Jump to content

Smartphone Memory size lawsuit?


Recommended Posts

Why have we yet to see a lawsuit of smartphone memory size?
Here's my main argument phone are all sold and displayed primarily based on memory size. (16gb iPhone, 32gb Galaxy) BUT the memory is a quarter to half taken by the OS and the phone carriers software. So a 16gb phone only in actuality has 10gb user space. A phone with 8gb (Lower end models) has 2 free gigs. This use to not be as much an issue but now almost every game and most apps HAVE to have their main files in the phones memory not a extra sd card because of piracy concerns.  This is a false advertisement on the same scale as Win 10 issues.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I believe they are covered by the disclaimer that less than advertised space is available. For example, from Verizon's website for iPhone SE:

Available user storage is less due to preloaded software, and is subject to change due to software updates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very interesting ... I don't have a smart phone but I'm thinking the lawsuit could at least make the phone company tell the actual memory size still available after everything has been placed on the phone and the box has been sealed and ready to be sold. At least a person would have some idea of what they actually have in total available memory when they buy the phone.

What happens to the memory total from future updates and whatever else after a person buys the phone ... that's something else but at the time of purchase a person would have some general knowledge of how much actual memory they have at that time.

Sort of like buying a hard drive listed at 100 GB on the box but in reality the actual GB size is around 80 GB (+ or -). Has that ever been challenged in a lawsuit after all these years. The common person who doesn't understand MB and GB size is probably easily fooled ... of course there is always some fine print somewhere on the box with that warning explaining all this ... but they advertise 100 GB.

...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well both of these have apparently happened.

Someone sued Seagate because they didn't know the difference between base10 and base2 (it does not seem to bring in post file system size)
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/bits/2007/10/26/seagate_lawsuit_concludes_settlement_announced/1

Apple lawsuit over space (also mentions a similar one vs Microsoft over the Surface, same thing):
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/lawsuit-against-apple-for-ios-storage-misrepresentation-get-the-facts/

The Seagate example is forgivable. For the mobile devices, I think the lesson should be that you don't advertise the space. So you don't call it "the 64GB" model.
How should mobile devices be handled when it comes to storage? Make it so the included space is for the OS and if the user wants to save data then they use a memory card? Or maybe put 2 flash storage in there, one un-advertised amount of space that the OS uses specifically, and another for user storage especially in the case where there is no memory card slot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess a line needs to be drawn somewhere.

Those lawsuits are something coming from the same people that *need* to have on the external rear mirror a label:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Objects_in_mirror_are_closer_than_they_appear

Quote

in the U.S, PART 571 Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, Section 571.111 S5.4.2 "Each convex mirror shall have permanently and indelibly marked at the lower edge of the mirror's reflective surface, in letters not less than 4.8 mm nor more than 6.4 mm high the words “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear.”

All in all, if you §@ç#ing READ *something* (like the manual, most internet sites, etc.) besides the "supposedly false or deceiving advertisement" it is not like it is a "hidden defect", you can try the device, you can bring it back if it doesn't satisfy you, etc., etc.

A much different thing (and much more serious/deceiving IMHO) are software updates, in a few years (well within what a "normal" user would expect a device to last) the BLOAT coming from OS (and installed applications) updates can easily reduce the available space in a very sensible manner.

And now for NO apparent reason:
 

Spoiler


d0576bf94942b6b2742cafdd7867a2e59c7f5895

jaclaz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...