Is there a lot of RAM in your smartphone, is it enough, or did you overpay for its excess. We will now try to answer all these questions. Let's figure it out.
Over the past decade, the amount of RAM in smartphones has increased significantly and continues to grow.
Today, most smartphones have different amounts of RAM, the limits of which can be defined as follows: from 2 GB for budget devices to 12 GB for flagship models. Such a significant difference inevitably raises the question: how much RAM does a smartphone need ?
Our shortest answer is 4 GB . This is enough RAM for surfing the Internet, browsing social networks, streaming videos and spending time playing some popular mobile games. However, a volume of 4 GB is a very relative value. The specific amount of RAM that you need directly depends on the applications you use.
So how much RAM does your smartphone need?
Why does a smartphone need RAM?
Random access memory ( RAM ) is one of the main parts of computer equipment or mobile gadget. Although RAM may have different form factors and architectures on different devices, it still performs similar functions. Your desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, iPod, and other portable devices use RAM as temporary memory to store frequently used information.
Smartphone RAM
Let's take a smartphone as an example. All used applications that are installed in it are stored in flash memory, and the applications that you are currently using are in RAM. Those. if you open a browser, Instagram and one of the instant messengers, then all of them will be stored in RAM until you close them or the operating system does it for you. In addition, the operating system itself stores in RAM the necessary set of system applications used in the operation of the smartphone. For example, a desktop with icons, applications for calls and SMS.
Honor 8X
Appearance of the Honor 8X smartphone
And this is an inexpensive phone with a large memory. It is not a competitor to the flagships from Samsung and Apple, but its camera also shoots in 4K, and all versions also have NFC.
The processor is Huawei's proprietary Kirin 710. It is inferior in performance to the Snapdragon 845, but battery life is almost 30% better. There is practically no heating during active operation.
Additional advantages: responsive SoC scanner, proprietary shell, design.
Among the shortcomings is only 4 gigabytes of RAM, which currently corresponds to devices in the mid-price category.
iOS and Android: different amount of RAM?
There are two popular operating systems for smartphones: iOS for Apple devices and Android for almost everyone else.
iOS uses less RAM than its Android counterpart because Apple's chips are better optimized and used exclusively with Apple products. Today, even a 2014 iPhone 6 can run the latest version of iOS quite well with just 1 GB of memory.
Meanwhile, the Android operating system is used by many brands in their devices. Each smartphone manufacturer also adds its own “shell” - the desktop, which additionally consumes RAM. For example, any of the latest Samsung Galaxy models take up between 2 and 3 GB of RAM.
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Appearance of the iPhone 11 Pro Max smartphone
The maximum phone memory is 512 gigabytes. Again, there is no MicroSD input. But otherwise, this is a full-fledged flagship with the best photo and video capabilities. RAM is 6 gigabytes, but in combination with iOS, the device’s performance is not inferior to the same Galaxy S10+ with 12 gigabytes of RAM.
The main advantage of the 11 ProMax is the installed main camera sensor. There is an optical zoom, a widescreen sensor, and infrared sensors for better shots in low-light conditions.
ProMax also has an A13 processor with additional neuroprocessor blocks, which improves the quality of the captured content and also adapts to the algorithm for using a specific user’s device.
And all this is complemented by excellent battery life (up to 12 hours of active screen), compliance with IP68 specifications, and a body made of solid tempered glass.
Practical experiments have shown that the device can withstand a fall from a height of 1 - 1.5 meters onto a hard surface without noticeable consequences for the body.
How much RAM do you need?
The answer to this question involves using one of your smartphones. As many smartphone owners there will be, there will be as many answers to this question. Some users can only make calls, browse, send text messages, watch videos, which does not require too much RAM usage. And other users, among other things, also enjoy mobile games, edit videos, or generally use a lot of heavy and RAM-intensive applications. This will require more RAM.
To help estimate how much RAM you need, let's look at some of the most common activities people do on their smartphones:
- Surfing social networks such as VK and Instagram takes up from 100 to 400 MB of RAM depending on usage.
- Browsers and video players such as Chrome and Youtube respectively consume around 500-600 MB depending on the number of tabs open and the quality of the video being watched.
- Mobile games vary greatly depending on the quality of graphics and whether you play online or offline. Games like FIFA Soccer for Android can use more than 1GB of RAM while running, and that's not the limit.
Don't forget about the RAM that is used by your operating system. Thus, you can understand why some smartphone companies offer 6 GB, 8 GB and even 12 GB of memory for their smartphones.
HTC U Ultra EEA
A modern model from a Taiwanese manufacturer, made in an attractive case. The development was carried out taking into account the longest possible retention of relevance. A powerful 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with an operating frequency of 2.15 GHz and backed by 4 GB of RAM makes it possible to effectively fulfill all user requirements.
The size of the built-in memory is 128 GB, support for Micro SD, with a capacity of 2 TB, guarantee the availability of free space in any situation.
High quality photos and videos were achieved thanks to high-quality cameras: 12 MP front and 16 MP main. Also, the model receives high reviews from bloggers and video shooters, thanks to the large amount of memory, software and battery life.
Main advantages:
- memory;
- high-quality assembly;
- good cameras;
- attractive design;
- excellent functionality.
How to check RAM usage?
