Cloud Storage Prices Have Changed a LOT This Month
In a move that's sure to disappoint many users, Amazon has done away with its unlimited cloud storage service. Instead, the megasite's pricing now matches recent changes Apple has made. These industry shifts have many wondering if Google will be next to tweak its cloud storage plans.
So Long, Unlimited Amazon Drive
It's hard to see Amazon's decision as anything but a downgrade. The company discontinued its unlimited Drive plan, which users had been able to take advantage of for $60 per year. Now, users can get a 1TB plan for the same price. Need more storage? Amazon allows you to add up to 30TB at a price of $1,800 per year for the whole package.
SEE ALSO: Amazon Might Owe You Money for Unauthorized In-App Purchases
On the other hand, Apple recently did away with its popular 1TB plan — but in return, it dropped the price of its 2TB plan to $10 per month, or $120 per year. Still, since every TB at Amazon is another $60 per year, you'll pay the same for 2TB of storage whether you support Team Cook or Team Bezos.
Find a Backup
If you've been using Amazon's unlimited storage, you could have it for up to another year. Your membership won't run out until it's time to renew. But then, it'll be auto-renewed and you'll be put into the 1TB plan. If your auto-renew option isn't on, or you happen to have more than 1TB stored on your Drive, you'll have to choose a new plan on Amazon's "manage storage" page.
However, if you don't sign up for another plan, you'll have 180 days after your current plan expires to remove your data. Otherwise, once the 180-day grace period ends, Amazon will begin deleting it — starting with the most recent uploads, according to Mac Observer.
Is Google Next?
With Apple and Amazon on a more level playing field now, some outlets are speculating that Google will soon announce a price change of its own. Currently, its 1TB pricing is $9.99 per month, the same as what Apple and Amazon are charging for their 2TB plans. For what it's worth, 10TB with Google will set you back $99.99 per month. That's a rather serious bill of $1,200 per year, whereas Amazon is only charging half that for the same amount of storage.
SEE ALSO: Why UPS is Serious About Drone Deliveries, But You Shouldn't Expect One Soon
But if you're looking for free options, Google is still your best bet. Google Drive provides you with 15GB, which might just be plenty depending on your needs. For the moment, both Apple and Amazon are cheaper at the 1TB tier. Google might just end up tweaking its pricing so it can be more competitive.
Readers, do you use Apple, Google, or Amazon cloud storage? Have these price changes persuaded you to switch from your current plan to something else? Let us know in the comments below!
Haha, brilliant idea. Let's store a copy of all backed up data on every single node in the network, forever. It'll be like RAID0 across all computers on the internet and without the possibility of deleting old data. /s
Block chains make no sense for a problem like this. What you want is a content-addressed storage network like BitTorrent or IPFS... Where redundancy comes from opportunistic replication based on demand, not a shared ledger.