MobileMe users moving to iCloud get 25GB of storage
Apple is moving MobileMe customers to its new iCloud service with 20GB of storage, plus the 5GB Apple is giving out for free.
Apple has revealed its plans for migrating MobileMe users across to its upcoming iCloud service. The cunning scheme is to float those who currently own a MobileMe account over to a 20GB iCloud plan, which totals 25GB when you throw in the 5GB that everyone gets for free, MacRumours reports.
iCloud will come with several data options, which will become more expensive if you want more of Apple's sky-based storage. As MobileMe offers 20GB of data, shunting customers over on to the 25GB iCloud plan makes eminent and reasonable sense.
There won't be any charge for switching, but Apple is going to shut down MobileMe on 30 June 2012, at which point you'll have to pay the same amount as everyone else to stay on the 20GB plan, or downgrade your account to the 10GB, or 5GB free option if you don't want to pay as much.
In the UK, additional iCloud storage will set you back £14 per year for 10GB (15GB in total), 20GB (25GB in total) costs £28 per year, and 50GB (55GB in total) is priced at £70 per year.
The plan sounds fair enough to us. Apple doesn't think you'll need to use more than 5GB to store up your mail, documents and a backup of your phone anyway, and music, apps, photos or books you back up using Apple's servers won't count against that free 5GB. Still, more storage can't hurt -- just make sure you remember to downgrade to the free service before the end of June.
iCloud is Apple's stab at cloud storage for all, and when it launches in the next few months, will free users from the tyranny of the iTunes desktop software. It'll let you update your iPhone over the air, as well as back it up.
Lots of the features are things Android already offers, but with Apple's massive marketing clout, could JobsCo kick Google's mobile OS into touch? Hit us with your iCloud predictions in the comments, or on our Facebook page.