Verizon Cloud gives you 500MB of free storage for files and backups
With the likes of Dropbox, Skydrive, Box.net, Google Drive and more swirling about it’s hard to imagine anyone picking a carrier-sanctioned cloud storage service. Verizon has done just that, though, as the carrier has announced Verizon Cloud. It is as it sounds — it’s a cloud storage account where you can store all your files and multimedia, backup your contacts and texts, and never lose your digital goods for as long as Verizon’s servers survive.
The service is only available for Android and via the web for now, but will eventually come to iOS and desktop platforms, as well as other mobile platforms, over the course of the year. You’ll be getting 500MB of free storage to start, a paltry amount compared to what you can get from competitors (be it their base allowance or through deals where you earn additional storage).
If you want more, you’re going to have to cough up the money — it wouldn’t be Verizon without that little caveat, would it? For $2.99 per month you can enjoy 25GB of storage, $5.99 gets you 75GB of storage, and $9.99 gives you 125GB. Those prices aren’t half bad to be quite honest. To compare, Google Drive’s premium options come in at $2.50 for 25GB and $5 for 100GB. Dropbox asks for $10 per month for 100GB. The difference is the generous starting point for each service — Google Drive gives you 5GB for free, while Dropbox gives you 2GB.
Verizon would have made a very nice case for itself if it offered at least 1GB of free storage, but with 500MB to give the service a light workout it almost doesn’t seem worth the time. Trying it is risk free, though, so if you’re curious how a carrier’s cloud storage service stacks up compared to internet heavyweights you can give it a try at VerizonWireless.com.