Apple Announces 12TB iCloud+ Storage Tier for $60 per Month
Although easy to miss among the flurry of Apple Watch and iPhone news at yesterday’s Apple Event, the company added a pair of iCloud+ storage tiers to its offerings, providing users with new 6TB and 12TB options.
As Engadget reports, the 6TB and 12TB cloud storage plans arrive next week, joining existing 50GB, 200GB, and 2TB plans.
The significantly increased storage will help users keep more photos and videos in the cloud, which may prove helpful given that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models have 48-megapixel main cameras, and the flagship Pro and Pro Max devices can now shoot 4K/60p ProRes video. Filling up a 256GB or 512GB iPhone Pro will take little time when recording hefty video clips.
Tucked away at the bottom of the iPhone 15 press release, Apple writes, “Available starting on September 18, iCloud+ will offer two new plans: 6TB for $29.99 (U.S.) per month and 12TB for $59.99 (U.S.) per month, providing additional storage to keep files, photos, videos, and more safe, accessible, and easy to share. The new plans are great for users with large photo and video libraries or those using Family Sharing, and will provide access to premium features, including Private Relay, Hide My Email, Custom Email Domains, and HomeKit Secure Video support.”
$30 and $60 per month is a lot to pay for cloud storage, although these new tiers are proportionately priced, as 2TB is $10.
While there is cheaper cloud storage available, a significant advantage of iCloud, and iCloud+ with its additional features and security, is that it integrates natively with macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
Moving photos and videos between Apple devices and the cloud is extremely straightforward. In fact, it is possible to automatically store full-resolution files in iCloud as they are captured, preserving valuable space on a user’s device.
Ultimately, most users do not require 6TB or 12TB of iCloud storage, fewer still will want to shell out up to $60 per month for the option. However, the new tiers are a welcome addition for the biggest power users. After all, 48-megapixel Apple ProRAW images are about 75MB each and add up quickly.
Image credits: Apple
