Ask HN: 512GB flash is cheap and small. Why does high-end phones have 64GB?

I&#x27;m guessing power constraints. More flash you have, more power you&#x27;ll require. Even increasing power consumption deltas minimally may impact battery longevity between charges on mobile devices enough to make it unfeasible with current battery tech.<p>&quot;Power is an important consideration because the design of flash memories is closely tied to the power budget within which they are allowed to operate.&quot; <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;cseweb.ucsd.edu&#x2F;users&#x2F;swanson&#x2F;papers&#x2F;TransOnCAD2013.pdf" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;cseweb.ucsd.edu&#x2F;users&#x2F;swanson&#x2F;papers&#x2F;TransOnCAD2013.p...</a>

Device makers care more about capacity when thinking about which storage to use. Other things they consider include: power consumption, latency, bandwidth. It&#x27;s likely that higher capacity flash isn&#x27;t quite there yet.

What fraction of the market will use over 64GB? I&#x27;m guessing it is only a tiny fraction.<p>Ignoring that, let&#x27;s assume there is a significant market there. What fraction of that market would be able to move their data from their old phone to their new phone? Again, I would guess a tiny fraction. Syncing 512GB in a reasonable time frame would likely require a direct computer connection at USB 3 speed or thereabouts.<p>So, your best bet likely is a phone that allows plugging in a 512 GB flash module.