Can I upgrade the memory on my phone?

[DaveC426913]

TL;DR Summary

I have an ASUS X008DC Zenphone.

(I think I may have asked this before)
Update: Yup.
So obvs I didn't get the answers then I need to move forward.
One thing that as changed is my provider.

---

I am mystified and a little intimidated by the technical aspects of my phone and phones in general.
I don't really understand if the chip that gives my phone my ID* is the same chip that stores memory.

* if I pull that chip out my phone loses connection to my service plan, yes? I could put the chip in another phone and now that new phone is active.

So my question is: can I put in more memory?

This is my exact phone:
https://www.mobosdata.com/phone/asus-zenfone-3-max-x008dc/

The memory capacity in those specs does not mesh with what my phone tells me. My phone says it has 9.9Gb - of which 6.1Gb is reserved.
I can't put more than 5 apps on it and now I'm completely out of memory.

I don't know if I can add another microchip, or if I can upgrade the existing one.---*sigh* I guess my solution is to buy a phone somewhere other than my new service provider. That allows me to get a phone without messing with my (and, by association everyone in my family's) plan.

 

[DaveC426913]

OK, I think I get it now.

My provider doesn't care about selling me a phone; they care about my service plan. That's why they're not trying very hard to sell me hardware, and why they're trying to sell me a new plan with any new phone I get.

The service provider guy actually suggested that what I want to do is go out and buy a third-party "unlocked" phone. I can just stick my chip into it.

It will cost me a few hundred, but it doesn't have to cost me $800 to $1000. I can go into a store (or online) and buy an older one for a much more reasonable price.

(It's not that I'm trying to cheap out on cost, it's just that I know the prices have a geometric progression proportional to their newness. And I don't really need any new features. I don't stream movies or games on it. More memory and a better camera are really the only things I'm looking for over my 7 year old phone.)

Thanks guys. Good chat.

 

[rbelli1]

You can add an SD card up to 32GB that you can put apps on. Only some apps support this though. Updates may shift the apps back internally so you need to check every once in a while.

All of your photos can be put there too.

BoB

 

[Rive]

So my question is: can I put in more memory?

That phone has 2 GB of RAM: you can't modify that. If too many things runs in the same time it can fill up fast.

It has 16 GB ROM (internal flash): just like a HDD in a PC. Cannot be modified. Counts as 'quite short' these times.

Up to 32GB SD card can be added: with some limitations it's like a removable 'D' drive in a PC.

It can host two SIM cards: these defines the connection to the provider and can hold only a small (negligible, by actual standards) amount of contact information. It can be switched between phones which has the actual provider enabled/unlocked: this is the way the phone number is transferred to the new phone.

The service provider guy actually suggested that what I want to do is go out and buy a third-party "unlocked" phone. I can just stick my chip into it.

Good advice. Look around for ones with solid support on XDA: that way you can have something to fiddle with later on and a long term, annoyance-free system when the factory support runs out.

Ps.: I've modified the phone spec based on the old thread.

 

[pbuk]

So obvs I didn't get the answers then I need to move forward.

I think you did, but they may have been lost in some noise so I'll summarise below.

One thing that as changed is my provider.

That doesn't change anything.

I don't really understand if the chip that gives my phone my ID* is the same chip that stores memory.

* if I pull that chip out my phone loses connection to my service plan, yes? I could put the chip in another phone and now that new phone is active.

That "chip" is called the SIM card. This does not contain any memory that is relevant here.

So my question is: can I put in more memory?

You can put in more storage in the form of a 32GB Micro SD card like this one. It will cost you about $11. You can then change the settings on some of your apps to use the SD Card instead of the phone's internal storage.

*sigh* I guess my solution is to buy a phone somewhere other than my new service provider. That allows me to get a phone without messing with my (and, by association everyone in my family's) plan.

You could do that, particularly if you want a new camera. You may still want to put an SD card in for more storage: a modern phone will take a card with more capacity which will be much cheaper per GB (a 128GB card is only a dollar more than the 32GB one mentioned above).

 

[DaveC426913]

So obvs I didn't get the answers then I need to move forward.

I think you did, but they may have been lost in some noise so I'll summarise below.

No, I meant I didn't get the answers I needed in the older thread. Otherwise I wouldn't be reposting a year later.Now that I have a better "mental model" of my provider's motives for selling me a new service contract, it makes sense to me now why I want an unlocked phone from a 3rd party.

 

[pbuk]

But have you tried an $11 SD card yet?

 

[DaveC426913]

But have you tried an $11 SD card yet?

No, I think I won't.

1. Paradoxically, I think I will be more forgiving of the learning curve for a new phone's quirks than the frustration of how my current phone would have to be handled differently with a second card.
2. Also, I guess I should have mentioned that I'm looking forward to a faster phone too. This thing takes along time to respond to any interaction, eg: launching an app can take 15+ seconds.
   
