Photos
How many photos can 256 GB hold?
113,000photos
as Phone photo, 12 MP HEIF/HEIC, 2 MB each, after 30 GB for system and apps
256 GB holds a lot of phone photos, but a single photo can be 2 MB or 75 MB depending on the format. The format matters far more than the megapixel count printed on the box.
The arithmetic
- 256 GB = 256,000,000,000 bytes (drives and phones are sold in decimal units)
- Set aside 30 GB for the system and apps (our estimate): 256 − 30 = 226 GB free
- one 12 MP HEIF ≈ 2 MB = 2,000,000 bytes
- 226,000,000,000 ÷ 2,000,000 = 113,000, so about 113,000
| Format | Size each | On 256 GB | After 30 GB reserved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone photo, 12 MP HEIF/HEIC estimate | 2 MB | 128,000 | 113,000 |
| Phone photo, 12 MP JPEG estimate | 3.5 MB | 73,142 | 64,571 |
| Camera photo, 24 MP JPEG (fine) estimate | 10 MB | 25,600 | 22,600 |
| Camera RAW, 24 MP estimate | 30 MB | 8,533 | 7,533 |
| Apple ProRAW, 12 MP published | 25 MB | 10,240 | 9,040 |
| Apple ProRAW, 48 MP published | 75 MB | 3,413 | 3,013 |
| Capacity | Photos |
|---|---|
| 64 GB | 32,000 |
| 128 GB | 64,000 |
| 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.