Photos
How many photos can 128 GB hold?
49,000photos
as Phone photo, 12 MP HEIF/HEIC, 2 MB each, after 30 GB for system and apps
A 128 GB phone never gives you all 128 GB: the operating system and your apps come first. So this page answers two questions: how many photos fit on 128 GB of empty space, and how many fit once a typical 30 GB of system and apps is taken out.
The arithmetic
- 128 GB = 128,000,000,000 bytes (drives and phones are sold in decimal units)
- Set aside 30 GB for the system and apps (our estimate): 128 − 30 = 98 GB free
- one 12 MP HEIF ≈ 2 MB = 2,000,000 bytes
- 98,000,000,000 ÷ 2,000,000 = 49,000, so about 49,000
| Format | Size each | On 128 GB | After 30 GB reserved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone photo, 12 MP HEIF/HEIC estimate | 2 MB | 64,000 | 49,000 |
| Phone photo, 12 MP JPEG estimate | 3.5 MB | 36,571 | 28,000 |
| Camera photo, 24 MP JPEG (fine) estimate | 10 MB | 12,800 | 9,800 |
| Camera RAW, 24 MP estimate | 30 MB | 4,266 | 3,266 |
| Apple ProRAW, 12 MP published | 25 MB | 5,120 | 3,920 |
| Apple ProRAW, 48 MP published | 75 MB | 1,706 | 1,306 |
| Capacity | Photos |
|---|---|
| 64 GB | 32,000 |
| 256 GB | 128,000 |
| 512 GB | 256,000 |
| 1 TB | 500,000 |
| 2 TB | 1,000,000 |
Sources and assumptions
- Phone photo, 12 MP HEIF/HEIC (estimate): Modern iPhones save HEIF by default. 12 MP HEIF files are commonly 1.5–2.5 MB; detailed or night scenes run larger.
- Phone photo, 12 MP JPEG (estimate): Most Android phones and 'Most compatible' iPhones save JPEG, roughly 3–5 MB at 12 MP.
- Camera photo, 24 MP JPEG (fine) (estimate): A 24-megapixel mirrorless or DSLR camera at its finest JPEG setting; typically 8–14 MB.
- Camera RAW, 24 MP (estimate): Lossless-compressed RAW from a 24 MP sensor is commonly 25–35 MB; uncompressed RAW is about 48 MB.
- Apple ProRAW, 12 MP: Apple Support, 'About Apple ProRAW' (article 119916): about 25 MB per 12 MP ProRAW photo.
- Apple ProRAW, 48 MP: Apple Support, 'About Apple ProRAW' (article 119916): about 75 MB per 48 MP ProRAW photo.