Google’s next big update with Android 15 isn’t just about new features—it’s about setting a new baseline. And that baseline could straight-up wipe out a whole chunk of budget Android phones.
With Android 15, Google is officially raising the minimum storage requirement to 32GB. That’s right— phone & tablet makers need to seriously up their storage game or they risk not making the cut if they want to ship with Google’s full suite of apps and services.
Low storage phones? Basically Done.
Let’s break it down. Android 15 itself is already taking up close to 16GB of space. On top of that, Google now wants at least 75% of that 32GB to be allocated to the data partition, which is where your apps, files, and updates live..
Google’s logic here is pretty straightforward: Android has gotten bigger, and it needs more room to actually run smoothly. The last time this baseline changed was in 2022 with Android 13, which bumped the minimum up from 8GB to 16GB. Now we’re doubling that again, just a few years later.
Can phone makers just ignore this?
Well… kind of. Technically, anyone can still build a phone with less than 32GB of storage using the open-source version of Android (AOSP). But here’s the catch: those devices won’t get Google’s Mobile Services, which includes essentials like Google Play Store, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps.
And let’s be real—an Android phone without the Play Store? That’s a tough sell.
What this means for budget phones
The immediate effect? Ultra-cheap Android phones, especially in emerging markets, may no longer be able to cut costs by offering tiny internal storage. That might sound harsh, but it also means better devices at the low end—faster performance, more space for apps, and fewer storage full errors.
Still, for users who just want a basic phone for calls, WhatsApp, and the occasional scroll, this change could force them into higher price brackets. It’s a classic case of Android evolving—and some devices getting left behind.
