How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (2024)

Find out the ideal phone memory your smartphone
needs to suit your usage.

How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (1) How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (2)

Is RAM important on a smartphone?

The more RAM your smartphone has the quicker you can access and switch between apps without experiencing any lag. Without RAM, apps would close when you switch to another app, causing delays and slowing your phone down.

How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (3)How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (4)

What is the difference between phone storage and memory?

Phone memory refers to RAM (Random Access Memory). RAM is the part of the phone that is used to store the operating system (OS) and where apps and data currently in use are kept. Whereas, phone storage is used to store data such as apps, photos, videos, and files that are necessary for the phone to run. RAM is a lot faster than phone storage but you don’t have as much of it.

How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (5)How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (6)

How much memory do videos use?

Recording in 4K will use around 300MB of storage for every 1 minute of filming. Whilst recording in Full HD only uses approximately 100MB of storage per minute. Operating at 4x the resolution of 4K UHD, 8K requires around 600MB of storage per minute of recording. Whilst this is a significant amount, you have the option to choose up to a whopping 1TB of expandable storage with the latest Galaxy S24 Ultra, and 256GB or 512GB with the Galaxy S24+, so you’ll have plenty of space for all your recordings.

How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (7)How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (8)

What are GB?

When you're choosing your new Samsung smartphone you will need to decide between different Gigabytes options. But, if you are not familiar with this technology jargon you may be wondering what does Gigabytes actually mean? GB is an abbreviation for gigabyte, you may also hear it referred to as ‘gigs’. It’s simply the measurement used to calculate storage on smartphones, computers, tablets and gaming consoles.

How much phone storage do photos use?

Although photo file sizes differ between smartphones depending on their camera specs, on average each photo requires 5MB of storage. For the occasional photographer, 1GB should be enough phone storage for 200 photos. If you’re a selfie addict, 30GB will allow you to store approximately 6,000 photos. Working out what you need will help in deciding which phone to buy that suits your photo-taking habits.

How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (11)How Much Phone Memory & Storage Do I Need? | Samsung UK (12)

Are you a gamer or a photographer? You might need more storage

Taking lots of photos and videos or playing graphic-intensive games will all place huge storage demands on your smartphone.

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How much RAM for gaming?

For gaming beginners, 8GB of memory is a good starting point. However, we recommend at least 16GB of memory to ensure an uninterrupted, speedy and high quality gaming experience.

For more advanced players who prefer large adventure games with lots of exploration and high quality graphics then 32GB+ is more suitable. Large RAM is also advised for those who like to record and share their gameplay.

Checkout

options, including

2TB portable SSD

&

PRO Endurance microSD card 256GB

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Is 128GB enough for a phone?

Overall, for most casual smartphone users 64GB phone memory is enough, although many people prefer to choose between 128GB and 256GB. Those who use their mobile phone to the absolute maximum should consider phones with storage of 512GB and 1TB to avoid running out of storage space and suffering with a slow phone speed.

A 128GB smartphone on average can store:

• 900 photos
• 60 minutes of UHD video
• 1,000 songs
• 100+ apps and games
• 20 movies

Calculating how much phone storage you need

When you calculate your potential usage remember that you will need to leave enough space for additional files and software updates (approx. 10GB). You should then add 20% to allow for a buffer. You can also increase your phone’s memory capacity with a Micro SD card1. Explore our range of Micro SDs

here

.

It’s important to remember that the numbers discussed are estimates and the exact photo, video and app size will always vary.

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How do I get more storage space for my phone?

You can increase the storage on your phone by increasing your phones memory with SSD hard drives and Memory cards. The Samsung Pro Plus microSD Card also has 256GB of storage & gives you up to 140K hours of 4K recording.

What about storing games & apps?

Typically, individual apps can use between 40MB – 1GB of phone storage. If you anticipate downloading just a few key apps and the odd game, then 5GB of storage space should be plenty. If you are a pro gamer and plan to download 200+ apps and large games, then you will require 50GB of phone storage.

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1Micro SD card sold separately. External memory can be used to store media (photos, video and music files), but not applications.

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FAQs

How much phone memory and storage do I need? ›

Typically, individual apps can use between 40MB – 1GB of phone storage. If you anticipate downloading just a few key apps and the odd game, then 5GB of storage space should be plenty. If you are a pro gamer and plan to download 200+ apps and large games, then you will require 50GB of phone storage.