   I suspect apps have grown in size and complexity alongside the advent of faster phones, so even if I do nothing different with my phone, the apps I've installed on it (including updates) may outstrip my phone's processing power.
3. And the camera causes a little bit of my soul to die every time I use it. I think it is pathologically incapable of taking an in-focus pic. Prob'ly doesn't help that it takes about five seconds between shutter press and picture taken.
4. Also, I am looking forward to a phone that is not 60% occupied by apps that I never use and can't uninstall.

Seven years is long enough. Even for me.

 

[Rive]

I am looking forward to a phone that is not 60% occupied by apps that I never use and can't uninstall.

... that'll require a phone with a custom ROM already installed. Phones with an original system are still full of that bloatware, even if new.

You can look for one with custom ROM or might look for help to install one.

Ps.: a drawback, that some software (bank apps and such) might not work properly on custom ROM

 

[pbuk]

But have you tried an $11 SD card yet?

No, I think I won't.

You seem to be missing the point: an SD card is an essential accessory for a phone: not having one is like owning a cassette tape recorder (remember those?) and only owning one cassette.

So when you get a new 'phone, get a 128 GB SD card to put in it - or more if you are going to use your lovely new camera lots, particularly for videos.

• Also, I am looking forward to a phone that is not 60% occupied by apps that I never use and can't uninstall.

... that'll require a phone with a custom ROM already installed. Phones with an original system are still full of that bloatware, even if new.

You can look for one with custom ROM or might look for help to install one.

No, you don't want a custom ROM, these are like custom cars: you own one if you want to spend all your time taking it to bits and putting it back together again, not if you want to drive somewhere.

 

[pbuk]

If I lived in the US I'd go for one of these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7SQSR78/?tag=pfamazon01-20

 

[Rive]

No, you don't want a custom ROM, these are like custom cars: you own one if you want to spend all your time taking it to bits and putting it back together again, not if you want to drive somewhere.

Nope.
Just ... nope.

 

[DaveC426913]

You seem to be missing the point: an SD card is an essential accessory for a phone: not having one is like owning a cassette tape recorder (remember those?) and only owning one cassette.

32Gb isn't enough? What would I need more than that for? I don't game on it, I don't stream movies on it, and I'm sure not going to leave more than a few hundred Mb of pictures on it before I download them to my laptop.

I men, I guess it can't hurt to put an SD card in. Well, except that might tempt me to get foolishly lazy about offloading my pics to somewhere safer.

 

[DaveC426913]

I bought a Samsung Galaxy 5G A14 for $327.

Good Lord this thing is an absolute unit.

I went in looking for a phone and came out with a tablet! It's six and a half inches tall. And that's without its case!

But wow is it fast at launching apps compared to my ancient ASUS.

 

[DrJohn]

The new phone is fast because it has 4GB RAM - that's the working memory where apps run. Your old one had 2GB RAM. So the new one has less need to dump stuff before the next app runs. This is why you always want more RAM on a new laptop as well. The operating system uses a fair chunk of the RAM, so you could actually have more than twice as much free RAM to use.

It also has more storage space than your old one, so you can have more apps and still have more space available. One way to increase storage is to check the downloads folder - many apps download the images in adverts (or it might be just the games I have). Deleting these unnecessary images at regular intervals frees up more storage space.

With a more modern operating system than your old phone (Android 13.0 vs 6.0) it is more likely to support running apps from an SD card as well. Moving images and pdf files you wish to keep to the SD card is also a good idea, as it means that apps that can't be moved to the SD card have more space for storage as well.

PS nobody needs an $800 - $1000 phone to call a friend, unless they are more interested in looking fashionable and rich than calling someone.

 

[DaveC426913]

The new phone is fast because it has 4GB RAM - that's the working memory where apps run. Your old one had 2GB RAM. So the new one has less need to dump stuff before the next app runs. This is why you always want more RAM on a new laptop as well.

Weirdly, I know this perfectly well about computers. For some reason my knowledge about computers just goes out the window when it comes to phones.

 

[Algr]

PS nobody needs an $800 - $1000 phone to call a friend, unless they are more interested in looking fashionable and rich than calling someone.

Calling a friend is about 5% of what I do with my phone. And mine is as old as Dave's was.

 

[DaveC426913]

Calling a friend is about 5% of what I do with my phone.

Me too. (Good lord! The idea of having to talk to a person gives me hives!)

Now, texting a friend ...Most of my usage is Waze. I'm the primary driver (and now I'm in a new town).

 

[DrJohn]

Calling a friend is about 5% of what I do with my phone. And mine is as old as Dave's was.

Same here to be honest... ;)
But I have a more modern phone than Dave - it's only 5.5 years old. It replaced a seven year old one.
I receive more calls than I make, but I don't actually get many of them. Most of the time, the only person I call is my partner when I'm away from home.