selling a 16 gig phone and you receive 8 gig blank space? thats not a 16 gig phone whatsoever, i could understand having maybe 14 gig free space, buy it and take them to court robbing sh*ts!

1.5.2013 19:18 #16

Bozobub

Ehh. I DO agree that there is far too much bloatware and silliness in just about every smartphone, including the S4. So what? Delete what you can and drive on, adding SD storage when needed, or simply root the phone.

No one is going to win a lawsuit, since you can remove all of that silly crap. The storage is really there, whether or not it's free by default.

Edit �> Yes, phone bloatware exists because the hardware manufacturers are getting a kickback and/or because the telco(s) involved insisted on it.

1.5.2013 19:31 #17

SeventhSon

But you can't just delete system apps it - not without rooting. Why is `The UK Top 40' a system app?Plus you have Google and Facebook increasingly embedding themselves in the OS so that they can track everything you do. If Apple did this we would go bonkers. Why put up with it from Samsung?

2.5.2013 02:51 #18

mukhis

Originally posted by SeventhSon: But you can't just delete system apps it - not without rooting. Why is `The UK Top 40' a system app?Plus you have Google and Facebook increasingly embedding themselves in the OS so that they can track everything you do. If Apple did this we would go bonkers. Why put up with it from Samsung?

agree, even in windows, i wish IE, WMP and some other craps could be deleted but you can't.

2.5.2013 04:55 #19

mukhis

Originally posted by Mrguss: http://www.shopandroid.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-64gb-microsdxc-top10.htm
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Mobile-Mi...3139659-2937617
Best: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SK57ZQ/ref...6linkCode%3Dasn
cheaper and better (read NLee's review)?
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-MicroSDXC...k+64gb+micro+sd

well, i can see samsung's card offers 70 speed as opposed to 30. may or may not be better one in practice.

2.5.2013 05:02 #20

Interestx

Originally posted by tongs007: buy it and take them to court robbing sh*ts! Verses just sticking a 32gb or a 64gb card in it?

Yeah, really bound to be worth it.

2.5.2013 10:26 #21

cart0181

Hey guys, it was their phone and their design before they put it in the stores and you decided to buy it. What was that I hear? You didn't buy it yet? Well, if you don't like it DON'T BUY IT! I'm mostly responding to the idea that someone should take Samsung to court for designing a product in their own labs the way they saw fit. That's ridiculous! (At least it is in a free country, don't know where you are from).

2.5.2013 18:56 #22

tongs007

Originally posted by Interestx: Originally posted by tongs007: buy it and take them to court robbing sh*ts! Verses just sticking a 32gb or a 64gb card in it?

Yeah, really bound to be worth it.

i wouldn't "stick" anything in it, its sold as 16 gig smart phone, why should I or anyone else at the point buy a big sd card if all you want is lets say 11gig to move photos over and some music and expect some free space for your new phones camera, some hd videos while out at the theme park? oh but that won't fit on the free space? why should someone "stick" a 32 gig or 64 micro sd "in it"? when most people see an 16 gig s4 they all think its 16 gig, but 8 gig its 50% of your storage, don't care what anyone says its BLATANTLY wrong

2.5.2013 20:10 #23

Jemborg

It wouldn't bother me too much a SD card, I'd get one anyway- they're damn cheap... at least the slow ones (no, not all class 10s are the same).

It would be an issue if I could not record AV direct to it.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

2.5.2013 21:54 #24

Tazer247

The sd card doesn't fix the problem if like on the galaxy s 3 apps cannot be installed on the external card. 8gb can fill up quickly if you are one of those people that have 100+ apps.

I fortunately am not, and I keep files, videos, and music on my external anyways. But still the 8gb limit is notable regardless of external cards.

2.5.2013 23:19 #25

Jemborg

Originally posted by Tazer247: The sd card doesn't fix the problem if like on the galaxy s 3 apps cannot be installed on the external card. 8gb can fill up quickly if you are one of those people that have 100+ apps.

I fortunately am not, and I keep files, videos, and music on my external anyways. But still the 8gb limit is notable regardless of external cards. Can you record straight to SD card?

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

3.5.2013 04:38 #26

Tazer247

Originally posted by Jemborg:
Can you record straight to SD card? If you mean videos then yes. Fortunately you have the option of where the camera sends files to sd vs external sd. If not that would be as easy as just copying it over anyways.

3.5.2013 09:10 #27

Interestx

Originally posted by Tazer247: The sd card doesn't fix the problem if like on the galaxy s 3 apps cannot be installed on the external card. 8gb can fill up quickly if you are one of those people that have 100+ apps. Well, as much as it is a small irritation not to actually get all the advertised space, like a lot of devices these days, for almost all of those that aren't happy with the way things are there is the micro SD card route.

