RAM: 2GB vs 1GB in 2014

[davoid]

Well Samsung seem to believe that 2GB is better than 1GB because when the Galaxy S3 came out, the international version had a quad core CPU with 1GB ram, and the US variants had a dual core CPU (albeit a next gen CPU) and 2GB ram.

So, it would kinda imply that Quad core + 1GB = Dual core + 2GB, as the performance was pretty much equal between devices. Which then suggests that the extra ram made up for having less cores (if only psychologically, to appease disgruntled US customers complaining about not having quad core CPUs).

Also, the international S3 was prone to home screen redraws when pressing the home button, which people put down to not having enough ram for Touchwiz.

 

[dragon2knight]

How well 1GB vs. 2GB will work out for you has a lot to do with the processor, not the amount of ram. The later the version of android the better as well.
I test tablets and phones for fun and recreation, so I have at any one time several different ones around to compare. The ones with an older version of android always run slower than the same spec'd version running a newer version almost without exception. Ones with overlays like Touchwiz and their ilk also tend to not run that great on 1GB but better on 2. It really comes down to what your going to run and what you need said tablet to do for you. As a rule, I tend to always recommend going for the newest, most up to date one you can afford and then look for reviews of said tablets and go from there.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Lol many here forget he said PHABLET NOT TABLET.

Either way, take the one with 2GB RAM, more Memory and higher screen res, for futureproofing.
I also hardly, if ever play games on my phone, but I do Web browse, Listen to Music, WhatsApp, BBM, Tweet, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIN, Facebook, Email, YouTube, check sports scores, take notes and phone a lot with my GS4, I can tell you now, 2GB RAM is great, especially on KitKat, I just use my phone as hard as I want as I don't always have time to go closing apps or I don't remember to, so it helps to have that extra RAM so you can just enjoy your smartphone.

 

[funkylogik]

Oops i forgot he said phablet
Anyway. I never ever close/kill apps on my 1gb phone and im a heavy user and multitask a lot. Android kills the app with lowest priority when it needs to free some ram to open another one.
Maybe/probably(?) thats less efficient than having more RAM (i dont know) but it works fine.
I do agree that it would be better to have more ram but from my experience it certainly isnt a requirement (yet)

 

[dragon2knight]

Haha, not much of a difference between a tablet and a phablet, so no harm done. It does seem like all the advice is mostly the same, go for the best you can afford. It also helps to get a better known one for future support.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Oops i forgot he said phablet
Anyway. I never ever close/kill apps on my 1gb phone and im a heavy user and multitask a lot. Android kills the app with lowest priority when it needs to free some ram to open another one.
Maybe/probably(?) thats less efficient than having more RAM (i dont know) but it works fine.
I do agree that it would be better to have more ram but from my experience it certainly isnt a requirement (yet)

Indeed 2GB isn't a MUST have, but it's a good to have in the long term. I was happy with my GS3 I9300 with 1GB RAM before I broke it, at the time I then tried a mate's GS3 LTE I9305 which had 2GB RAM, I was taken back by the amount of multitasking I could do before it began closing apps, and at that pointed wanted 2GB RAM although was still content with my 1GB as I could still multitask just fine, just not run as many apps.

 

[mikedt]

I'm using a phone with 1GB RAM, Samsung Galaxy Win quad-core, not noticing any real lag in it, even with several things running at once, usually IM. In fact the only thing that got laggy recently was WeChat, but I don't think it's the RAM, I cleared the app's cache and data, resumed from fresh and it's OK now. Will probably upgrade to a 2GB RAM phone, likely an Oppo, this summer when I'm in Shenzhen or Hong Kong.