According to the latest 9to5Google APK Insights report of the Google Photos app, Google may be prepping the ability to test drive higher storage tiers for Google One via free trials. APK Insights are usually just a peek into the app’s code to preview hidden strings that could potentially reveal upcoming features, but there are zero guarantees that these will see the light of day. With that said, they often do come to the public, just not always, so take this with a big chunk of Himalayan rock salt for now. I do think that it’s in Google’s best interest to pursue this to its completion though, and I’m sure you’ll agree.
<string name=”photos_cloudstorage_ui_g1disclaimer_trial_terms”>By upgrading to Google One plan, you agree to the Google One Terms of Service and the trial Terms and Conditions. Note: The Google Privacy Policy describes how data is handled for this service.</string>
<string name=”photos_cloudstorage_ui_freetrial_impl_start_button_with_storage_amount”>Start %s trial</string>These free trials may be offered under varying circumstances like promotional campaigns and such. In the report, the code strings point to trials lasting ‘x’ amount of days, months, weeks, and even years. This leads me to believe that they are probably going to lump the Chromebook Perks offer of Google One under this trial umbrella since you receive 1 year of the paid subscription service for free when you buy a new Chromebook. I’ve previously stated that I think it would be good for them to combine Google One and Chromebook Perks into one place, so maybe this is the start of that.
more from Chrome Unboxed
A trial of the 2TB+ tiers would give users a chance to try out Google’s new in-house VPN and more. With many of these plans recently being cut down to half price, a trial could encourage people to consider keeping their subscription thereafter. I think that Google’s idea is to help people see the value of what they’re offering as they stop providing unlimited, free storage for many of their services.
