It appears 2016 is the year of the 6GB smartphone. Several devices have released or are rumored to release with a whopping 6GB of RAM on board. Manufacturers are pushing to make their devices more suitable as gaming machines as well as making them VR ready, which equates to more power.
In 2015, many smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and OnePlus 2 included 4GB of RAM . Now, many of the same manufacturers plan or are expected to launch devices with 6GB of RAM.
RAM, or random access memory, is an electronic component that allows devices to perform necessary tasks while they are turned on. RAM acts similar to a short-term memory, while many electronic devices also have internal storage, comparable to long-term memory. Once a device is restarted or idle RAM is cleared, that specific information cannot be recalled. With internal storage, users can save data on a device and pull it up at a later time.
Many older devices have hosted between 1GB and 3GB of RAM; however, in recent years manufacturers have rapidly increased RAM capacities to address rapidly growing power demands. In addition to higher-resolution displays and more powerful processors, smartphone companies also have to address other high power functions, such as gaming, which is a quickly growing area and virtual reality, which is expected to take off on mobile in the coming years.
Take a look at the many 2016 smartphones, both released and rumored, that contain (or may contain) 6GB of RAM.
OnePlus 3
Status: Confirmed, Not yet announced
The OnePlus 3 will become official June 14; however, its 6GB RAM version remains speculation at this point. Recently, evidence of such 6GB RAM OnePlus 3 model surfaced at the Chinese telecommunication certification department TENAA . There is also evidence of a 4GB RAM model, which surfaced at the FCC in the U.S. It is possible the 6GB RAM model of the OnePlus 3 will be exclusive to China and other Asian countries, while the 4GB model may come to the U.S.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, the OnePlus 3 may feature a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, a 16-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera and a 3,000mAh battery. Reports suggest that the 4GB RAM model may include 32GB of internal storage, while the 64GB model may include 64GB to 128GB of internal storage.
The OnePlus 3 may be priced between $349 and $399 at release.
Samsung Galaxy Note 6
Status: Rumored, Not yet confirmed
The Samsung Galaxy Note 6 may be announced in mid-August, similar to its predecessor. At this point, many rumors about the device remain far fetched, but there is a possibility it could include 6GB of RAM, seeing as Samsung began mass producing such chips in September 2015. Google recently announced its VR initiative, Daydream, and detailed that Samsung is among the manufacturers planning devices that are “Daydream ready,” which indicates coming smartphones from the company will likely have some beefy specs.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy Note 6 may feature 5.8-inch Quad HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 (or 823) chip, camera improvements such as infrared autofocus, USB Type-C, Water resistance and Iris Scanner, Android N and a 4,000mAh battery
Currently, there is no word on what the smartphone may cost.
ZTE Axon 7
Status: Announced, Not yet available
The ZTE Axon 7 was announced last week. While a 4GB RAM model is expected to hit the U.S., there will also be a China exclusive model featuring 6GB of RAM. The Axon 7 is currently the only device other than Google’s Nexus 6P, which is considered Daydream ready.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, the ZTE Axon 7 features 5.5-inch-QHD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, a 20-megapixel camera rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, a 3,140mAh battery, a USB Type-C port, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and Ion Gold and Quartz Grey color options. The 6GB RAM model includes 128GB of internal storage, while the 4GB of RAM model includes 64GB of internal storage.
There is no word on the price of the Axon 7 with 6GB of RAM; however, the 4GB RAM model will sell for $450.
Vivo Xplay5 Elite
Status: Available
Chinese manufacturer Vivo announced the Vivo Xplay 5 Elite smartphone in March as the first device on the market with 6GB of RAM. As with many such devices, there are different models with different memory configurations. There is a standard model with 4GB of RAM and the Elite model with 6GB of RAM. The Vivo Xplay 5 also has the accolade of being the first non-Samsung device with the Samsung Edge curved display.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, The Vivo Xplay Elite features a 5.43-inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, 128GB of internal storage, a 16-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera, a 3,600mAh battery, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and a rear panel fingerprint scanner. The standard Xplay mode features Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chip, 4GB of RAM and Android 5.1 Lollipop.
The Vivo Xplay 5 is currently available in China for 4,288 RMB ($655) for the Elite model with 6GB of RAM and 3,698 RMB ($565) for the standard model with 4GB of RAM.
Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe
Status: Announced, Not yet available
Asus announced three devices in its new Zenfone 3 line last week, one of which hosts 6GB of RAM. The Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe stands as the most premium and priciest smartphone of the three. The standard Zenfone 3 is a mid-range device, while the Zenfone Ultra is a super massive phablet with premium specs, though slightly less powerful than the Deluxe.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, the Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe features a 5.7-inch Full HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, 64GB of internal storage (with a 256GB internal storage option coming soon), a 23-megapixel rear camera and a USB 3.0 port with Quick Charge 3.0 capability.
The Asus Zenfone Deluxe will be priced at $499.
Lenovo ZUK Z2 Pro
Status: Available
Lenovo announced the ZUK Z2 Pro in April with a pretty affordable price for a device with 6GB of RAM. The manufacturer recently announced the “lite” ZUK Z2 model, which features 4GB of RAM.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, the Lenovo ZUK Z2 features a 5.2-inch Full HD Display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, 128GB of internal storage, a 13-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front camera 3,100mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and USB Type-C and USB 3.1 connectivity.
The Lenovo ZUK Z2 Pro is priced at CNY 2,699 ($420).
Vernee Apollo
Status: Available
Chinese manufacturer Vernee announced the Vernee Apollo in March, shortly after the Vivo Xplay5 Elite. It stands as one of the first smartphones on the market with 6GB of RAM. The manufacturer recently announced the Vernee Apollo Lite, which includes 4GB of RAM.
In addition to 6GB of RAM, the Vernee Apollo features a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, a Mediatek Helio X20 chip, 128GB of internal storage, a 21-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera, USB Type-C, Force Touch and Android Marshmallow.
The Vernee Apollo is priced at $399.