Skip to main content

Less is more, says Huawei exec who doesn’t think 6GB of RAM is necessary

OnePlus 3T
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends
When does more become too much? According to a Huawei executive, that boundary gets drawn at precisely 4GB of RAM. Smartphone makers have pushed in recent months to come out with phones with larger and larger memories, with Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and yes, even Huawei releasing 6GB monsters after the debut of the Vivo Xplay 5 Elite as the first 6GB smartphone in the world. One high-ranking Huawei official, however, just doesn’t think it’s worthwhile.

To express his discontent, the executive, named Lao Shi, went to his Weibo page to comment that 4GB of RAM is sufficient for smooth smartphone operation. According to Shi, tests have proven that Huawei phones featuring only 4GB of RAM actually withstand the test of time more successfully than phones with 6GB of RAM. The main point of focus, Shi says, is optimizing the operating system — after all, he noted, Apple’s iOS doesn’t need a big RAM in order to function properly.

Recommended Videos

He also pointed out that much of the focus on getting to 6GB and even 8GB is more about competition between brands than actual technology. Shi went so far as to say that the struggle is similar to the arms race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Really, Shi said, adding 2GB or even 4GB of RAM to a perfectly fine phone simply drives up the cost without adding much by way of value.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

So sure, if you really want to claim the bragging rights that come along with ownership of a big phone (when it comes to memory), have at it. Shi, after all, isn’t suggesting that they’re bad. But are they absolutely necessary? It seems that in the opinion of this executive, the answer is a resounding “no.”

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Upcoming OnePlus Watch 3 might have a rotating crown
Third part watch face on OnePlus Watch 2r.

After a less-than-exciting launch with the OnePlus Watch 2, it's time for a change — and hopefully, a wearable that more closely matches modern devices. We expect the OnePlus Watch 3 to release on January 7, but now new details suggest it might come with a rotating crown.

This update is a big win for OnePlus Watch fans. The crown has been a long-requested feature that will make it easier to navigate through the interface, and improved sensors give access to ECGs and other features that were missing in the previous generation, according to Yogesh Brar.

Read more
Google proposes big changes for the future of Search and Android apps
Google Chrome on an Android phone.

Google’s ongoing antitrust tussle spawned a list of sweeping policy suggestions — including a proposed sale of the Chrome business — by the Department of Justice. The focus of the lawsuit centers on the Search monopoly, but it has serious ramifications for Android and the overall browser situation.

Now, Google has shared its own “remedies proposal” to the DOJ’s recommendations, which it claims are going “far beyond what the Court’s decision is actually about.”

Read more
Gemini brings a fantastic PDF superpower to Files by Google app
step of Gemini processing a PDF in Files by Google app.

Google is on a quest to push its Gemini AI chatbot in as many productivity tools as possible. The latest app to get some generative AI lift is the Files by Google app, which now automatically pulls up Gemini analysis when you open a PDF document.

The feature, which was first shared on the r/Android Reddit community, is now live for phones running Android 15. Digital Trends tested this feature on a Pixel 9 running the stable build of Android 15 and the latest version of Google’s file manager app.

Read more