Apple Announces Free iCloud for MobileMe Users to End on September 30

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Apple recently announced that it will end the preferential treatment for MobileMe users switching to iCloud services before September 30, 2013. At that time, the free cloud storage space available to MobileMe users will be cut from 20GB to 5GB, aligning with new iCloud users.

MobileMe was once Apple's flagship online synchronization service, supporting instant synchronization of email (pushmail), contacts, and calendars, allowing users to conveniently sync data between smartphones, computers, or servers. However, due to Apple launching the more comprehensive iCloud cloud service, Apple officially shut down the MobileMe service in June 2012. Nevertheless, even if users had not fully transitioned to iCloud, they could still continue using the old service via Me.com.

Meanwhile, in an effort to encourage as many MobileMe users as possible to switch to the iCloud platform, Apple implemented a corresponding preferential plan: original MobileMe users could receive an additional 15GB of iCloud cloud space, equivalent to a $40 per year discount (approximately RMB 245). Clearly, Apple believes the timing is now ripe, so it’s time to end the compensation for old users. Since iCloud services involve more than just data synchronization functions but can also achieve full backups of iOS devices, the free 5GB of space is clearly insufficient, especially for users who own multiple iPhones and iPads. Therefore, the end of this promotional activity means that some old MobileMe users will have to repurchase more iCloud cloud space.