Apple's iCloud service passed its 10th birthday in 2021, and syncing photos and messages between my iPhone , iPad by now, makes me feel as if the service has been around as long as the original iPod.
I remember when the iPhone 4S debuted with iOS 5 and iCloud in 2011, and being able to take a photo, then see it on my iPad 2 soon after felt like magic. You could argue that we've had the same method for email for years, as your messages have synced between your devices for much longer than Apple's service.
But while we've seen huge advances in iPhones and iPads, even a chip transition of the Macs from Intel to Apple Silicon , iCloud's free tier has remained the same, offering just 5GB.
When you consider iPhones that can record in full 4K video , with one minute taking up 440MB, you'll already be needing to pay for a higher tier of iCloud storage once you record for ten minutes. With this in mind, this is what I'd like to see for the free tier going forward.
Match the tiers with iPad storage
We need to look at how the paid tiers have changed over the years, while the 5GB free tier has remained the same. These three tiers arrived with iCloud in 2011:
2015 saw some changes to this:
In 2020, we saw the latest change to the tiers:
Across these changes, free with 5GB has remained the same. I've always been paying for the highest tier due to the number of photos and videos I both store and take on my devices, alongside keeping hundreds of files that were once on a OneDrive account, Microsoft's cloud storage service.
While the jump between 200GB and 2TB is baffling to me in how far apart they are, it's something I've come to accept, and it's the 2TB tier that I'm paying for each month.
But 5GB for a free tier is ridiculous in 2022. When I used to work at a phone store in a previous life, as soon as I discovered that there were so many photos that one customer had on their iPhone, I'd help set up an iCloud plan, mainly because they were adamant that they needed their photos to be on their new iPhone.
Setting this up would mean that the photos would be stored in the cloud, and a weekly backup of their iPhone content would be possible without facing the 5GB wall.
64GB free storage for all
But it's time for a change. This is what I'd like to see in the future for all the tiers:
The free tier should match the lowest amount of storage that's available on Apple's products - in this case it's the iPhone SE (2022) and the iPad Air (2022) , both offering 64GB as an option.
It's not great to see these as storage options in 2022 regardless, but increasing the free tier could help with this. Backups would be possible with these devices, and you could store a good amount of photos and videos.
Our Deputy Phones Editor, Tom Bedford spoke to me about how he still constantly sees the 'iCloud storage is getting full' on the free tier he has with his iPad, and he's primarily a Windows and Android user.
5GB in 2022 makes no sense anymore - let's see a tier that matches the lowest storage option on Apple's devices, to help remove any anxiety about needing to free up iCloud space to create a successful backup.
And as a bonus, the paid tiers should see more choice - start at a tier for the users like me who have multiple Apple devices, to those who are content creators for the 5TB tier, who want to store hundreds of gigabytes on their iCloud Drive.
In this scenario, everyone wins. Apple can afford to allow users on a free tier of 64GB storage, especially with its services growing in revenue every year. iCloud has become a useful service for many, but mainly on the paid tier, and that needs to change so that it can benefit all of its users.
Spotify's doubling down on its Clubhouse-style live audio feature
Spotify is planning to bring its Greenroom live conversation feature into its main music streaming app, allowing content creators to initiate discussions that listeners can interact with.
According to a report by Bloomberg , which cites "people familiar with the company’s plans", Greenroom will be renamed as 'Spotify Live' and will now be housed within the main app, rather than requiring users to download a separate app.
We've reached out to Spotify , but the company is yet to comment on the matter. In any case, iOS developer Steven Moser claims to have found evidence of the change in a beta version of Spotify's iPhone app, sharing an image of the new logo to Twitter :
It's an interesting move from the music streaming service . While Spotify has had a huge (and lucrative) focus on the world of spoken word and podcasts over the past few years, the Spotify Greenroom app never really took off in the way the company was hoping.
It was initially launched in mid-2021, in a bid to cash in on the success of Clubhouse , a platform that allows you to converse with friends or strangers with shared hobbies around the world, and listen in on conversations between celebrities and topic experts.
Spotify wasn't the only company to hop on the trend for live conversations; Twitter Spaces lets you chat to others about any topic in a virtual room while your followers listen in, and you can even record and save these conversations like a live podcast.
Twitter Spaces has been a lot more successful than Spotify Greenroom - and a large part of that is probably down to the fact that you can easily access it in the main Twitter app. It makes sense that Spotify would want to make it easier for subscribers to find and use the feature - and if some of its biggest podcasters get on board, we can see it becoming quite popular.