72gbs is certain & being the new S4 model I'd bet the 128gb SD XC card, and bigger, will work in it too if space really is your obsession.

For the rest that find that won't suit they can always root the thing & get all that space back.

I'm betting 99.9% will go the micro SD card route & not notice a problem ever.

3.5.2013 10:27 #28

RuneJayce

It's nice to see this site is still full of inbred losers talking out of their ass!

I'm pissed off that half of the 16GB storage is full of crap and I look forward to it being hacked so if I do get one, I can uninstall said crap!

3.5.2013 12:29 #29

Bozobub

Originally posted by RuneJayce: It's nice to see this site is still full of inbred losers talking out of their ass!

I'm pissed off that half of the 16GB storage is full of crap and I look forward to it being hacked so if I do get one, I can uninstall said crap!
Indeed. Welcome to the club, O gluteal expositor.

3.5.2013 12:36 #30

xboxdvl2

samsung need to stick a giant warning sign on the box to the phone saying 16gbs only 8gbs usable problem solved. (they probably have a disclaimer somewhere but its that small you'd have to look at the box for 10minutes and use a magnifying glass to actually see it).

i have the big screen tv,a ps3 and 5.1 channel surround sound.car still runs smooth and computer still works but its a bit outdated.

3.5.2013 14:34 #31

bigfamei

Originally posted by xboxdvl2: samsung need to stick a giant warning sign on the box to the phone saying 16gbs only 8gbs usable problem solved. (they probably have a disclaimer somewhere but its that small you'd have to look at the box for 10minutes and use a magnifying glass to actually see it). Really they need to just raise the standard storage. It should be a min of 32gb. If they want to include all this bloatware. Then just market it as 16GB

3.5.2013 14:45 #32

Interestx

Originally posted by xboxdvl2: samsung need to stick a giant warning sign on the box to the phone saying 16gbs only 8gbs usable problem solved. I agree.
I also would like to see everyone go over to doing this.

I'd also like to see hard drive producers doing similar as it is starting to get silly now that that 4tb hard drives (and larger will be ever far away from the 'box claim'.

(4tb actually being about 3.6tb in reality)

3.5.2013 15:44 #33

Tazer247

Originally posted by Interestx: Originally posted by xboxdvl2: samsung need to stick a giant warning sign on the box to the phone saying 16gbs only 8gbs usable problem solved. I agree.
I also would like to see everyone go over to doing this.

I'd also like to see hard drive producers doing similar as it is starting to get silly now that that 4tb hard drives (and larger will be ever far away from the 'box claim'.

(4tb actually being about 3.6tb in reality)

Aren't those due to manufacturers using 1000 per instead of 1024 for conversions?

3.5.2013 15:49 #34

Jemborg

Originally posted by Tazer247: Originally posted by Interestx: Originally posted by xboxdvl2: samsung need to stick a giant warning sign on the box to the phone saying 16gbs only 8gbs usable problem solved. I agree.
I also would like to see everyone go over to doing this.

I'd also like to see hard drive producers doing similar as it is starting to get silly now that that 4tb hard drives (and larger will be ever far away from the 'box claim'.

(4tb actually being about 3.6tb in reality)

Aren't those due to manufacturers using 1000 per instead of 1024 for conversions? They are for solid state memory. They use a decimal rather than digital system. Interestingly I just installed a "128g" Vertex 4 SSD and according to the system I was straight up actually installing win7 to a 119gig space. (Some of it's absorbed by the file format e.g. NTFS.) So in reality you can't rely on them as far as memory size goes, we all have to live with it. Geez, I can't see what the fuss is about if you use SD storage for files. Sorry to see you having a fit about it RuneJayce lol.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

3.5.2013 23:22 #35

mukhis

Originally posted by RuneJayce: I'm pissed off that half of the 16GB storage is full of crap and I look forward to it being hacked so if I do get one, I can uninstall said crap!
rooting/jailbreaking are nice for some people, not for all as doing those voids warranty. and since hardware reliability is going down day by day, and with software you can mess up at any time, warranty is important.
but yes, as someone suggested, manufacturers should increase the native storage if they want so much bloatware in their devices (surface tabs, anyone?), specially when game lovers can be disappointed with small storage (for documents/photos/music/videos, you can always use external cards).

4.5.2013 07:19 #36

Jemborg

Originally posted by mukhis: Originally posted by RuneJayce: I'm pissed off that half of the 16GB storage is full of crap and I look forward to it being hacked so if I do get one, I can uninstall said crap!
rooting/jailbreaking are nice for some people, not for all as doing those voids warranty. and since hardware reliability is going down day by day, and with software you can mess up at any time, warranty is important.
but yes, as someone suggested, manufacturers should increase the native storage if they want so much bloatware in their devices (surface tabs, anyone?), specially when game lovers can be disappointed with small storage (for documents/photos/music/videos, you can always use external cards). What's the resale on phones that have been rooted?

