RAM upgrades should be allowed..

[boyo1991]

Just like an sd card, a tiny ram stick could be made to stick into a slot very easily. I've never understood why we cannot do this yet. Some argue that you can just get a new phone, but what if you want a new phone with more RAM? Or if you like your current phone but just want more RAM?

RAM is far different than the processor. I can understand why the processor will not be an aftermarket upgrade, but RAM has historically been the easiest upgrade, and just about anyone can do it. Not to mention it can be as easy as an sd card slot idea.

What do you guys think? Should RAM be accessable to users for upgrades just like an sd card?

 

[fdbryant3]

A) Ram has not always be an easy upgrade in PC
B) Making it so you can upgrade it means using more space and thickness
C) There is greater chance of failure in user replaceable modules

 

[boyo1991]

A) Ram has not always be an easy upgrade in PC
B) Making it so you can upgrade it means using more space and thickness
C) There is greater chance of failure in user replaceable modules

Good points. I still think they should figure a way to do it.

 

[mikedt]

You might be thinking of PCs, where you can just upgrade the RAM by shoving larger DIMMs in. Unfortunately with mobile phones and tablets it's not like that, the RAM is firmly soldered to the mainboard of the device.

 

[BDP3300]

This shouldn't even have to be debated.
Just do it.

EDIT: Soldered? There must be a way to get around that.

 

[mikedt]

This shouldn't even have to be debated.
Just do it.

EDIT: Soldered? There must be a way to get around that.

Possibly, look on YouTube, soldering with a toaster oven.

 

[funkylogik]

Ive been thinking for a long time that smartphones (or at least tablets) should become "modular" :thumbup:

 

[fdbryant3]

Ive been thinking for a long time that smartphones (or at least tablets) should become "modular" :thumbup:

Let me know when you convince designers thinner is not an important quality.

 

[funkylogik]

Yeah true but what id like is for it to be out of the OEM's hands. Build an android device like people build a desktop
It might not be pretty but hey

 

[Crashdamage]

This is is never, ever gonna happen...

 

[funkylogik]

Either is android spectacles or Nexus in orbit

 

[boyo1991]

You might be thinking of PCs, where you can just upgrade the RAM by shoving larger DIMMs in. Unfortunately with mobile phones and tablets it's not like that, the RAM is firmly soldered to the mainboard of the device.

It's been known that its soldiered in, but that doesn't have to be so. Just have major companies stop soldiering them in.

Of course this was more of an opinion thread saying that we should be allowed easy access to ram. I did however see a good couple points as to why not as well.

My answer to the good points as to why not is, look at the pc. People who don't know anything about it, will not end up messing with even the ram. So there would be no need to worry. Another solution is to have standard ram built in, but an expansion slot for additional ram. Not hard to impliment.

 

[Joelgp83]

Another solution is to have standard ram built in, but an expansion slot for additional ram. Not hard to impliment.

Would this use the original idea of popping a RAM stick into the side like an SD card? If so, things to consider:

1. Connector bus speed: It's not like you can just slap an off-the-shelf DDR slot onto the phone's mobo. This would have to be a new, (proprietary?) connector that not only has same bandwidth/latency as the built-in stuff, but the same connection lines to the CPU and Memory controller.

2.Hot swapping, accidental or otherwise. This isn't like an SD card where if you don't dismount it properly before pulling it all that happens is possible corruption to the SD card. This could potentially kill both the RAM stick AND the phone board if done wrong.

 

[Hadron]

1. Connector bus speed: It's not like you can just slap an off-the-shelf DDR slot onto the phone's mobo. This would have to be a new, (proprietary?) connector that not only has same bandwidth/latency as the built-in stuff, but the same connection lines to the CPU and Memory controller.

Yes, this was my problem with the proposal. The data lines to the RAM are going to be a lot faster than to an SD card, so I expect this will have to be a better connector than a microSD slot, and as you say its placement will be constrained (latency). So you'll need a new socket design, a new RAM module design, and even with that the result would be a bulkier, more expensive and potentially less reliable phone, in order to add a feature that most users won't touch. And the low demand will make the RAM modules very pricey compared to PC memory.

2.Hot swapping, accidental or otherwise. This isn't like an SD card where if you don't dismount it properly before pulling it all that happens is possible corruption to the SD card. This could potentially kill both the RAM stick AND the phone board if done wrong.

That one is soluble: you put it under the battery, so you can't access it without powering it down. Or if you have a fixed battery, put a switch in the cover that will power the phone down if you open it (no shutdown, just break the circuit).

 

[Joelgp83]

That one is soluble: you put it under the battery, so you can't access it without powering it down.

....And now we're back to how to give it a low latency, high bandwidth connection to the CPU/memory controller. Doesn't it need to be physically near the north bridge? -Edit- Wait, brain fart, when you said battery I was thinking of those CMOS batteries that are in some far off corner of the mobo.

Or if you have a fixed battery, put a switch in the cover that will power the phone down if you open it (no shutdown, just break the circuit).

Whoa, hold on, you want the thing to just unceremoniously cut power to the phone? Great, I can see it now: "My phone bricked during the update because I dropped it and the RAM exansion switch opened. HAAAALLLPPP!!!"

 

[boyo1991]

....And now we're back to how to give it a low latency, high bandwidth connection to the CPU/memory controller. Doesn't it need to be physically near the north bridge? -Edit- Wait, brain fart, when you said battery I was thinking of those CMOS batteries that are in some far off corner of the mobo.



Whoa, hold on, you want the thing to just unceremoniously cut power to the phone? Great, I can see it now: "My phone bricked during the update because I dropped it and the RAM exansion switch opened. HAAAALLLPPP!!!"

Hahaha at the last part. But I agree with the socket being under the battery. And sure it would be more pricey, but instead of getting a new phone and either be stuck on contract another two years (assuming you don't want the contract) or instead of buying a whole new phone, it can be upgraded. As long as its cheaper than a whole new phone...

 

[funkylogik]

I love the idea but realisticly i cant see it on a phone. A tablet though.....

 

[Hadron]

Whoa, hold on, you want the thing to just unceremoniously cut power to the phone? Great, I can see it now: "My phone bricked during the update because I dropped it and the RAM exansion switch opened. HAAAALLLPPP!!!"

Yeah, didn't think of that. As long as you're not doing something critical a battery pull is fine, but that would be...unfortunate

Yeah, I don't think it's going to fly really.

 

[boyo1991]

And to the comment about tablets, what about phablets? Lol

 

[funkylogik]

I dont believe in phablets lol

 

[boyo1991]

I dont believe in phablets lol

Haha then what do you call a phone with the hardware of a tablet?

 

[funkylogik]

a.... tablone lol

 

[boyo1991]

a.... tablone lol

Ah yes, this mysterious creature of the gadget world... The tablone, watch as it stocks its prey, the lowly geek, the moment its prey thinks its in the clear. Bam! A new tablone comes out of the blue, time to fight for dominance of the prey. Haha

 

[funkylogik]

:beer:

 

[boyo1991]

Yeah true but what id like is for it to be out of the OEM's hands. Build an android device like people build a desktop
It might not be pretty but hey

This is exactly what I'd like. Not let it be in OEMs hands. Let tinkerers tinker, and those who don't want to tinker let it be. It may be slightly bulkier, but cmon we have massive phones as it is, no reason we can't add a bit more to that..