APP size differance in windows phone

[API_Rock]

I had more than 350 Apps downloaded into My PC before i got my Lumia 520. The total size was not more then 3gb.

When I got the phone it was showing 5gb free (wonder why companies announce as a 8gb phone? I know 3gb is eaten up by the OS) , So I was left with only 5gb, Now I have not more then 130 Apps installed in my phone, and left with only 500mb phone memory. I preferred to download small size Apps, but what I am measuring is when it shows App size in store 10mb (see pic) why in the Nokia storage check it shows 30mb?.

Some of you may come up with answers like as we start using apps they save there data, logs etc in the phone, I thought the same, so what i did is I installed an app called Gym Pocked guide and without using it I simply run the Storage check and it was showing 30mb but app size is only 10mb, why so?

 

[crash1989]

They announce it as an 8gb phone because it has 8GB internal memory, obviously looks better than 5GB + 3GB for OS. They are a business and of course will act like one.

The is packaged app size you see in the store. When it is "installed" on your phone all images and other resources are unpacked.

It is somewhat similar to .exe (executables) , have you observed that the size of the install folder is much more than that exe. Consider something similar here. And additional data can be stored in the app's local storage too.

 

[API_Rock]

Good answer I think that is the case only, I am having 8gb phone but what about those who bought HTC phone with 4gb?. Either company should not launch a WP with less memory or MS should allow us to install apps in SD card.

 

[mgkeath]

Good answer I think that is the case only, I am having 8gb phone but what about those who bought HTC phone with 4gb?. Either company should not launch a WP with less memory or MS should allow us to install apps in SD card.

It's not Microsoft's decision to make on SD cards. The phone manufacturers have the option to include expandable storage and some phones are offered with and some not. They each have their reasons on whether or not they offer that option and on which models. Buyer's also have to show a little due diligence and know what they're purchasing and if it's going to fit their needs.

 

[API_Rock]

mgkeath you didn't read properly what I said, I know its upto manufacturer to include SD card or not. But I am talking about Apps to be allowed to install in SD card.

 

[crash1989]

mgkeath you didn't read properly what I said, I know its upto manufacturer to include SD card or not. But I am talking about Apps to be allowed to install in SD card.

No apps should not be allowed to be installed on SD card becasue they are prone to security issues. That is exact reason why you see Google shifting away from SD cards in their Nexus devices. It is all the illegal and weird stuff in android that I think is making them take a step back. iPhones never had the support anyway.

I guess the solution would be for manufacturers to provide better internal memory. I think SD cards could be used as music,movie and photo storage which is what is happening right now.

(Also moving files of the app to SD card is dependent on the class of the SD card, this would slow down the phone considerably.Speaking from my experience on HTC desire)

 

[AskaLangly]

I think it should've been made to be able to download ANYTHING onto the SD card. File explorer, anyone?

 

[API_Rock]

Yeh Thats right thats what I am trying to say, that WP should be of minimum 16gb internal memory

 

[mgkeath]

mgkeath you didn't read properly what I said, I know its upto manufacturer to include SD card or not. But I am talking about Apps to be allowed to install in SD card.

I'm not sure how I didn't read properly what you said. I think that it's the other way around. My point, in mentioning that OEM's choose whether or not to include expandable memory, was this: What good is being able to install apps to an SD card for someone who doesn't have that option because a manufacturer chose not to include it? And that is the reason that you must weigh your options before purchase and make sure the handset that you're buying is going to suit your needs.

 

[mgkeath]

Yeh Thats right thats what I am trying to say, that WP should be of minimum 16gb internal memory

The problem with that theory is: More memory = greater handset cost. You can't buy low end and expect to have parity with higher end handsets. What's next, we start asking for higher end processors on lower end units, but we still want to pay low end pricing? Can't consumers simply choose a handset that works for their needs, rather than take the lower spec'd phones away from those people who can make it work for them? it's not a decision confined to just the WP platform. iPhone users must make a choice between different memory options, at different price points; Android users must also make choices based on their needs/budgets; PC/Mac users must make these decisions when choosing a model. We could go on and on, but the point is clear. Options are available, so choose the one that works for you.

 

[a5cent]

When I got the phone it was showing 5gb free (wonder why companies announce as a 8gb phone? I know 3gb is eaten up by the OS)

The same can be said about almost all computing related specs.

• If you have a device with 8GB storage, about 3GB are occupied by the OS and thus unavailable.
• If you have a device with 4 cores, in practice, due to the way smartphone software is written, the fourth is almost always idle, whereas the third is rarely used. Thus 1 - 2 are doing nothing more often than not.
• If you have a device with 8 cores, even in theory only 4 can ever be used at once, and of those four again 1 - 2 are usually idle.
• If you have a device with 512 MB RAM, a good chunk of that will be occupied by the OS, how much isn't specified, so again you aren't really getting what is on the spec sheet.

If manufacturers actually listed the specs in a way that reflected how well those hardware resources are being used, or what actually remains that benefits the consumer, spec sheets would look a lot wimpier than they do today. As Crash mentioned, it's marketing.

But I am talking about Apps to be allowed to install in SD card.

There are of course good reasons for not allowing apps to install on an SD card. I mentioned just a few of them here.

I preferred to download small size Apps, but what I am measuring is when it shows App size in store 10mb (see pic) why in the Nokia storage check it shows 30mb?

Crash is right again of course. When you watch the progress bar advance as your app is being installed (after downloading), what is actually going on is that the distribution package in being unpacked. Basically, it is being converted from a compacted/compressed format that is small and cheaper to distribute, back into its original uncompressed format. The uncompressed format obviously requires a lot more space, i.e. more room in storage.

On a side note, the same happens again when you run the application. An app that requires 30MB in storage can easily require 90MB in RAM. There is no way to tell how much just by looking at the size in storage.