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

4.5.2013 09:11 #37

Tazer247

Regardless, removing root is about as simple as rooting depending on the phone. Most people I know will revert back to stock to bring their phone in for anything. In fact I know people who have gotten 5+ replacements, and rooted/unrooted them all when they had to be returned. (Droid Charge had a lot of data/gps issues)

4.5.2013 10:53 #38

Jemborg

Originally posted by Tazer247: Regardless, removing root is about as simple as rooting depending on the phone. Most people I know will revert back to stock to bring their phone in for anything. In fact I know people who have gotten 5+ replacements, and rooted/unrooted them all when they had to be returned. (Droid Charge had a lot of data/gps issues) Cheers.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

4.5.2013 10:55 #39

ChikaraNZ

I really think the whole storage industry needs to have some tougher standards on this. It's always created confusion for years, what with usable capacity being well below the advertised 'size' in cases like this, plus HD's sold with MB's variously advertised as 1,000,000 bytes (wrong) or 1,048,576 bytes (correct but confusing for layperson). Let's have some industry wide consistency.

Imagine if I bought an electric jug that says it has a 2 litre capacity. But when I went to boil water for my coffee, it only lets me put in 1 litre. The rest is taken up by the heating element etc etc.
We wouldn't accept that, so why do we for the electronics industry??

4.5.2013 11:44 #40

leglessoz

Originally posted by tongs007: why should someone "stick" a 32 gig or 64 micro sd "in it"? when most people see an 16 gig s4 they all think its 16 gig, but 8 gig its 50% of your storage, don't care what anyone says its BLATANTLY wrong So you don't buy a laptop because it's advertised as having a 256GB SSD in it but "Oh no a whole bunch of the 256GB is used up by a damned operating system, some preinstalled software and restore partition"? Those bastards, how dare they?

Buy something else if you don't like the software that Samsung chooses to put in its phones.

4.5.2013 12:52 #41

Bozobub

Thing is, ChikaraNZ, that HD manufacturers are quite aware of that confusion, and in fact specifically support it. In the "distant" past, all HD storage sizes were in actual MB (1024 bytes * 1024 kilobytes). But some marketing schmuck realized "Hey, we can use SI units for these sizes and they all look bigger," and furthermore, with a small disclaimer, it's all perfectly legal.

You don't have this same issue with RAM, because RAM needs to be in even multiples of 1024 anyhow.

So no, there will never be "tougher standards" on this matter; it's exactly how the manufacturers want it.

4.5.2013 12:55 #42

ChikaraNZ

Originally posted by Bozobub: Thing is, ChikaraNZ, that HD manufacturers are quite aware of that confusion, and in fact specifically support it. In the "distant" past, all HD storage sizes were in actual MB (1024 bytes * 1024 kilobytes). But some marketing schmuck realized "Hey, we can use SI units for these sizes and they all look bigger," and furthermore, with a small disclaimer, it's all perfectly legal.

You don't have this same issue with RAM, because RAM needs to be in even multiples of 1024 anyhow.

So no, there will never be "tougher standards" on this matter; it's exactly how the manufacturers want it. Yep, and for more knowledgeable consumers like us, it's okay, as we understand some of the space on a PC or phone has to be used up by the OS to make it run.
I guess I'm more concerned about the typical consumer who probably doesn't understand it so much and then feels ripped off.
If it's misleading to them, then I think it should be changed.
But Bozobub, I agree with you that it is unlikely ever to.

4.5.2013 12:59 #43

leglessoz

Originally posted by ChikaraNZ: I really think the whole storage industry needs to have some tougher standards on this. It's always created confusion for years, what with usable capacity being well below the advertised 'size' in cases like this, plus HD's sold with MB's variously advertised as 1,000,000 bytes (wrong) or 1,048,576 bytes (correct but confusing for layperson). Let's have some industry wide consistency. Actually you are incorrect. By ISO standards definition which is how hard drive manufacturers define their storage space a megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes. In computer terms a kilobyte is 1024 bytes but really it's a kibibyte. A kilobyte must be by ISO definition 1,000 bytes. 1,048,576 bytes is not a megabyte but a mebibyte (mega binary byte) or 1024 kibibytes. Beyond megabytes and mebibytes we have gigabytes and gibibytes respectively.

So the confusion comes from hard drive manufacturers using ISO definition for storage sizes and software companies using standards. It's why a nice new 1 TB drive has about 1,000 gigabytes of storage but the operating systemm says it has "only" 951 GB of storage.

