Box offers 50GB of free cloud storage to Android users

Looking for free, reliable cloud storage? Dropbox offers 2GB, while SugarSync gives you 5GB. Microsoft's SkyDrive raises the stakes even higher with 25GB, though for the moment it lacks any official companion apps.

Not enough? Check out Box, which is currently offering 50GB of free cloud storage to Android users who install the Box app on their smartphone or tablet. (The promotion also extends to owners of the HP TouchPad, RIM PlayBook, and other devices. See the FAQ page for details.)

Although Box positions itself primarily as a provider of business storage solutions, this deal is for personal use only. Just install the free Box app on your device, then register for a new account--or log in if you already have one. Either way, you'll get upgraded from the usual 5GB of free space to a whopping 50GB.

And although the promotion ends (for Android users, anyway--others have until the end of the year) on March 23, you get to keep that space for life.

Box has also upgraded the upload cap to 100MB from the usual 25MB. That's great if you're looking to archive or share, say, a large presentation or video.

The Box service itself is pretty straightforward: you upload your files and folders, then access and/or share them as needed. You can do this from just about any device that runs apps or has a Web browser.

Now for the bad news: Box doesn't do file-syncing the way Dropbox and SugarSync do. There is a desktop component called Box Sync, but it's available only to Business and Enterprise account holders.

That definitely limits Box's versatility. On the other hand, 50GB of free storage is 50GB of free storage, even if it's not quite as convenient to use. You might as well score the space while you can, and figure out later how you'll make the best use of it.

If you've had any hands-on experience with Box you want to share, hit the comments and speak your mind!