Lack of Space in Pixel is Problem

notahuman

I hate the lack of an SD slot. Anything added to the port for that fucks up the asthetics.

Cloud storage is annoying and another expense and way to be tracked and another way to get hacked and tracked.

I just want a few Terabytes.

Has anyone found a cheap solution to this problem?

mmmm

notahuman

notahuman I just want a few Terabytes.

Thats quite a lot that you want without the cloud or without ruining the aesthetics and at the same time without much cost.

de0u

notahuman I just want a few Terabytes.

I think I recall rumors that the EU might mandate user-replaceable batteries for cellular handsets.

If so, phones would probably get thicker and less water-resistant, but if it's easy for users to remove and replace a battery cover that could easily open up the possibility of a microSD slot.

[deleted]

notahuman You can host your own storage cloud from home. This much local storage is not possible on these phones currently.

longshots

notahuman

I just want a few Terabytes.
Has anyone found a cheap solution to this problem?

By now it seems obviously not.
GOS runs on Pixel phones which on some models, have a max capacity of 1Gb.

I don't have a high threat model, but I still like to exist like I have a high threat model.

So, it seems as allowances will need to be made.

pixelpalooza

proton drive is pretty neat, but aside from cloud services you're out of luck (unless you want to lug around a usb-c thumb drive)

brightjob4495

de0u Samsung and other manufacturers (used to?) include a micro SD card slot in the SIM tray, even in slim, water-resistant phones with non-user-replaceable batteries like my old Galaxy Note 9. So if they went away after having proven that they could be added to such phones, they won't come back even if phones get thicker

AlanZ

MicroSD cards are never as good as internal flash storage. Always slower, less reliable (yes, I used to buy the most expensive I could find, I didn't cheap out) and most importantly - not automatically encrypted. I personally don't miss them at all.
They felt like a second class storage and were treated by Android as such.

[deleted]

AlanZ Its up to the OS to encrypt it, much like with onboard storage. Samsung phones were capable of encrypting the SD card.

notahuman

[deleted] it would then link my device to ongoing pings to a local IP address. I don't have a high threat model, but I still like to exist like I have a high threat model. Non local pings involve extra costs.

SD card is cheaper than paying fee to cloud provider every month

Murcielago

The following options for handeling the lack of space come to my mind (if I have forgotten some, please feel free to add):

First of all “a few terabytes”, which you seem to need, will not be an easy (or even a impossible) undertaking for some of the following solutions.

Sort out:
I don't know what your data volume results from, so this suggestion may not serve you: Nowadays we tend to take (too) many photos/videos with our devices and the limited storage space fills up quickly as a result. I, at least, find that I can sort out and delete a lot of them. Not only does this increase storage space, but consciously choosing to capture and preserve digitally only important moments ensures a different, more focused approach and an awareness of the value of the moments captured. To prevent the task from overwhelming you, take it slowly and once you're done, i would advise to go through your digital stuff and sort out at regular intervals (e.g. monthly, every six months) after the initial tidy-up. If your storage is full of movies: Ask yourself how often you will watch the movie again and delete it if necessary.
New device with more internal storage:
Depending on the region, the Pixel 8 Pro is available with up to 512 GB or 1TB of internal memory.
Switch to a device with expandable storage space:
Even in 2024, there are still smartphones available whose storage space can be expanded with a microSD card. Unfortunately, modern Google Pixel devices are not, so you would have to go back to stock Android or install another custom OS.
Cloud storage:
ProtonDrive has already been mentioned above as a valid option, but there are of course other providers that also care about privacy (self hosting of course also is an option). Maybe you find this site or this one helpful. If it's about budget, you could also use the more known providers (which tend to care less about privacy) such as OneDrive or GoogleDrive and encrypt your files before uploading, e.g. using Cryptomator.
External storage via USB-C:
Even if it, in your words, “fucks up the asthetics”, USB-C drives are a relatively cheap and convenient option. And if you don't need permanent access to the files on it, the aesthetic perception is only disturbed for the short time of plugging it in (Cryptomator works well too, if you want to encrypt it). I personally haven't tested it, but apparently it also seem to work with external hard drives via USB-OTG.

[deleted]

notahuman I'm proposing this solution, because you don't really have a better options. And i don't fully understand what is the concern with pinging your own device where you host from. You could also carry a big usbC local storage device with you with the added inconvenience.