Virtual RAM
anglumea.com - Virtual RAM has become one of the most heavily promoted features in modern smartphones, especially in mid range and entry level devices. Manufacturers advertise figures that appear to double the available memory simply by enabling a system option. But what actually lies behind this technology, and how does it truly differ from physical RAM?
Understanding this distinction is essential to avoid falling for misleading promises and to make realistic use of a feature whose capabilities are often overstated.
What Physical RAM Is and How Virtual RAM Works?
In today’s mobile devices, physical RAM functions as the system’s main working surface. It is the space where the phone keeps active processes and the data it needs to access immediately. The speed of this memory is critical, as it directly affects how smoothly users can switch between applications, edit photos, or browse the internet without noticeable delays.
Virtual RAM, by contrast, emerges as an alternative resource designed to artificially expand that capacity. Brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and OPPO have introduced settings that allow part of the device’s internal storage to be reserved and used as a supplement to physical RAM.
This feature often appears under commercial names such as “RAM Plus” and, in theory, promises to turn a phone with 8 GB of RAM into one with “up to 16 GB.”
The mechanism behind virtual RAM is similar to the paging or swap file system used in desktop computers. When physical RAM becomes saturated due to the number of open applications and processes, the operating system assigns a portion of internal storage to temporarily store application data and states.
By doing so, it frees up real memory for urgent tasks, creating the impression that the device can handle more processes without abruptly closing applications.
However, the fundamental difference lies in speed. Internal storage, even in phones equipped with fast UFS memory, remains significantly slower in access times compared to real RAM. While physical RAM is optimized for continuous high speed reading and writing, storage memory prioritizes data persistence and introduces much higher latency when used as an intensive working memory.
This means that although the total available memory figure may appear larger, real world performance does not improve to the same extent. Users may notice that their phone reloads certain applications less frequently or keeps some apps running longer in the background, but the gains are limited.
Limitations and Drawbacks of Virtual RAM
One of the main limitations of virtual RAM is its negative impact on energy consumption. Forcing the processor to work with data stored in slower memory requires more time and power to complete tasks, which results in higher battery usage and, in some cases, increased device temperature.
This effect becomes more noticeable during prolonged sessions or when running demanding applications.
Another important consideration is wear on internal storage. Using the phone’s flash memory for constant reading and writing increases the number of write cycles, accelerating the degradation of storage chips. In devices with lower quality storage, such as those using eMMC memory, this deterioration can be more pronounced.
In addition, allocating space for virtual RAM reduces the amount of storage available for other data and applications. This can lead to stability issues and minor stutters if the system runs short of operational space.
For this reason, experts recommend enabling virtual RAM only on devices with sufficient free storage, preferably starting at 128 GB. On models with just 64 GB of storage, the benefits are questionable and may even be counterproductive.
Advantages of Using Virtual RAM
Despite these limitations, virtual RAM can still be useful in specific scenarios. On entry level and mid range smartphones, where physical RAM is limited, this feature helps the system manage light multitasking more effectively.
Users who keep multiple messaging apps, social media platforms, or productivity tools open may experience smoother operation and fewer full reloads. Virtual RAM acts as a temporary buffer, preventing unexpected closures and supporting a more stable experience, as long as extreme performance demands are avoided.
One of its most notable advantages is its low implementation cost. Unlike increasing physical RAM, which requires a higher budget and hardware changes, virtual RAM only involves allocating a portion of existing storage.
Is Extended RAM Useful and Effective on Smartphones?
The extended RAM feature is often promoted as a practical solution to improve smartphone performance when physical RAM capacity is full, particularly on devices equipped with only 2 GB of RAM.
However, to this day, there remains considerable debate regarding the actual function and benefits of extended RAM on smartphones.
Some users believe that this feature is merely a marketing gimmick designed to increase smartphone sales. They argue that a smartphone with 4 GB of physical RAM is already more than sufficient for everyday use.
Moreover, extended RAM works by borrowing a portion of internal storage and allocating it as additional RAM. From a logical standpoint, its function and performance cannot match that of physical RAM installed directly in the smartphone.
Even after increasing RAM capacity, data transfer speed performance on devices such as the Samsung Galaxy A53 remains at approximately 5.1 GB per second, showing no significant improvement at all.
This indicates that extended RAM has virtually no impact on smartphone performance beyond simply increasing the numerical RAM capacity.
This is because physical RAM functions as active memory, while extended RAM serves as passive memory.
As a result, applications that have been opened and stored in virtual RAM must be transferred back to physical RAM when they are used again.
In other words, the virtual RAM feature is only suitable for emergency situations or when the device is genuinely unable or struggling to sustain performance demands.
Conclusion
Virtual RAM is neither a miracle upgrade nor a useless gimmick. It is a practical software solution designed to mitigate hardware limitations, particularly in devices with modest physical memory. Its effectiveness depends heavily on storage speed, available capacity, and usage patterns.
While it can improve stability and multitasking under light workloads, it cannot replace the speed and efficiency of physical RAM. Understanding these differences allows users to make informed decisions, avoid unrealistic expectations, and use the feature only where it genuinely adds value.