Still no sign of Spotify HiFi...
It's no huge surprise that Spotify is continuing its push to become the world's biggest podcast host, but it'll need to market its new Live feature very effectively to get subscribers to take notice - a lot of people just want to pop on a pair of headphones , stick on a playlist, and enjoy their music.
We image a lot of those people - subscribers that primarily use Spotify for music rather than podcasts - will be wondering what has happened to the platform's long-promised high quality streaming tier?
According to Spotify, high-quality music streaming is consistently one of the most requested new features by its users who, previously, have been limited to 320kbps. That's why it announced Spotify HiFi last year, a new feature that'll allow users to hear lossless CD-quality audio, which should mean songs sound far more detailed.
The announcement was met with a great deal of excitement - but one year on, there's no sign of Spotify Hifi, with CEO Daniel Ek even admitting that he doesn't know when it'll arrive .
We're not sure what the hold up is. It could be because Apple Music and Amazon Music HD both announced soon after that they would offer hi-res audio streams to their subscribers at no extra cost. If Spotify was hoping its HiFi tier would be a new moneymaker, that could have been a big blow.
Spotify Live is expected to launch in the second quarter of this year (April, May, or June). So, we could see a dual announcement, with Spotify HiFi as the headline feature, accompanied by a refreshed version of Greenroom. We're not super hopeful, though - we were expecting HiFi to launch at the beginning of this year, and the stream of leaks and rumors we saw last year is drying up.
What time is Moon Knight episode 1 released on Disney Plus?
Moon Knight's first episode is just one day away from being release. The newest superhero to arrive in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will make his live-action debut on Wednesday, March 30 . And it's none too soon, given it's been five months since the last Marvel Studios project was released.
Marvel fans have been eagerly awaiting new content, with Spider-Man: No Way Home being the last MCU movie or TV show to be released by the Disney subsidiary. But, with Moon Knight landing on Disney Plus shortly, that long wait is almost over.
Still, there's one key question left outstanding ahead of Moon Knight's MCU debut: what time will Moon Knight episode 1 actually be released? We've been waiting so long for the next Marvel Phase 4 production to be beamed onto our TV screens, so we wouldn't be surprised if you've been wondering when it'll actually land on Disney's streaming platform. Based on our spoiler-free review , though, you'll be pleased to hear that it's really good.
That's where we come in. Below, you'll find the exact time that Moon Knight episode 1 will be available to stream on Disney Plus in your region of the world. You'll also find a rundown of when each new episode will air on the streamer, too. So, make sure you bookmark this page and return a few days – before the next instalment lands – to know exactly when that'll be.
When is Moon Knight episode 1 launching on Disney Plus?
Moon Knight's premiere will land on Disney Plus on Wednesday, March 30 at 12 AM PT/ 3 AM ET/ 8AM BST/ 12:30PM IST/ 5PM AEST.
Unfortunately for US viewers, Moon Knight's release time means that you'll have to wake up early (or stay up late) if you want to catch it as soon as it lands. UK audiences, meanwhile, may have the chance to watch it before they start work on that day. Indian residents can check episode 1 out on their lunch break, while Australian fans might have to wait until they get home from work to see the first instalment.
Regardless of where you reside in the world, you may want to take precautions surrounding Moon Knight spoilers. If you can't watch the first episode until later on Wednesday – or even the weekend – you won't want to have key plot points spoiled for you on social media.
Our advice? Mute words and hashtags including #MoonKnight, #MoonKnightspoilers, and #MoonKnightepisode1 to ensure that nothing slips through. Believe us, you'll be disappointed if you have any part of it ruined for you.
Moon Knight on Disney Plus release schedule: how many episodes are there?
Here's a full rundown of the release schedule for Moon Knight on Disney Plus:
Thankfully, Moon Knight's final episode will air two days before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness launches exclusively in theaters. Anyone who may be worried about potential crossovers between the two Marvel projects need not fret.
Is there a trailer for Moon Knight episode 1?
Not specifically, but there is an official trailer – and plenty of TV spots and featurettes – available to watch online. You can check out Moon Knight's full teaser trailer above, which will give you a flavor of what to expect from the latest MCU production.
For more Moon Knight-based content, check our our exclusives on where Moon Knight may appear in the MCU next , plus whether those George Clooney directing rumors are true . And be sure to keep an eye out for a spoiler-free review, which will be available to read on Tuesday, March 29.