The RAM of a mobile phone performs essentially the same function as on a computer. Namely, it provides memory resources to applications that require it. But this will be described in more detail in this article.
What is the phone’s RAM?
Any application, whether it is a phone or a computer, needs to save its data in the process. This may be intermediate results of calculations, data from the user, or even the addresses of sites on the Internet. In order for the program to be able to store all this somewhere, a random access memory mechanism was implemented. With it, the application can quickly write a certain set of data into memory, and then also quickly retrieve it if necessary. The RAM of a cell phone or computer is not able to store information for a long time, and after turning off the power, it is reset.
The difference between the RAM of the phone and the computer
If on a personal computer any user can always change the memory bar to a larger one, then this will not work on the phone. The fact is that the RAM of the mobile is a chip soldered on the board. This means that in order to increase the volume, you will have to re-solder the module.
What features does RAM implement?
So what does the RAM in the phone affect? In short, RAM allows you to use several resource-intensive applications at the same time. Accordingly, if the amount of memory is not large enough, the system will unload those programs that are currently in the background, giving preference to those that work.
How and how much RAM is consumed by the system?
Operating systems of mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS, are sufficiently optimized and balanced. That is, the distribution of resources in them occurs in the most rational way. The developer of each specific application is responsible for the extra overspending of RAM. If his product is not optimized and allows memory leaks, then any smartphone will not have enough RAM.
Any operating system can be delivered both in pure form or in the form of branded shells from the manufacturer. Accordingly, resources for the latter may require much more. On average, the Android operating system consumes about 500 megabytes in its purest form. If additional shells are installed on top of it, then this figure can be easily multiplied by 2, or even by 3. Various innovative functions and features can also affect the memory consumption in the phone. For example, various mechanisms for determining faces and fingerprints.
RAM and applications
The range of RAM consumption in phones is quite large. One application can consume up to 10 megabytes, another - more than 200. On average, programs use 90-100 megabytes of RAM. As a rule, these are various instant messengers, light clients, simple browsers. Now it becomes clear why the phone needs RAM. He “stores” applications and games in it.
Mobile games
What does the RAM in the phone affect in terms of games? For almost everything. If the phone’s RAM is insufficient, the game may not start at all. Basically, games, especially the new generation, consume from 300 to 800 MB. That is, the smartphone for the game must be very productive and have a large supply of RAM.
How much memory is needed?
It is necessary to calculate the required amount of memory based on the needs of a particular user. If he is a gamer and loves to play modern games, you will have to throw about 1 GB of stock. Next, you need to calculate the required volume for applications. If the user often uses social networks and instant messengers, and even everyone, then you can safely reserve about 800 megabytes for this. Next, you need to pay attention to the shell. If you are using the standard version of a clean system, such as Android, then you need to add another 700 MB to the stock. If the shell is proprietary, this volume can increase to 1.5 GB. Thus, a productive smartphone for a gamer who likes to communicate on the network should be equipped with at least 4 gigabytes of RAM.
How to increase RAM on Android?
Earlier in the article, it was described what the RAM in the phone affects and how to choose its optimal size. It is impossible to physically increase this indicator at home. But programmatic ways to implement this is real. True, it is worth noting that this is not quite an increase, but rather an optimization. Firstly, in the application settings you need to study in detail the memory usage. Select from the list all applications that work in the background as services and which the user does not need in everyday work. Then they must either be manually unloaded from memory, stopping the processes, or deleted completely. When using the first option, you need to remember that after a reboot, all services will occupy this memory again. The second, more convenient and rational way is to use automated memory optimization tools. These are applications that monitor RAM consumption, analyze whether memory is being used up correctly, and, based on this data, disable programs that are currently unnecessary.
A small minus of this approach is that with a small amount of RAM, the application will try to free as much RAM as possible, and therefore, user data in minimized programs will be deleted. Although on the other hand, if the developer took care of the reliable preservation of information when closing the application, then nothing will happen to it.
How to determine the amount of memory smartphone on the "Android"?
To find out how much RAM is available in the smartphone, you can go to the applications section, then find the “Working” tab, where the amount of RAM will be indicated at the bottom of the list in the “occupied” to “free” ratio. How to find out the phone’s RAM before purchase? Here you have to believe the information from the seller. If you want more details, you need to go to the official website of the manufacturer and familiarize yourself with the specification. You can also go to the application settings directly when purchasing a gadget.
RAM iPhone
The line of devices running on the iOS platform is not as large as in Android. Therefore, you can find out the amount of RAM before buying a smartphone either on the seller’s website or on the Apple website.
RAM optimization by applications
The article has already been considered, which affects the RAM in the phone, as well as ways to optimize it. It is worth considering several software products that automate this process.
Clean master
In fact, this program is a task manager, an optimizer, and a defender against vulnerabilities and viruses. It collects data automatically, periodically prompting users to clear any amount of RAM.
Assistant assistant
This application helps to control the system by analyzing the load on the processor and memory, as well as the battery level. At any time, you can see what the processor time and memory are spent on, and exclude too gluttonous application from work. Also, the program can disable functions that are not currently used, for example GPS, Wi-Fi, bluetooth.
DU Speed Booster
This application can clean your smartphone from unused background processes with one touch. At the same time, it will correctly complete the tasks and disable startup of resource-intensive applications.
How to choose a smartphone with the necessary amount of RAM?
The average user does not always use a large number of resource-intensive applications. On average, these are 2-3 instant messengers, the same number of social network clients, some infrequently used applications, for example, maps, trading platforms, payment systems, browsers or media players. The whole load from such use as a whole should easily fit into 2 gigabytes of RAM. At the same time, such a volume should be enough to run more or less modern games. True, you may have to turn off several services from the background.
Therefore, when buying a smartphone for average use, you can safely pay attention to models with a memory capacity of up to 2 gigabytes.
Conclusion
This article examined in detail what the RAM means in the phone, what it is spent on, and how it can be optimized. It is worth understanding the main nuance of RAM - the ability to simultaneously use a large number of applications and services. The larger the memory, the more you can load into it. Performance still remains in the background, since the speed with which data is moved is currently sufficient for most users. Although many modern smartphones are already equipped with more powerful memory chips, the differences in speed are almost invisible to the user. But there is a significant improvement in energy consumption. For example, the freshest LPDDR4 memory type has 40% less power consumption than its predecessor. Therefore, when choosing a smartphone, you should also pay attention to the type of memory, if the user refers to energy conservation with particular scrupulousness.