Is a 16GB iPhone big enough?

I’ve often been asked if a 16GB iPhone is big enough to make videos with. The short answer is yes, however there is no denying that you are going to be limited.

For arguments sake, if you buy an iPhone 16GB and fill it with about 10GB of app, music, photos etc. this would leave you with 6GB to record videos with.

So what format should you film in?

I would avoid shooting in 4K altogether. It takes up a lot of space and might even be overkill for what you are filming. You’re best bet is to shoot in 720p HD as this will give you most amount of space to work with, and generally people are viewing videos on there phone and won’t notice a big decrease in quality.

Below is a breakdown of how much space is needed for each format and how much time you will be able to record if you have 6GB free to work with.

So how do you get around the limited amount of space?

Step One - Make more room

I recently wrote a post on how to get more space on your smartphone. Clearing as much space on your phone as you can is definitely your first step.

Step Two - Plan well

Since you are limited with space, you really need to plan your filming really well. Know what format you want to film in, how long you’re likely to be filming and how much footage you're going to be able to record.

Step Three - Transfer as you go

Transfer your footage as you go while onsite if you are likely to need more space than you have. Either use a cloud-based service or bring a laptop or other storage device with you when you shoot.

To learn how to film professional videos using just your phone check out one of the following guides:

iPhone - 10 Steps to Creating Professional Videos

Android - 10 Steps to Creating Professional Videos

If you want to learn more about how to create professional videos on your smartphone, join us for an upcoming smartphone video course and Get Ahead today!