New Google Drive Leak Points To 5GB Of Free Storage, Release In Third Week Of April

Evidence of Google Drive`s existence has been sporadically surfacing for months now, and MG reported last September that Google employees have been using the reborn service in-house for a while now.

Now, as the service`s supposed launch draws ever closer, we`re starting to get our first clear glimpses at what Google`s had under lock and key for so long. According to a leaked screenshot obtained by TalkAndroid, Google Drive could offer even more functionality than earlier reports suggested – if legitimate, then Google Drive users could have access to 5GB of free storage right out of the gate. Their mysterious source also confirmed to them that the service is on track for an official launch during the week of April 16.

It seems like a smart move that would best Dropbox`s 2GB of free storage and put Google on even footing with Amazon`s Cloud Drive (Microsoft leads the pack with 25GB of free storage in SkyDrive.) Still, the leak raises a big question – who`s actually got the story right?

TalkAndroid`s source sent them another screenshot earlier in the week depicting the Google Drive Windows client in action, and it specifically points out that users have access to 2GB of free storage (though they can always buy more, a phrase which reappears in this latest leak). What`s more, the logo depicted in that older screenshot appears to be the same one spotted by GeekWire in February, but this newest screenshot uses a slightly tweaked version that drops the red in favor of green. Is this the sign of a clever fake, or a last-minute rebranding effort on Google`s part?

Meanwhile, Om Malik seemed awfully confident when he reported earlier this week that Google Drive is poised to launch at some point during the first week of April, with Google offering their users only 1GB of free storage. His sources seemed to confirm the notion that truly voracious users can purchase more cloud storage from Google, though Malik`s sources wouldn`t go details like pricing and storage tiers.

It`s obvious that Google Drive is coming, and coming soon, but Google`s going to be playing their last few cards as close to their collective chests as they can. Still, with April fast approaching, I suspect the full story will be unearthed sooner rather than later.

TalkAndroid`s source says that the service will launch during the week of the 16th, not necessarily on that day. I`ve changed the headline to reflect this.

Source : techcrunch.com