Quote:Imagine if I bought an electric jug that says it has a 2 litre capacity. But when I went to boil water for my coffee, it only lets me put in 1 litre. The rest is taken up by the heating element etc etc. We wouldn't accept that, so why do we for the electronics industry?? The difference is that a 1 litre jug will hold 1 litre of water (often a little more). A litre is a defined volume just a megabyte is a define amount. I agree that hardware and software companies need to use the same standards. 1,024 bytes of memory (RAM) has for a long time been incorrectly referred as 1 kilobyte. It was an approximation in effect.

4.5.2013 13:13 #44

Interestx

Indeed.

It's only going to get sillier & more trouble-making as sizes get bigger, if a 4tb HDD is really 3.6tb then how ridiculous is it going to look like when we get to 6, 8 or 12tb?

None of this is about pre-installed softwares either, it's just a huge discrepancy between the advertised capacity & reality.

All the manufacturers need to just get over it & start to reflect reality in my view.

4.5.2013 13:20 #45

Bozobub

Sorry, leglessoz, but no. I honestly cannot care less how ISO attempts to redefine what a "kilobyte" or "megabyte" is, they did not invent the words (they came about several decades earlier), that simple, and no one has to accept how they would prefer the words to be defined, nor has anyone, which is exactly what is causing this confusion.

Esperanto was an entire language defined as a small group of people thought it "ought" to be. Guess how well that went down ^^' ?

Case in point: When was the last time you heard ANYONE using the term "kibibyte" or "mebibyte"? As for me, it was only here, in this thread, within the past two years. That's not how a successful (re)definition of a word works.

There's specific, very solid reasons to use power-of-two sizes in computer applications, which � again � is exactly why RAM sizes reflect this; there's no "fudge" room for manufacturers to prevaricate.

4.5.2013 14:35 #46

leglessoz

The originators of the terms should not have used ISO terminology in the first place. By the way, ISO standards are NOT defined for use by a small group of people but by the majority of the world; standards the USofA refuses to use.

The only reason the correct terms aren't in common use is most people have never heard of them. Computer scientists or anyone else don't get to decide that they will use ISO standard terminology incorrectly and not get flack for it.

I'm well aware of why a wrongly termed kilobyte is 1,024 bytes (but thanks anyway for pointing out that it's binary 2^10). The "fudge" as you put it was made by the scientists in calling 1,024 bytes a kilobyte.

4.5.2013 15:09 #47

leglessoz

Besides the ISO was created in 1947 and the term byte was not invented until 1956.

4.5.2013 15:15 #48

Mrguss

Originally posted by Interestx: Indeed.

It's only going to get sillier & more trouble-making as sizes get bigger, if a 4tb HDD is really 3.6tb then how ridiculous is it going to look like when we get to 6, 8 or 12tb?

None of this is about pre-installed softwares either, it's just a huge discrepancy between the advertised capacity & reality.

All the manufacturers need to just get over it & start to reflect reality in my view. Agree:
This is like Countries living with old out-dated Constitutions (principles/rules), 'cos benefice the rich class only. (In this case Corporations) When all Countries Constitutions should reflect today living standards.

+5000

4.5.2013 15:59 #49

Bozobub

Originally posted by leglessoz: Besides the ISO was created in 1947 and the term byte was not invented until 1956.
Fail. The terms "kilobyte" and "megabyte" were never meant to refer to ISO, and in fact the people who invented the terms were quite aware of SI units; they just used the prefixes "kilo" and "mega" (and etc.) for ease of visualizing the units involved. Again, it makes a LOT of sense to use power-of-two units with binary computers, and none to use power-of-10. Furthermore, the terms "kibibyte" and "mebibyte" didn't exist until 1999; they were actually invented by the IEC.

As for the "correct terms", well, if literally no one uses the *cough* correct term, it's NOT correct. Furthermore, ISO never actually referred to those specific terms, and the IEC can go piss up a tree, as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

4.5.2013 16:20 #50

leglessoz

Well we can agree to disagree on the correct use of kilo- and mega- and move on.

People who think they are being ripped off by drive manufacturers can just get over it.

4.5.2013 16:39 #51

Bozobub

Actually, they can refuse to buy the product, as well, so the drive manufacturers can also "get over it" =) .

4.5.2013 16:59 #52

YOBUZZB

Much ado about nothing. Remove the apps you don't won't or have the phone provider remove the bloatware. I've done it with every smart phone I've owned. I also a high capacity SD card and always Class 10. PC's come with a bucket load of crapware, that I have to remove. The only difference is that with PC's, "you can actually remove them", without jumping through hoops to do so!

7.5.2013 03:28 #53

leglessoz

They are making a pure Android version of this phone available soon. It will have none of the Samsung stuff added.

20.5.2013 12:47 #54

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