Brand new phone, no apps added, 17 GB memory used!?

garybeck · Dec 7, 2018

Is this normal?

my brand new phone has 17GB of memory already used up. if I had the 32GB phone, that would be more than half, before I even install one app!

Man i'm glad I selected the 64 GB model and paid the extra $50

Hadron · Dec 7, 2018

I don't know that model so can't confirm what is normal for it (but I imagine it is: out of the box they are all the same). But a few things to consider:

1) the system software will take up some space. Indeed there will be separate partitions set aside for this, so what you have available is the total minus those partitions, not total minus the space used in them. The size varies by manufacturer and model: my Pixel uses less than that with dual system partitions, Samsung often use more than that with a single one.

2) Are you using binary or decimal units? The "64 GB" will be in decimal - in binary that's 59.6 GB. So if you subtract free space in binary from a total that's decimal it will appear to have used more space than it has.

You could try a little app called Storage Truth: that will tell you the actual size of your /data partition, i.e. the total space available to you, your apps and their data (in binary units). The rest is the different system partitions. It will also tell you how much of the /data partition is already used by data from and updates to the pre-installed apps.

garybeck · Dec 7, 2018

Hadron said:
I don't know that model so can't confirm what is normal for it (but I imagine it is: out of the box they are all the same). But a few things to consider:

I have the Moto X4, that is why i posted in this forum, i figured that was assumed.

regardless of the decimal or binary, this phone is available in 32 or 64 GB. I believe there is no other difference. that means for those who have the 32 GB unit, it comes from the factory with 17GB used, and that would be roughly half of the internal memory.

Jfalls63 · Dec 7, 2018

One of the things I found out after I had bought the X4 was the A/B system partitions which took up right at 13gb. First experience with setup for seamless updates.

dontpanicbobby · Dec 7, 2018

I'm the "average guy" guy Microsoft choose to be an MVP back in the day...

Some of the people you meet on Android Forums are way above average for any platform.

Seems like they're saying you have to subtract the OS from your total memory.

Did that make sense @garybeck?

Hadron · Dec 7, 2018

garybeck said:
I have the Moto X4, that is why i posted in this forum, i figured that was assumed.

regardless of the decimal or binary, this phone is available in 32 or 64 GB. I believe there is no other difference. that means for those who have the 32 GB unit, it comes from the factory with 17GB used, and that would be roughly half of the internal memory.

Firstly yes, I know which phone you have. I meant I have no personal experience of that model so don't know what is normal for it.

Binary Vs decimal is nothing to do with the phone, it's how the app or menu you are using presents the data. Storage manufacturers, and hence phone manufacturers, always quote the capacity in decimal because it sounds bigger. Computers use binary for file sizes. Different apps will use one or the other. The confusion comes when you compare a capacity quoted in one with free space quoted in the other, which is why I was flagging this as something to be aware of.

And it might sound odd, but some manufacturers have been known to reserve more space for the system in higher capacity models of the same phone, even though I can see no sense in that. So I wouldn't assume anything myself.

Search

Search

Brand new phone, no apps added, 17 GB memory used!?

garybeck

Android Enthusiast

Hadron

Spacecorp test pilot

garybeck

Android Enthusiast

Jfalls63

Android Expert

dontpanicbobby

100% That Guy

Hadron

Spacecorp test pilot

BEST TECH IN 2023

Smartphones

Best Android Phones

Upcoming

Best iPhones

Upcoming

Tablets

Best Tablets

Upcoming

Laptops

Best Laptops

Upcoming

Televisions

Best TVs

Upcoming

Game Consoles

Best Game Consoles

Upcoming

Wearables

Best Wearables

Upcoming

Smart Home

Smart Home Tech

Upcoming

Similar threads