Serious storage problems 8gb Moto e

[desura]

Serious storage issues. Basically, for some reason, unlike apple devices, when an android phone has 8gb of storage, it really has 5gb of storage while 3gb is taken up by the os. Beyond that, of that 5gb, probably 3gb is taken up by no removable google apps.

So there is maybe 2-2.5gb available for the user to install apps. But also, apparently it won't let you dip below 500mb in unused space.

I recently uninstalled Facebook because at 300mb, it was taking up too much space and apps wouldn't update as a result.

Is there any way to improve this situation?

 

[zebrax2]

Buy an SD card. According to this post you can move some apps to the SD card.

 

[desura]

Buy an SD card. According to this post you can move some apps to the SD card.

I have an sd card already. The way it works is that apps can move some data to the sd card, probably some data cache of some sort, but the executable of the app stays on the main memory. And when I tried to move the Facebook app data to the sd card it actually crashed the phone.

 

[RossMAN]

Would link2SD work on the OP's phone?

 

[desura]

i don't think it is even giving me 5gb of storage.

Looking at the settings screen...

Avail: 810mb
Apps:2.17gb
Pictures:32kb
Audio:216kb
Downloads:3.4 mob
Cached data:209mb
Misc:18.4mb

This is more like 3gb. This is awful.

 

[Anubis]

when an android phone has 8gb of storage, it really has 5gb of storage while 3gb is taken up by the os. ?

just want to point out that's exactly the same as apple

 

[sweenish]

just want to point out that's exactly the same as apple

Glad this got said.

Buy miniscule storage, that's kind of on the buyer. Those are phones where extra apps are not really expected to be installed at all. Maybe a little music, and some breathing room for the apps that are on it already.

 

[isekii]

Time for a new phone with 16gb/32gb in storage.

 

[Red Storm]

That's why you don't buy a phone with 8GB storage. It's the same no matter which OS you have.

 

[KeithP]

You might try reformatting your card and moving Facebook over again. On my Moto G 2nd gen, Facebook works fine from the SD card.

I currently have 1.5GB of free space and it hasn't been a problem for me. YMMV.

-KeithP

 

[Oyeve]

I wish we had Stac compression SW for these phones like we had in the 90s on PCs.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Use the Facebook Lite app. I actually prefer it because it can do messages in app:

http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/facebook-2/lite/

 

[quikah]

That's why you don't buy a phone with 8GB storage. It's the same no matter which OS you have.

Actually Windowsphone treats SD card in a sane manner. You can install apps to it without jumping through hoops. Android SD card support is kind of useless except for photos/music.

 

[Red Storm]

Actually Windowsphone treats SD card in a sane manner. You can install apps to it without jumping through hoops. Android SD card support is kind of useless except for photos/music.

Pretty sure Marshmallow has changed it so that the phone can "adopt" mSD storage so the phone considers it part of the internal storage. I have no idea what happens if you took out the mSD after doing this. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Also my point was about the OS taking up space. OP stated that Apple devices do not do this, which is simply not true. Every OS takes up space on the device it is installed on. An 8GB Moto is not going to have 8GB free, neither would a 16GB iPhone or Lumia.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Facebook works fine from the SD card.

Not every card is the same. Unless you have a decent SD card with good random write performance running apps off of it is going to suck.

 

[desura]

Yeah, at this point I'm seriously considering returning the thing. It is just stunningly slow. I looked up benchmarks and by my calculation the snapdragon 410 should have been roughly comparable to the dual core s4 in the Moto X. But in actual use there will be like five second waits to launch apps. And this is despite having a lower resolution screen. I suspect that Motorola might have cut costs by including slower or lower quality ram and storage.

 

[algarblandom]

Yeah, at this point I'm seriously considering returning the thing. It is just stunningly slow. I looked up benchmarks and by my calculation the snapdragon 410 should have been roughly comparable to the dual core s4 in the Moto X. But in actual use there will be like five second waits to launch apps. And this is despite having a lower resolution screen. I suspect that Motorola might have cut costs by including slower or lower quality ram and storage.

Are you kidding? A moto e can be bought unlocked for 80$, and you expect it to perform like a couple years ago flagship? It is just a good smartphone for people without many needs, not a contender to best performing smartphone. People should really know what are they buying...

 

[core2slow]

C'mon OP.

You're buying an entry/low-end smartphone and complaining about performance and storage? Quit trolling.

 

[accguy9009]

Serious storage issues. Basically, for some reason, unlike apple devices, when an android phone has 8gb of storage, it really has 5gb of storage while 3gb is taken up by the os. Beyond that, of that 5gb, probably 3gb is taken up by no removable google apps.

So there is maybe 2-2.5gb available for the user to install apps. But also, apparently it won't let you dip below 500mb in unused space.

I recently uninstalled Facebook because at 300mb, it was taking up too much space and apps wouldn't update as a result.

Is there any way to improve this situation?

Apple devices have had the same issue my good man. Read on and become better informed.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/31/7474947/apple-sued-over-16gb-iphone-ipad-storage

 

[sweenish]

It's threads like this that make me smile when people in other threads say the users here are supposed to be smarter than "the average consumer."