Q: extra storage-farce

You're confusing storage on the device with remote storage used for backups.

You cannot purchase more device storage.  The amount of internal storage it comes with at purchase is the maximum amount that device will ever have.

You can, however, purchase more iCloud backup storage.  That is completely and totally separate from the device's storage.

If you buy a computer with a larger hard drive, would you expect that your iPhone would now have more internal storage?

Data storage has to have a physical, real-world, tangible location.  When your emails are stored, the data is actually on a computer somewhere else.  It doesn't just float in the air.  Therefore, believing that you could 'download' more physical storage from the Internet is... an interesting perspective, but entirely inaccurate and misinformed.

iPhoneiPippi wrote:

 

I recently purchased extra storage, and even though this "extra" storage showed that I had tons of space, I still received your storage is almost full warnings on my iPhone and iPad. How can that be?  

IT has been explained to you already, but you have made a very common mistake that lots of iOS users have made. iCloud storage can only be used for backups, file syncing and for photo Storgae if you use uCloud Photo Library. Even if you use the iCllid Photo Library, it is not true storage in the sense that most people would think that it is.

The message about your storage being almost full refers to space on the device itself. You need to make room on the phone and you can do that by deleting content and transferring photos to your computer so that you can remove them from the phone.

Import photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If you are using iCloud Photo Library please be very careful about what you delete. If you delete photos on one device it will delete them on the others. I recommend that your read these FAQs before deleting photos. Many users have made the common mistake of deleting photos on their phone thinking that they were "safe" on the cloud but only to see them gone for good.

iCloud Photo Library FAQ - Apple Support