The iPhone 17 Pro is earning rave reviews worldwide, with critics praising its stunning display, stronger battery life, and major camera improvements. Among them, the ability to record video at 4K resolution and 120 frames per second (fps) stands out as a serious upgrade for mobile videography. But before you start filming everything at those pro levels, it’s worth knowing what that setting can do to your phone’s storage and performance.
The Reality of 4K/120fps Recording
If you own the iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max with the A19 Pro chip and up to 2TB of internal storage, you have an incredible amount of power at your fingertips. However, that power comes with a catch. Shooting in 4K/120fps consumes roughly 7GB of storage per minute, based on benchmark data from the iPhone 16 Pro. Record for an hour, and you’ll fill about 420GB—over one-fifth of your phone’s total storage.
When you add apps, messages, and downloads into the mix, that space disappears faster than expected. Luckily, adjusting your recording settings is simple. Go to Settings > Camera > Record Video, and switch to a lower frame rate, such as 30fps, while keeping the 4K resolution. You’ll still get high-quality footage while reducing the strain on your phone’s battery, processor, and storage.
Offload to External Storage
For those who regularly work with high-resolution video, investing in an external SSD can make a big difference. Drives like the LaCie 1TB Mobile SSD Secure USB-C Drive, available through Apple, support blazing-fast speeds of 1,000 Mbps for writing and 1,050 Mbps for reading. It’s also optimized for shooting 4K/120fps in Dolby Vision.
The drive comes ready to use out of the box with a USB-C cable. If you have an iPhone 15 or later, you can simply plug it in and start transferring. Just make sure your device runs iOS 14 or later, which introduced native support for external drives via the Files app.
Cloud Storage as an Alternative
If external drives aren’t your style, cloud storage services provide a seamless way to manage large video libraries. iCloud+ and Google One both offer easy-to-use platforms for storing, accessing, and syncing videos across devices.
iCloud+ starts at $0.99/month for 50GB. For serious creators pushing the iPhone’s ProRes video limits, the 2TB plan ($9.99/month) is a smart investment. Apple also offers 6TB ($29.99/month) and 12TB ($59.99/month) options for professionals.
Google One starts at $1.99/month for 100GB. Its Premium 2TB plan ($9.99/month) matches Apple’s offering, and the Google AI Pro plan ($19.99/month) adds advanced AI tools. For heavy users, the AI Ultra plan at $249.99/month combines maximum storage with the full suite of Google AI capabilities.
The Bottom Line
The iPhone 17 Pro’s advanced video settings are powerful tools for filmmakers, creators, and enthusiasts. But for everyday users, scaling back your frame rate and leaning on external or cloud storage can help you enjoy top-tier performance without draining your storage—or your battery.
