AI Pushes Smartphones to Need More RAM

AI is driving up RAM in smartphones. AI models require more memory to run smoothly. Increased RAM benefits both AI and general performance.

The increasing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) in smartphones is driving manufacturers to significantly increase RAM, a trend evident in both Apple's iPhone 16 and Google's Pixel 9. While AI offers exciting new features, it's also incredibly resource-intensive, requiring more memory to function efficiently. This shift underscores the growing importance of AI in the mobile landscape and its impact on hardware requirements.

The rationale behind the RAM bump lies in the nature of AI models. These models, often large and complex, demand fast access to data, which RAM provides. Keeping AI models constantly loaded in RAM ensures quick response times and avoids frustrating delays when users need to access AI features. However, the size of AI models necessitates sacrificing memory that was previously allocated to other smartphone functions, prompting the need for increased RAM overall.

The impact of AI on RAM is particularly evident in Google's Pixel 9 series. The company initially faced limitations in running AI features on the standard Pixel 8 due to insufficient RAM. This highlights the direct correlation between RAM and AI capabilities. Google ultimately addressed this by increasing RAM across all Pixel 9 models, ensuring both AI functionality and overall performance.

The trend of RAM expansion extends beyond smartphones, affecting the laptop world as well. Microsoft has declared that only laptops with at least 16GB of RAM qualify as 'Copilot Plus PCs,' capable of running local Windows AI features. Similarly, Apple is rumored to be increasing RAM in its upcoming laptops, reflecting the growing demand for robust memory to support AI operations.

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