Comparison Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 5G 128 GB / 12 GB vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus 128 GB / 8 GB

The parameter determines the overall performance of the smartphone: the more RAM, the faster the device works and the better it copes with an abundance of tasks and / or resource-intensive applications (ceteris paribus). This is even more true in light of the fact that large amounts of "RAM" are usually combined with powerful advanced processors. However, only devices with identical operating systems can be directly compared with each other, and in the case of Android, with the same versions and editions of this OS (for more on all this, see "Operating system"). This is due to the fact that different operating systems and even different versions of the same OS can differ markedly in terms of RAM requirements. For example, iOS, thanks to good optimization for specific devices, is able to work efficiently with 3 GB of RAM. For modern versions of Android in the regular edition (not Go Edition), the mentioned 3 GB is actually the required minimum. Under such an OS, it is better to have at least 4 GB or 6 GB of RAM. In high-end devices with powerful electronic "stuffing" you can also find more impressive numbers - 8 GB or even 12 GB or more.

Communication standards supported by the mobile phone. In the modern world, several standards related to different generations are actively used: GSM, 3G, 4G (LTE), 5G (including fast mobile internet), CDMA. They vary in both specs and prevalence in different countries:

— GSM. The earliest of the communication standards found in modern telephones. Belongs to the second generation (2G). Allows you to make voice calls with acceptable sound quality, as well as transfer data at speeds up to 474 Kbps (using EDGE technology). Nowadays, GSM is considered completely obsolete, it has been almost universally replaced by more advanced standards of the next generations (3G, 4G, etc.). However, 2G support is found in most modern devices — not so much because of practical necessity, but because of technical features. The fact is that almost all communication standards that are relevant nowadays are add-ons over GSM, and modules for working with these standards are almost guaranteed to be compatible with GSM as well.

— 3G. In a broad sense, the 3G category (third generation communications) includes several standards. However, in the east european mobile phone market, this term refers specifically to the connection of the UMTS format. This standard is a development of GSM, such networks are often deployed on the basis of ready-made networks of the 2nd generat...ion and can also serve GSM phones without problems. Specifically, UMTS provides data transfer rates from 2 to 70 Mbps, depending on additional technologies implemented by a particular operator. This is already comparable to fixed Internet access; so, despite the spread of newer standards, 3G communication and phones for it are still quite popular — especially since such devices are compatible with 4G and 5G networks.

— 4G (LTE). Communication 4 generations based on the LTE standard; other 4G standards are not used in mobile phones. LTE is a further development of 3G (UMTS), deployed on the basis of the same technical base, but operates at higher speeds — up to 173 Mbps, which is comparable to a full-fledged broadband Internet connection. LTE networks are commercially operated in many countries of the world, but not in all; therefore, before buying a 4G-compatible phone, it's a good idea to check if it will be possible to use all its features in your area.

— 5G. Further, after 4G, the development of mobile communication standards. In the official specifications of this generation, a peak speed of 20 Gbps for reception and 10 Gbps for transmission, guaranteed speed (at high network load) of 100 and 50 Mb/s, respectively, as well as a number of solutions aimed at improving reliability and overall connection quality. A set of such solutions includes, in particular, multi-element antenna arrays (Massive MIMO) and beamforming technologies (Beamforming) at base stations, as well as the possibility of direct communication between subscriber devices. With all this, this standard allows to reduce energy consumption in comparison with its predecessors.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the rumors about the dangers of 5G communications for health. According to modern scientific data, such a connection does not pose a danger to the human body, and the rumors mentioned are conspiracy theories that are not supported by any weighty arguments.

— CDMA. CDMA networks are known to users primarily by the activities of cell phone networks that provide the opportunity to receive a mobile phone with a direct city number. At one time, these networks competed with GSM and more advanced standards based on it, but as mobile communications developed and became cheaper, CDMA operators for the most part curtailed their activities in the voice communications market and switched to mobile Internet access services. It is worth noting here that the EV-DO Rev.A and Rev.B data transmission technologies available in CDMA networks are capable of providing connection speeds at the level of third-generation networks (up to 3.1 Mbps in the first case and up to 14.7 Mbps in the second), so in some places these services were promoted under the 3G label. However, this connection should not be confused with UMTS-based 3G (see above) — these are two fundamentally different standards that are incompatible with each other. Roughly speaking, if we are talking about 3G in a mobile phone, usually, we mean UMTS, but 3G modems more often use CDMA (EV-DO).

It is worth noting that the GSM, 3G and 4G standards (in that order) are, in fact, stages in the development of mobile networks of the same type. In fact, this means that a phone with support for a later standard, by definition, supports earlier ones — for example, a device with LTE is able to work with both GSM and 3G.

You also need to remember that different ranges can be used within the same standard, and not all of them can be supported in a mobile device. However phones officially sold in a certain country are usually optimized for local networks, and there should be no problems with them. But if the device is planned to be imported from another country, and it was not intended for the local market, it makes sense to first clarify the compatibility by bands. Otherwise, a situation may arise when the device simply “does not see” the network, although formally it will be compatible with a certain communication standard.