Understanding Google One: Is It Worth the Subscription?
Barnacle your data worries with Google One, the almighty cloud storage subscription service offered by the googly behemoth. They've got several tiers to tickle your storage fancy, all loosely tied to the price you're willing to shell out each month.
Starting at a humble $2 a pop for the abysmal 100GB, the Basic Plan lets you hawk your hard drive space with up to five of your nearest and dearest family members. But hey, who the hell needs 100GB nowadays when you're drowning in memories of your youngens' cringe-worthy first steps, high-res shots of your well-groomed pets, and those all-important work files?
If you're not feeling the Google love, there are other cloud storage options out there to quarantine your goodies. Perhaps you're peeved at your data-hoarding ways. Fear not, for we've got the lowdown on how to dodge your 15GB limit. If you're all-apple, don't fret; we've got a guide to Apple One lined up as well.
Red ink has been spilled over at Google HQ, with some updates to their User Agreement, Class Action Waiver and Arbitration Provisions, and Privacy Policy. They've rolled out their swanky new AI Ultra and AI Pro (formerly the high-class Premium) plans, scrapped outdated benefits such as VPN service, and polished up the benefits of each tier.
Google One Tiers and their Peculiarities
Here's the lowdown on Google One's main tiers:
- Basic (100GB): Sell your soul for $2 per month or $20 a year (£1.59 or £16 in the UK) and snag 100 gigabytes to share with your crew.
- Premium (2TB): Step up to the big leagues for $10 per month or $100 per year (£8 or £80 in the UK), nabbing 2 terabytes for family sharing, unlimited Magic Editor saves in Google Photos, 10% back on Google Store purchases, and Google Workspace premium.
- AI Pro (2TB): Fork over $20 a month (no annual plan, £19 in the UK) for all the perks of the Premium Plan, plus entry into the realm of Google's Gemini Pro, Flow Pro, Whisk Pro, 1,000 AI Credits, and Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Vids, and more.
- AI Ultra (30TB): If you're loaded, splurge $250 per month (US only for now) and enjoy everything in the Pro Plan, but with the ultimate Gemini AI assistant, access to Veo 3 (the latest video generation model), amenities like Google's Project Mariner, and YouTube Premium (individual plan).
- With Google One's Basic Plan, you can gain access to shared 100GB storage for just $2 per month, a deal that also includes features such as the ability to share with up to five family members.
- By upgrading to the Premium Plan, you can secure 2TB of storage for $10 per month, which comes equipped with family sharing, unlimited Magic Editor saves in Google Photos, 10% back on Google Store purchases, and Google Workspace premium.
- For a monthly fee of $20, the AI Pro Plan offers all the benefits of the Premium Plan, together with exclusive access to Google's Gemini Pro, Flow Pro, Whisk Pro, 1,000 AI Credits, and Gemini integration in your Gmail, Docs, Vids, and more.
