Tablets with half the memory you expected

TABLET computers are not offering users the memory they expect – dramatically reducing the number of songs, films, pictures and apps they can hold.

Firms such as Apple, Samsung and Microsoft pack the devices with so much operating software that the amount of storage space left for users is relatively small.

An investigation by consumer watchdog Which? found some tablets have less than half the usable space stated on the box.

A Which? spokesman said: ‘If someone sold you a loaf of bread with half the slices already eaten, you’d feel a bit miffed – yet this is effectively happening all the time with the claimed storage on tablets.’

The Apple iPad Air 2 is advertised with 16GB of storage. But Which? found it has just 10.3GB of available storage – 36 per cent less than claimed.

Which? said the cheaper the tablet, the bigger the problem. An 8GB LG G Pad 7.0 costs less than £100, but had a 2.8GB of usable space once its operating system was taken into account. That is barely enough for about ten music albums and an HD film.

Which? said this is not just a problem for users who like to store a lot of data. It can also mean there is not enough space to upgrade the operating system. This means apps and data has to be deleted before an update can take place.

Which? said the problem occurs because tablets reserve part of their storage for functions, such as the operating system. Most also feature a standard set of apps and tools. The makers are not doing anything illegal – the devices have the memory claimed, even if it is not all available to the user.