How much RAM is ideal for optimal performance?

Smartphones released between 2011 and 2015 initially featured 1GB of RAM, gradually increasing to 2GB and 3GB, and today, flagships often feature 12GB or 16GB of RAM. This shows that the amount of RAM has steadily increased over the years, reflecting the growing demands of users and the capabilities of mobile apps and operating systems.

Typically, the amount of RAM increases with the phone’s price. Entry-level smartphones may have up to 4GB, mid-range phones offer 6GB to 8GB, high-end phones provide 8GB to 12GB, and flagships can have 12GB to 24GB. How much RAM should your phone have when you are thinking of buying a new smartphone? Continue reading ahead to find a definite answer.

How much RAM should your smartphone have?

On an Android smartphone, an app takes up a specific amount of RAM when it launches. When you open multiple apps, each one can consume approximately 100 megabytes of RAM. Launching a game can consume up to 1GB of RAM. If it is a resource-demanding game, it can occupy around 1.5GB of RAM. The operating system also consumes a certain portion of the RAM. If there is no free RAM available, the phone will function quite slowly, lag often.

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When there is limited RAM, there is always a risk of running out of space. To address this issue, computers use swapping, which temporarily stores less-used memory pages elsewhere, such as on a hard drive or SSD. In contrast, Android makes use of a technique known as zRAM, compressing data instead of externally storing it. However, Android may forcefully close apps to make room for new ones if zRAM runs out. Therefore, it is important to have more RAM on your phone so that it can retain more apps in memory without terminating older apps.

If you are looking for an entry-level offering, a smartphone with 4GB would be sufficient. For those looking for a phone priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000, it would be ideal to get a phone with 6GB of RAM, as it can retain more apps at the same time.

If you wish to purchase a mid-range or a high-end phone priced at around Rs 15,000 to Rs 35,000, it would be advisable to invest in a smartphone with 8GB of RAM to ensure a smoother multi-tasking experience. For those looking forward to purchasing a flagship offering, it would be advisable to get a phone with at least 12GB of RAM.

Why things work differently for iPhones

Readers should note that it is a completely different situation in the world of iPhones. Currently, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the more powerful smartphone from Apple. Even though it has 8GB of RAM, it can easily outperform some of the best Android smartphones. What’s the reason behind it?

There are some key differences in how iOS manages memory as compared to Android devices. iOS is known for its efficient memory management and optimisation, which allows it to deliver smooth performance even with relatively lower amounts of RAM compared to some Android counterparts. Even iOS apps are designed in such a way that they work efficiently even with less amount of RAM.

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The entire iPhone 14 series, which debuted in 2022, offers 6GB of RAM, whereas the iPhone 15 lineup from last year, is Apple’s first smartphone to feature 8GB of RAM. The iPhone 15 series is highly capable of handling demanding tasks, such as gaming, video editing, and augmented reality apps, with smooth multitasking performance. While iPhones generally require less RAM compared to Android devices to achieve similar performance levels, opting for a model with slightly higher RAM can future-proof your device and ensure optimal performance over its lifespan.