O2 offers 10 TB of free cloud storage, but there's a 4 GB catch

O2 ups its free storage to 10 TB: too good to be true?

O2 has multiplied by twenty the cloud storage it gives away with its plans: from 500 GB to 10 TB, at no extra cost. According to users, the offer is available even on the cheapest mobile plan (7 euros a month for 50 GB of data). However, the devil is in the details.

The 4 GB per-file limit: the big drawback

The storage is real, but no single file can exceed 4 GB. This makes it a useful service for photos, documents and music, but useless for high-definition movies or full backups. As a technical review quips, the limit is reminiscent of the old FAT32, the file system Windows used in the 90s. For compressed series or small files, it's fine; for virtual hard drives or Jellyfin, better look elsewhere.

Comparison with Digi and Movistar

Direct competitors offer different terms. Digi gives away only 50 GB, but extends it to 1 TB for 4 euros a month with no per-file limit. Movistar boasts unlimited storage, though also with a 4 GB per-file restriction. O2 wins on raw capacity but loses on flexibility. The open question is whether you really need that much space when no single file can exceed 4 GB.

The day after cancelling

A detail that worries the less tech-savvy: what happens if you cancel your line? O2's cloud is not like Dropbox; if you cancel, you lose access. You have to download everything beforehand. The process is simple, but it requires planning. At a time when switching providers is commonplace, it's worth knowing.

O2's offer is generous on paper, but the 4 GB limit turns it into a junk drawer for small files, not a real virtual hard drive. For everyday use, there's plenty of space; for large-volume backups, it won't do.