Google Introduces New $0.70 Plan with 30GB Storage

Google has introduced a new, budget-conscious storage plan for its Google One subscription service, marking a significant shift in its pricing strategy. According to a recent report by The Indian Express, the tech giant is now offering a “Google One Lite” subscription tier in India. This new plan is priced at ₹59 (approximately $0.70) per month, making it more affordable than the existing “Basic” 100GB plan, which costs over twice as much.

The Google One Lite tier provides users with up to 30GB of cloud storage, which can be used across Google Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail. This new offering essentially doubles the initial 15GB of free storage that Google provides to all new users. Currently, the Lite tier is available with a one-month free trial, allowing potential subscribers to test the service before committing to a paid plan. However, unlike other Google One subscription plans, the Google One Lite option does not support family sharing. This restriction means that users cannot extend the benefits of their subscription to friends or family members. With 30GB of storage, which is relatively modest, the absence of sharing features might be less of a concern, as this amount of space may not be sufficient to warrant sharing with multiple users.

The Google One Lite tier was first discovered in July, when references to the new plan were found in the code of the Google Photos Android app. This preliminary information hinted at an upcoming release, and it appears that Google has now begun a phased rollout of the Lite subscription. At present, this option is only available to a select group of users in India, and there has been no official announcement from Google regarding its availability in other regions.

When evaluating the value of the Google One Lite tier, it is essential to consider how it stacks up against competitors. Apple’s iCloud+ service offers a comparable entry-level plan, providing 50GB of storage for around $0.89 per month in India. Unlike Google One Lite, Apple’s plan includes family sharing, allowing up to six people to share the storage allocation. This feature makes the iCloud+ plan more versatile and cost-effective on a per-gigabyte basis. From a comparative perspective, the Google One Lite plan’s 30GB storage at $0.70 per month seems to be priced competitively. However, Apple’s 50GB iCloud+ plan, priced at $0.89 per month, offers a more substantial storage increase—45GB more storage—making it an appealing option for users needing additional space. The iCloud+ plan’s added benefit of family sharing further enhances its value proposition, potentially making it a more attractive choice for those with multiple users.

Although Google has yet to make an official announcement about the Google One Lite tier, the limited rollout in India suggests that the company is testing the market response before considering a broader release. If the trial proves successful, it is plausible that Google may extend this affordable storage option to other regions. This could provide users globally with a more cost-effective solution for their cloud storage needs. However, the current 30GB offering may seem modest compared to other plans. Users looking for more substantial storage options might still find the existing Google One tiers, which offer larger capacities and additional features like family sharing, to be better suited to their needs. If Google does decide to expand the Lite tier internationally, it would be advantageous for the company to consider including a bit more storage in the plan to make it more competitive with alternatives from Apple and other providers.

In summary, Google’s introduction of the Google One Lite tier represents a strategic move to cater to cost-conscious users looking for affordable cloud storage solutions. While the current offering in India provides a low-cost entry point, it remains to be seen whether this new plan will gain traction and become a permanent fixture in Google’s storage lineup. The success of this initiative will likely influence how Google positions its storage services moving forward and whether similar options will become available to users in other markets.