Home Technology Nexus owners might get full Google Photos backup for free

Nexus owners might get full Google Photos backup for free

Search giant Google, it seems, is readying a new incentive to owning a Nexus device in future, free unlimited storage to Google Photos.

Google though is yet to come out clean on. However, this possibility can’t be ruled out either given that relevant codes to this effect have recently been picked up by the eagle-eyed folks at Android Police.

“Unlimited free storage for original quality photos — videos uploaded from your Nexus device,” as is mentioned in the upcoming update for Google Photos’ Android application package (APK) is proof enough of Google’s intentions here.

Worth mentioning, Google Photos already offers unlimited storage though the catch here is that the quality of the image caps out at 16 megapixels. So far images of higher resolution than that automatically gets downsized to 16 megapixels. The image file size too gets downsized a bit so that the reworked image is slightly smaller than the original.

However, given that no Nexus device currently offers the capability to shoot images at 16 megapixels, the unlimited bit isn’t too much of a fuss for those opting to store only images. As a result, it might also be a pointer for future Nexus smartphones to comes with 16-megapixel cams.

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Similarly, the current free bit applies to videos shot in 1080p HD format while anything larger than that also gets downsized. With the more recent Nexus devices capable of shooting videos in 4K format, the said update for Google Photos will enable device owners the ability to upload those in Google Drive without worrying about any storage limits to pay heed to.

However, what is not clear at the moment is whether the relaxations apply to images shot exclusively via the Nexus devices. Or any image shot via a DSLR and transferred to a Nexus also makes them qualify for free storage on the Google clouds.

However, the changes if indeed implemented will still make things simpler for a lot of Nexus users given that photography happens to be one of the most preferred activity with the handset.