How much RAM does your smartphone need?

Discuss The Industry
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Originally published at: How much RAM does your smartphone need? - Fairphone

Did you know the classic Nokia 3310 had just 1 kilobyte of onboard memory? If we told you back then that a mobile phone could boast over 24 million times that amount today, you would have laughed us out of the building. Over the years, we have seen RAM size exponentially grow, with computers capable of housing up to 256GB of RAM onboard today, allowing for God-level multitasking. But what’s RAM really, and how much RAM do you actually need?



What is RAM?

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It’s where your smartphone or computer stores on-the-go information. When you open an app, the data and instructions required for the app to run are loaded from storage into RAM. This allows the CPU to access the necessary data much faster than it could from storage, or ROM. That stands for Read Only Memory, which is where you house all your files for long-term data retention. Imagine the world’s biggest library, with over a million books inside. If you needed to research a particular topic, scanning every single book in there might not be the most efficient way to go about it. It would be easier to scan through a smaller subset with only the relevant information needed. The library itself would be your smartphone’s ROM storage, while the subset serves as your RAM. More RAM allows for better multitasking, as the phone can keep more apps and processes in memory without needing to reload them. This reduces lag and improves overall performance.

How much RAM do I need?

It depends on how much you use your phone. Most budget phones nowadays come with 2GB to 4GB of RAM. That’s good for calling, texting, checking your emails and basic browsing. You won’t be able to run multiple apps simultaneously, at least not smoothly. On the other hand, the most expensive devices on the market right now come with 16GB to 24GB of RAM. For a lot of people, this might be overkill. That’s why, if you’re not a heavy user, the ideal range would be somewhere in the middle, between 6GB to 12 GB. This is perfect for multitasking, casual gaming, and taking photos and videos, all with zero lag. It is also more cost-effective, while also still future-proof to a degree.

Other things to RAM-ember

Like we said earlier, more RAM does offer a smoother software experience. On the flip side, more RAM will also require more power consumption, which might drain your battery quicker. And with more apps open, you can expect your device to be running warmer than usual. However, in practice, all of this depends on how well your device’s operating system and apps have been optimized. It also depends on what hardware your RAM has been paired with. That’s why it is important to consider the whole package when assessing your smartphone’s performance. Remember, one size doesn’t fit all.

We believe in giving you options. The Fairphone 5 launched in August 2023 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. One year on, we now have a Fairphone 5 6GB RAM version with 128GB of onboard storage, available in black and an exclusive moss green edition. That’s not all. The new Fairphone 5 6GB variant comes at our lowest price yet, making it a fantastic option for someone who wants a smartphone that lasts, at a more wallet-friendly price.

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Awesome news!
Is it a timed exclusive or will we be able to buy the green edition with 256GB/8GB one day?

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Not sure if this is the best thread to ask - how much RAM do you usually use on FP5 with Android 14? I am somewhere between 60 and 80 percent, which makes me a bit wary in the long term perspective. and not so appreciative of the newest 6GB version of FP5. Am I the outlier? I did try some cleaning apps to force all the applications to stop but not sure whether this is the way to go

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it’s not. Android fills up RAM in order to lessen the time needed to switch between apps, and force closing them could result in higherhigher battery use, because it takes more energy to launch an app from scratch. and third party cleaners are usually just a vector for ads or spyware, they don’t provide any extra functionality and just display nice numbers to make the user feel good about using them.

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6GB is NOT enough in 2024.
I encourage everyone to save a bit longer if cost is an issue to get an 8GB model instead.
This is quite literally manufactured e-waste.

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Btw Shift8 (same SOC) will have 12GB RAM with 256 or 512 GB

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Especially as its just around 80€ less now that they reduced the price for 8GB…

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I am totally a general support of a modular phone, but I don’t like wrong knowledge or bad advertisement.

Even every washing machine has more RAM than that nokia device. And that nokia is a total different device than any smartphone. The only similarity is: it’s both used for phone calls. It’s like a car company would like comparing their cars actually to horses nowadays.

Comparing a RAM with ROM could not be more wrong. RAM is not meant to store data. It is meant to temporary store and access processed data without the need to reprocess it. A ROM cannot fulfill this role at all. And no subset of books would be stored in the RAM, cause this is not the purpose of the RAM. A really bad metaphor.

Why making complicated stories when a simple one is at hand: more RAM means more apps can be run at the same time (active and passive). If you have less your OS will close more apps and you have to reload them and reprocess the data necessary to display and operate the app.

I like the part with “more power consumption MIGHT drain your battery quicker”. Maybe some free energy is hidden in there. :smiley: I also wonder who on Earth should be able to assess actually the hardware compatability of a device… nothing your avarage consumer is even close in being capable off.

