4, 6 or 8 GB - how much RAM does a modern smartphone actually need

Android smartphones

We all know perfectly well that the more RAM, the more applications can run simultaneously. However, this is not all that precious gigabytes are spent on.

Android runs on the Linux kernel. The kernel is stored in a special type of compressed file and is extracted directly into RAM when the device is turned on. This reserved area of memory contains the kernel, drivers, and kernel modules that control the components of the device.
RAM disk for virtual files. Some folders and files in the system directory are actually virtual. They are created on every boot and contain information such as battery level and processor frequency. A little more RAM is allocated to store them.
Data on IMEI and modem settings are saved in NVRAM (non-volatile memory that is not erased when the phone is turned off). At the same time, at each boot, they are transferred to RAM to ensure the operation of the modem.
The graphics adapter also requires memory to work. It's called VRAM. Our smartphones use integrated GPUs that don't have their own memory. Therefore, some RAM is reserved for the graphics adapter.

All the RAM left over from the consumers listed above goes to the graphical shell of the operating system and installed applications. At the same time, the data of running applications is stored in one part of the remaining RAM, and the second always remains free in case the user launches another program. If the amount of free memory decreases, then previously launched applications are unloaded from the RAM.

To date, the amount of RAM that the operating system reserves for its needs is about 1 GB. Although manufacturers can apply their own settings and additional modules, to some extent, affect this figure, the average temperature in the hospital is exactly that.

To ensure normal multitasking, it is enough that there are 5-7 applications in the RAM, which on average will take about 700-900 MB. Add to this another 300-400 MB of free space required to run new applications.

It turns out that today, 3 GB is enough for a smartphone to perform almost any task with a margin.

You will not feel any significant acceleration and wow effect from picking up a device with 4 or 6 GB. Maybe you won't even notice any difference at all.

Nevertheless, progress does not stand still. The gradual increase in the size of the RAM will sooner or later lead to the fact that the operating system will increasingly increase the partition reserved for itself, and developers will begin to release more and more resource-intensive applications. And then 6GB of RAM can really come in handy. But now there is no point in overpaying for additional gigabytes.

iPhone

The situation with the iPhone is somewhat different. The use of a proprietary OS and components of its own production allows Apple to achieve high optimization. Thanks to this, the company does not have to increase the amount of RAM of its devices every year.

The current flagship iPhone 7 Plus is equipped with a rather modest 3 GB of RAM by today's standards, while the younger version of the iPhone 7 has 2 GB of it. The previous generation also has 2GB of storage, while older devices like the iPhone 6 and 5s generally only have 1GB of RAM. At the same time, the same iPhone 5s, which is now working quite normally on iOS 10, will receive support for the new iOS 11, although it was introduced back in 2013.

It's safe to say that the iPhone's 2GB of RAM is enough right now. Three gigabytes is a reserve for the future.