How much RAM does an Android smartphone really need in 2025?

In 2025, smartphones are becoming more and more powerful, but do you really need a huge amount of RAM? Manufacturers offer models with 12 GB, 16 GB and even more, but in everyday tasks the difference may not be so noticeable.

About what amount of memory is optimal for modern Android smartphones and whether it is worth overpaying for extra gigabytes, RBC-Ukraine (Styler project) tells with reference to the online publication Android Authority, which represents the world of Android and technologies.

How Android Manages Memory

Any computing device, including your smartphone, uses random access memory (RAM). It stores running programs, their data, and the operating system while the device is running. Just ten years ago, Android devices had only 512 MB or 1 GB of RAM. However, over time, the amount of RAM has increased significantly.

In 2014, premium smartphones were equipped with 3 GB of RAM, and a couple of years later 4 GB became the standard. Today, 4 GB is already considered the minimum allowable amount for a new device.

But no matter how much RAM your device has, it is a limited resource that needs to be managed wisely.

Each new application you launch takes up some RAM. Simple applications and games use a few hundred megabytes, while more complex games can consume up to 1 GB of RAM. The most demanding games take up to 1.5 GB of RAM.

With 4 GB of RAM, the device has enough space for several average applications or games running simultaneously with the OS. However, at some point the free RAM runs out.

The swap file and its role in Android

When RAM becomes full, the system uses the swapping method. On conventional computers, this is done using external storage (hard drive or SSD), where the least used data from RAM is moved.

If necessary, this data is loaded back into RAM. This allows you to increase the amount of available memory, but is slower than direct processing in RAM.

Android uses a slightly different approach. Instead of writing data to storage, the system compresses it and leaves it in RAM. This method is called zRAM, where the “z” indicates the use of compression (similar to Unix/Linux). For example, if the data can be compressed by 50 percent, then 128 KB of memory is reduced to 64 KB, freeing up the remaining 64 KB.

The Linux kernel, on which Android is based, treats zRAM as regular swap space. However, this data cannot be used directly – if necessary, it must be decompressed and loaded back, as in a traditional swap file.

What happens when zRAM fills up?

While zRAM helps to use memory efficiently, it is also a limited resource. If Android runs out of swap space, the system starts to forcefully close running apps to free up memory.

This means that if you minimize an app, expecting to return to it later, it may be closed by the system to make room for a new running app.

So, the more RAM you have, the more applications can remain in memory at the same time, without having to force them to quit. If RAM is low, Android will unload applications from memory more often.

How much RAM does an Android smartphone need?

Obviously, 4 GB is no longer enough for comfortable multitasking. Only the last three or four games you launched will remain in memory. Office and system applications usually take up less space, so you can run five or six small programs at the same time, but when switching between them, some will restart. 6 GB of RAM partially solves this problem.

12 GB on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a powerful and well-managed amount of memory. The RAM can hold up to 15 games at the same time, including demanding ones, as well as several browser tabs. It is unlikely that the average user will encounter any problems with this level of multitasking.

Optimal RAM:

• 8-12 GB is the best option for most users
• 16 GB is more of a marketing ploy than a real necessity

Although the OnePlus 9 Pro manages memory quite aggressively, the RAMBoost feature helps Android use 8 GB more efficiently over time. However, on other devices, this amount may provide a smoother multitasking experience.

It is worth considering that local AI models (for example, Gemini Nano) also affect the required amount of memory. Some models can work directly from storage, but others require RAM to improve performance. A Google engineer noted that the Smart Reply model on the Pixel 8 Pro should be located in RAM, which takes up a significant portion of resources.

Currently, most manufacturers are implementing entire AI functions, such as Galaxy AI and Pixel AI, so it is not surprising that flagships receive 12-16 GB of RAM. For example, the Pixel 9 received 50 percent more memory than its predecessor. Even Apple had to increase the RAM in the iPhone 16 to support new Apple Intelligence features.

What amount of RAM to choose?

• Budget smartphones – 6 GB (minimum comfortable level)
• Mid-range and flagship segment – 8 GB (smooth multitasking + reserve for the future)
• Advanced users and AI functions – 12 GB (optimal option for 2024 year)
• 16 GB – useful only for AI processing and foldable smartphones, for most people it's just a marketing ploy