From now on, only the original first-generation Google Pixel (XL variant included) still allows you to upload photos to Google Photos in original quality, without compression and without affecting the share of the storage space of your account: yesterday, 31 January, the offer for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL expired. Third-generation Google smartphones can still continue to do unlimited uploads using built-in compression.
The unlimited upload of photos in original quality forever was an advantage on which Google focused a lot during the presentation of the first generation Pixel, a smartphone that first of all focused on the goodness of its camera. But already with the second generation Pixels, the tone had changed: the offer lasted only three years and a little more, and so it was also for the next generation.
For the Pixel 3 and 3 XL, the deadline coincides with the end of the software support (at least the formal one: Google has said that the smartphones will receive the last update by the end of this quarter).
The Pixel 5 is the latest to offer unlimited photo uploads forever, however, compressed the files are (it could be argued that the loss of quality is really minimal, by the way). In short, as Google Photos has grown it has become less and less generous.
At present, all photos and videos uploaded to the platform affect the space available for the entire Google account, which amounts to a total of 15 GB for free users. It is a quota that potentially fills up very quickly, especially for those who shoot a lot of videos.
The only one is therefore to turn to Google One to buy additional storage space: with € 1.99 per month you get 100 GB, for example, and with € 9.99 a month even 2 TB. The subscription offers some additional benefits like special filters on Photos, Google Play credits and more.
Alternatively, you can use other services such as Amazon Photos, which for Prime subscribers guarantees unlimited upload but only of static images, not videos.