The whole aspect of the story just to sell off smaller packages could not be more wrong. In fact, less RAM means your device has to reprocess more and there use more energy. The energy usage necessary to operate the volatile storage (RAM does lose all data once power source is cut => volatile) is so small, that it is neglectable. Having the CPU to reprocess it consumes actually more energy. If reprocessing it actually would safe energy, we would have high end devices with just lots of CPU but little to no RAM. But the opposite is the case.

You sell a solution to a problem that does not solve anything. If you have too much power consumption for background apps… get your app settings aligned. But dont get a weaker device that bad setting consume less energy in the end… lol. This does not help at all.

So actually it is exactly the opposite. More RAM means saving energy and actually being more green, as more data can be stored without the need to reprocess it. If your device has to use other storage space (called swap files), it actually consumes more energy. RAM is not only faster but also more energy friendly for the purpose of accessing stored data.

Long story short: safe energy and use more RAM.

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You’re serious ?

the only reason would would write that is if you use your phone in desktop mode and really want Firefox with 10 tabs + Collabora office or video editing maybe

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@Michel_Memeteau
I am extremely serious, as both a user and Android system+app developer, 6GB of RAM in anything but a budget phone is a scam.
How do you expect the phone will perform with the increased system and app requirements in years time when it is supposed to be supported until 2031?

I’d also like to point out that the OnePlus 3 released in 2016 with 6GB of RAM and Android 6.0, we’re now on Android 15.

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Because you still live in an infinite world of resources and fast consumption and you think ( which I can understand ) that nothing can slow it down.

We slowed it down on PC , Linux help using 12 years computers whereas Microsoft would do everything to make you buy some new computers

I know the comparison is not easy because you can’t upgrade RAM on phones

But I run latest Android on One plus 5 without any problem and it’s super smooth

in 2024 you are not on the steep slope of 2016 era , We are now on a Plateau and nobody should buy any new phone at all .

This is the case since 2020 minimum

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The OnePlus 5 is 7 years old and has 6 gigs of RAM. I will believe it when I see it lasting until 2031.

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My Honor View 20 from 2018 came with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage but came out of software support in 2021. Part of the reason I went with an FP4 in 2022 was because it has the same amount of RAM and storage but (supposedly) with ongoing software support until 2027.

Being brutally honest with myself I don’t see me lasting with the FP4 until 2027. Maybe 2026 at a push but even then it is an improvement over the longevity of my previous phones.
Zenith’s phone history

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I’m curious since I too use the FP4 and frankly I also don’t see why Fairphone would be so reluctant in offering more memory and storage (I would pay more if that’s the only reason – costs, that is). Either way checking my stats. Android states that on average I only use 4GB and never exceeded the 8GB. I consider myself a heavy user, so I’m wondering which apps block the most memory. For me it’s Firefox with something around 1GB.

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That screen only shows a rolling lower average.
There is actually a more accurate running services screen in the same previous menu.
And from this screen you can click an app and see the max usage during its lifetime.

Many MANY times apps will peak above 2GB and go back to like 500-800MB and it is under these circumstances where devices with less RAM will have to push to zram or kill the other apps to keep the system running.

Most messenger apps in my testing tend to idle around 300-800MB, and many people run 2-3 or even more of these at anytime.
A web browser will easily use 1GB with just a few tabs open.

I purposely daily drive a 6GB phone to better dogfood my work and it really is not a good experience, apps will restart a lot and sometimes even homescreen widgets will fail to load.

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How about, just an idea, we don’t make things keep requiring more and more resources to run?
Increased system and app requirements? What extra resources does an app need, that has exited for as long as android existed, and to this day, fulfils the same function? Why is the phone app 100 megabytes? Why is the SMS massaging app 200 megabytes PLUS an additional 100 megabytes of user data? WHY ARE THEY SO HUGE???
I am only willing to hear out this discussion, if we’re talking about play store apps, that provide functions or entertainments or utility that the default OS and its pre packaged apps aren’t capable of.
I refuse to accept, that my phone NEEDS 8 gigabytes of ram, or god forbid more, to let me do simple daily tasks like using the phone app, and a messaging app.
Non essential apps might come with extra system requirements, sure. If you want to edit video or play fortnite on your phone, sure, flush the ram, cuz all eight gigs of dem memories are needed for gaming.
But when android itself needs 4 gigs just to exist, while a desktop OS could run on as little of one gigabyte or less, I don’t want to hear a single word about increased system requirements. Figure it out.

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Sorry, this sounds somewhat short sighted to me. The Fairphone is designed to last. The FP5 w is guaranteed to receive updates until 2031 at least and, from my experience with the FP3,likely. will see one or two major OS upgrades. So buying a Fairphone in 2024 you should consider how it will perform in a couple of years from now, and that’s why I didn’t spend a thought on buying the 6/128 GB version.

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