What is a good amount of GB for a phone? ›

If you play a lot of mobile games and/or take a lot of high-res photos, you'll want at least 128 GB. However, if you don't use many apps and stream most of your content (like movies and music), you'll probably be fine with 64 GB. Which iPhone Is Best for Gaming?

Do I need a 128GB or 256GB phone? ›

The 64GB is enough storage for a basic user. It would keep quite a number of your information and apps. 128GB is enough for an average user, while 256GB can be considered by a high-end user.

Is 32GB enough for a phone? ›

32 GB is good for normal amount of apps but not for media files. You need to use a memory card for those. If you plan to install games you will need more. Honor 8 had Android 7, with modern versions you likely would have less.

How do I know if my phone memory is full? ›

Use your device to check its storage. Go to Settings > General > [Device] Storage. You might see a list of recommendations for optimizing your device's storage, followed by a list of installed apps and the amount of storage each one uses.

What should I delete when internal storage is full? ›

How to Free Up Storage on Your Phone
  • First, See What You're Storing. Both Android and iOS make it easy to see exactly what's on your phone and how much space it takes up. ...
  • Next, Optimize Your Storage. ...
  • Move Your Files to an SD Card. ...
  • Optimize Your Photos. ...
  • Clear Your Cache. ...
  • Delete Old Files. ...
  • Pare Down Your Apps.
Jun 26, 2023

What is the difference between memory and storage on a phone? ›

Storage is where you keep data, like music and photos. Memory is where you run programs, like apps and the Android system.

How many GB does the average person use on mobile? ›

According to Ofcom, the average person's monthly usage is around 5.6GB, so you may need a data plan offering more than 5GB, particularly if you stream Netflix while on the go or play games online, which are data-heavy activities that will probably push you over the average person's usage.

What's the difference between memory and storage? ›

Memory is what your computer uses to store data temporarily, while storage is where you save files permanently. When you save a file, it's copied from the memory onto the storage drive. This is why your computer seems to run slower when it's low on memory; it has to pull data from the storage drive in order to use it.

Is 256GB overkill for a phone? ›

256GB might seem like a lot of storage for a smartphone at first, but if you either hoard media files, play resource-intensive games, or create video or image content online, this option gives you more freedom than 128GB.

Is 128GB really necessary? ›

You don't need 128GB unless you store so many movies and a lot of videos on your phone. You can save some 1K or 2K by buying a phone of 64GB and buy a pen drive of 64GB with saved money to store that data and circulate that drive to whoever is in need.

Does more storage make your phone faster? ›

While the amount of storage your computer or smartphone has doesn't affect its performance as much as RAM, it's still important.

How many GB do I need on my phone per month? ›

Even 2GB will be cutting it close, so for some breathing room we'd generally suggest at least 3GB. Meanwhile, if you're using mobile data much of the day, every day, or using data intensive things like video streaming and tethering regularly, you'll probably want at least 50GB – and even that might not be enough.

How do I increase the storage on my phone? ›

To substantially increase your phone's memory, you can transfer data to an Secure Digital (SD) card. Other quick options include removing cached data and large downloads, temporarily disabling apps, and removing photos and videos.

How much memory do I need? ›

The amount of RAM memory you need for your computer depends on the type of tasks you plan to perform. For basic everyday use such as web browsing and document creation, 4GB or 8GB is usually sufficient. For more intensive tasks such as gaming or video editing 16GB or even 32GB of RAM is better.

Does more storage mean faster phone? ›

Storage capacity is measured in gigabytes or even terabytes (TB)—a terabyte is equal to 1,000GB. While the amount of storage your computer or smartphone has doesn't affect its performance as much as RAM, it's still important.

Is 256GB enough for a phone? ›

Most folks need 128GB or 256GB of phone storage space which is enough for regular app downloads, picture taking, and video shooting. Power users like gamers should opt for 512GB to 1TB, while casual users will be fine with 64GB.

How many apps can 128GB hold? ›

128GB: for the collectors

Then 128GB is more than enough for you. You can save about 1280 to 5000 apps. With 128GB, you won't run out of space any time soon.

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