With the Google Pixel 2 smartphone, the tech giant promised that owners of not just the latest iteration but the original Pixel as well, could store an unlimited number of images and videos at full resolution in Google Photos.
It was a nice perk to what has already been dubbed by DxOMark as the best smartphone camera of all time. But it turns out that there is, indeed, a limit.
CNET read the fine print of the Pixel 2’s terms and conditions and found that Google qualifies its promise with: “Free, unlimited original-quality storage for photos and videos taken with Pixel through the end of 2020, and free, unlimited high-quality storage for photos taken with Pixel afterwards.”
Google goes on to define ‘high quality’ as 16-megapixel images and videos in 1080p resolution. So what happens after 2020 is that, if you choose to retain the unlimited storage option, Google will compress your full-resolution images and videos down to its ‘high quality’ standard.
CNET did, however, ask Google if it plans to retroactively compress full-resolution uploads from the Pixel made prior to 2020, and the company confirmed that it would not.
Via DPReview