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Need more RAM on your Samsung phone? Samsung makes it (kind of) possible.

The new feature isn't quite as useless as "downloading more RAM," but keep your expectations low.
By

Published onSeptember 10, 2021

samsung galaxy note 20 review logo
Oliver Cragg / Android Authority
TL;DR
  • A new feature called Samsung RAM Plus is landing on the Galaxy A52S.
  • The feature gives you up to 4GB of virtual memory, which could give you better performance.
  • However, virtual memory is no substitute for physical memory, so temper your expectations.

For years now, there’s been an old joke. “Do you need more RAM on your smartphone? Just download it!” There are even apps on the Play Store and a hilarious website that play into this trope.

The joke is that since RAM is a physical aspect of your phone, it’s impossible to add it via software. However, a new feature called Samsung RAM Plus is rolling out now the Galaxy A52S (via SamMobile), and it is likely as close as we’re going to get to being able to download more RAM.

See also: The best Samsung phones you can get

RAM Plus essentially co-opts a portion of your phone’s internal storage and converts it into up to 4GB of “RAM,” meaning virtual memory. In certain situations, this could increase the performance of your phone. However, since the RAM is virtual and not physical, it could have little-to-no effect on performance. In some situations, it could even weaken performance.

Most operating systems have this feature. Android has it already baked in as does Windows, for example. However, Samsung RAM Plus gives the user an easy way to control it, which is something not too many other companies have done. OPPO has a similar system, to be clear.

It’s not clear if this feature will come to other Samsung devices soon. It might make sense for it to land on lower-end phones, but it would be kind of silly to have it on flagships with 8GB of RAM or more — which is plenty.

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