Google Drive cloud storage service to launch with 5GB free: sources

It's been rumored and awaited nearly as long as the now released "Duke Nuke'm Forever." It's the Google Drive (formerly called the GDrive), and rumor has it that it will finally make its debut in April.

The latest information hit earlier this week, when sources speaking to GigaOM said that Google Drive will launch in early April, with 1GB of free storage and a similar appearance to the current Google Docs user interface. The was a little disappointment at that information as, for one, rival DropBox offers 2GB of storage for free.

However, as we close in on April, a new screenshot has been leaked that seems to show that the Google Drive will be offering even more than DropBox's amount.

The screenshot, obtained by TalkAndroid, shows that users will get "5GB of storage from the start" and that "you can upgrade to get more space at any time."

It's clear DropBox and Google Drive will be competitors, and even their taglines show that. Dropbox uses the tagline: “Your life’s work, wherever you are.” Google's tagline is “All your files – everywhere.”

Google is also updating its support documentation online, although the "leak" has since been redacted. Earlier, this support page said:

"Editing documents in the Google Drive Android app requires ongoing syncs to update your documents, which can increase your bandwidth usage. Keep this in mind if you have a limited data plan with your mobile provider."

However, they've since restored the document to its prior text, with the word "Docs" instead of "Drive."

More information is that right now it seems that the launch is pointing to April 16, which is a Monday, and one day before income taxes are due (so it might not be the best date to choose for a launch).