Apple's been resisting this kind of change for a little while, even as competitors such as Samsung have opted to start their lineups with double the storage space. In fact, it wasn't so long ago that Apple was still offering 8 GB phones. But the company has repeatedly defended itself by saying that the 16 GB model was working just fine for many of its users, thanks in part to the popularity of cloud services.

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(Full disclosure: I have a 16 GB iPhone and don't hate it too much.)

But it only makes sense, with a technology shift toward more video, more rich messaging and just generally MORE being centered on your smartphone overall. It's past the time to start offering more storage even for the base model.

That's particularly true if Apple's going to keep pushing the envelope with its displays and also if it will keep encouraging app developers to push the boundaries of what's possible on a smartphone.

Apps are going to get bigger, particularly if they have to support high-end displays, or are expected to expand the number of functions they pack onto the smartphone screen.

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And video is only going to become more intensive, particularly if all the forecasts about 360 video and virtual reality come to pass. Even photos are creeping into more aspects of the way we use our phones, particularly in messaging.