This is one of those decisions you're stuck with forever (or at least until you get a new phone), so let's figure out what you actually need.
The Quick Answer
For most people: 512GB. It's the sweet spot.
Breaking It Down
256GB ($1,199): This works if you're a streamer. Netflix, Spotify, YouTube. You don't download much. Your photos go to iCloud. You don't shoot video. You're fine deleting unused apps. Honestly, this is tighter than you'd think.
512GB ($1,399): This is where most people should be. Room for a decent photo library, some downloaded content for flights, plenty of apps, and you won't see those annoying "Storage Almost Full" warnings. Breathe easy.
1TB ($1,599): Get this if you take photography seriously, especially shooting ProRAW. Or if you download tons of movies for travel. Or if you have a massive music library you insist on keeping local. You know who you are.
2TB ($1,799): This is new this year, specifically for video people. ProRes 4K footage eats about 6GB per minute. If you're doing serious video work on your phone, this is the only option that makes sense.
Important Notes
You can't add storage later. No SD card slot. No external drives that expand your main storage. What you buy is what you get.
iOS and apps eat up 15-25GB right off the bat, so actual usable space is less than advertised.
iCloud storage is different. Buying more iCloud doesn't give you more local space.
The Bottom Line
Don't cheap out on storage. The difference between 256GB and 512GB is $200. Over the 3-4 years you'll own this phone, that's basically nothing. Get 512GB unless you have a specific reason to go higher or lower.
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How we researched this
Where this comes from: this answer draws on the product's published specifications and the reviews ShopSavvy collected for it, alongside prices from ShopSavvy's price data.
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