If you are on the verge of choosing a new smartphone and want how much RAM is currently in your smartphone, just follow these instructions:
For Android users
- Go to Settings . Tap About phone or Device maintenance (depending on your model).
- Tap Memory or All Settings . Here you can see the total RAM capacity of the phone.
- Some phone models require you to enable Developer Options before completing the previous two steps. To do this, go to Settings > About . Scroll down and tap the build number seven times before entering the PIN.
You can find out how much RAM is currently occupied by pressing the application selection button.
For Xiaomi smartphones, you will need to enable the display of free memory. To do this, you need to open the menu on an empty space on the desktop with a long tap. Go to Settings > More and enable the option Show memory status .
For iOS users
From the Home screen, select Settings > General .
Tap iPhone Storage to see available and used storage, and a list of apps using RAM.
Thus, you must understand how much memory is in your smartphone, how much is free, whether you are satisfied with the current volume or whether you need to increase it significantly.
Huawei mate 9
Next is the flagship model of the Chinese manufacturer. Positive reviews from many users put the device in this top. The smartphone boasts build quality and a powerful battery. It is based on an 8-core Kirin 960 processor, complemented by an optimized version of Android 7.0.
A chip with a capacity of 256 GB is responsible for long-term data storage. Additionally, the device has a high-speed charging function: from 0 to 50% it takes only 20 minutes.
With such performance indicators, the gadget is among the top 10 smartphones in the modern world.
Main advantages:
- advanced processor;
- large memory reserve;
- high-quality assembly;
- fast charging option.
Is it overkill to have 12GB of RAM?
Just ten years ago, the amount of RAM in a smartphone did not even reach the ceiling of 1 GB. Fast forward to today, and some flagship smartphone models have 12GB of RAM.
Mid-range phones are usually offered with 6-8 GB of RAM. However, this amount of RAM may not be needed. After all, the main benefit of having more RAM is that you can run more applications at once without slowing down one of them, and without the operating system having to unload them from memory. Those. you will be able to switch between running applications without any delay.
Some graphics-heavy games like PUBG and Black Desert Online require smartphones to have at least 8GB of RAM before the game can run.
In short, having 6-8 GB of memory is good, but not always necessary. If you are not demanding in games or you do not need to constantly multitask, 4 GB of RAM will be enough for most of your tasks.
A minute of theory
To begin with, let’s try to briefly understand the theory and principles of operation of RAM on a modern smartphone. Even an inexperienced user knows that RAM is needed for the correct operation of running programs. This is a volatile component with a high write speed. Speaking of a smartphone, the larger the amount of RAM, the more software you can run simultaneously and quickly access it. Games use more resources, programs, as a rule, use less. As smartphones develop, the installed volume of RAM is steadily growing and this is not a whim of the manufacturer, but a necessity, because the requirements of programs, and especially games, are also steadily growing. Since RAM is a limited resource, the system must manage it as efficiently as possible.
Is 2 GB of RAM enough for a smartphone?
If you are an Android user, it is recommended to use smartphones with 3GB or more memory. On smartphones with 2GB of memory these days, you can sometimes experience operating system slowdowns when performing typical everyday tasks. Sometimes even non-demanding applications start to run slow on such devices.
If you are a fan of Apply products and have an older iPhone model that you are quite happy with, then 2 GB of RAM is more than enough for smooth operation. Even Apple's latest mobile operating system, iOS 14, will run on an outdated iPhone 6S with only 2GB of RAM without any complaints.
ASUS ZenFone 5Z ZS620KL
Appearance of the ASUS ZenFone 5Z smartphone
Asus rarely produces classic flagships. The exception is the ROG line of devices, but they are designed exclusively for gamers.
But the ZS620KL is a full-fledged competitor to the Galaxy S line. From a technical point of view, it is the Galaxy S10+. It has a Snapdragon 845 processor, but the screen is IPS+.
The largest amount of memory for this model is 256 gigabytes, but you can install MicroSD up to 2 terabytes without any problems.
The camera module is dual (12 and 8 megapixels) with support for optical stabilization. And the smartphone runs “pure” Android, which has a positive effect on both its performance and autonomy.
Xiaomi mi mix 6 256gb
One of the flagship gadgets of the Chinese manufacturer. A widescreen frameless screen with a diagonal of 6.4 ̋ allows you to comfortably transport yourself into the world of a video game or movie. The exclusive look harmoniously combines with powerful equipment. Long-term memory is equipped with a 256 GB chip.
Additional options include a high-quality video and photo recording system and sophisticated acoustics.
Quick charge fast charging technology charges the device from 0 to 100% in just 50 minutes.
The only negative is the poor-quality ergonomics of the product.
Main advantages:
- good assembly;
- high levels of autonomy;
- powerful equipment;
- memory chip capacity.
Google Pixel XL
An advanced device model for use by a wide range of users. The 5.5-inch screen has sufficient resolution. The power core is built with the latest technology. The maximum amount of internal memory is 128 GB, which is quite good by modern standards.
Distinctive features are the competent development of the audio system and excellent performance of the Android shell. The model is one of the most powerful on the list. Responsiveness to commands impresses even capricious users.
Main advantages:
- performance;
- long battery life;
- build quality;
- powerful components.
