Thinking of purchasing a new 5G smartphone? How do you go about selecting from the countless phone models available on the market? Maybe colour is important to you, and you’re choosing between the iPhone 14’s bewitching Deep Purple or Samsung S22 Ultra 5G’s sleek Phantom White. Maybe battery life is important to you. But what about the speed and performance of your choice of smartphone? This might actually be one of the most important factors to consider. The last thing you want is to buy one and have to deal with a phone that lags or one where apps suddenly shut down.

Powerful smartphones offer its users a seamless, immersive experience. A good smartphone should also be able to handle any task you throw at it. Whether you're watching YouTube videos, using your GPS to get home, playing Dungeon and Dragons, or surfing the web – you'll want a phone that can keep up.

What can you achieve with a powerful smartphone?

A fast and powerful smartphone device is imperative to getting multiple things done fast. It is necessary because of the amount of data that you need to take pictures of, edit videos, play games, watch movies, listen to music, check email and browse the web. There are many different models available, but the best choice depends on what you usually use your phone for and what the majority of your phone’s activities involve. For example, if you're going to use your phone primarily for gaming and entertainment purposes, then you should probably go with high-end models like the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G, NOTHING Phone and OPPO Reno 8 Pro 5G.

What determines the speed of a smartphone?

The speed of a smartphone is determined by many factors, but the biggest ones include RAM, processing speed, storage capacity, and operating system. By knowing what features of a smartphone to look out for , you can compare the specifications to narrow down and ultimately choose the best option that suits your needs and lifestyle.

1. RAM

Random Access Memory (RAM) is the hardware of the phone that dictates its short-term memory capacity. Any data that is currenly being used by the processer – whether it’s to scroll Instagram or make a call – is stored here temporarily. RAM affects the number of functions your phone can carry out at any given point in time and your phone uses it to store apps, photos, contacts, music, and videos. A larger memory chip means that the phone can run multiple programs simultaneously without crashing.

4GB is more than sufficient for smartphones to function smoothly. While Apple never advertises how much RAM their iPhones come equipped with, all iPhone 14 models are rumoured to have 6GB worth of RAM, an upgrade from the 4GB for older models. If you want to upgrade to a newer model, check the specs beforehand to see exactly how many megabytes of RAM it has.

2. Processing speed

Processors – the brain of the phone – determine how smooth or fast your phone runs. It affects phone processing speed which refers to the amount of time it takes for a smartphone to process data sent to it via the cellular network. Faster processors mean that you can send and receive more data per second. High-end processors are also able to support superior camera features, rich image quality with LED screens and instantaneous network connectivity.

The smartphones of today come with multiple cores – a component of the processor that handles and executes tasks. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G is built with an octa-core processor, eight cores, with CPU speeds 2.99GHz, 2.4 GHz, and 1.7GHz, making it one of the most powerful phones in the market.

Processing speed also allows phones to offer users enhanced security features. The iPhone 14 may not come with fingerprint sensors, but its updated sensor-based Face ID authentication allows you to unlock your phone while still wearing a mask and set up the Face ID of another person.

3. Storage capacity

Storage capacity refers to the amount of memory available on your phone device. Storage capacity affects performance as it also determines how fast data is processed. To execute certain functions, data must be stored in the phone’s memory. However, when this space is limited, such functions cannot be carried out – impeding the performance of your device.

The amount of internal storage space available depends on the manufacturer. Higher end phones tend to have larger hard drives, which can store hundreds of gigabytes worth of data. Apple’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, for example, comes with 128 gigabytes of storage with the option to upgrade to 256 gigabytes and 512 gigabytes. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max also offers the same amount of storage. Greater storage amounts give your phone more working space for new files to be downloaded and for apps to open quickly and run smoothly.

4. Operating system (iOS vs Android)

Phone operating systems (OS) play a large role in the performance of mobile devices. The OS manages both the software and hardware of smartphones and enables them to run applications. The two biggest operating systems are Android and iOS. Each OS has different features and capabilities, and these features can sometimes cause slower speeds. Android is used in a range of different phone brands, such as OPPO, and Samsung, Sony and OnePlus, while iOS is run exclusively on Apple.

Apple’s iOS devices are known for having great performance, an immersive experience and an easy-to-navigate interface. Apple’s latest iPhone 14 runs on the iOS 15 or iOS 16 – powerful operating systems that offer personalisation features, deeper intelligence and enhanced ways to communicate.

Purchase a powerful smartphone from M1 now

M1 offers customers in Singapore the most powerful phones on the market. With our Bespoke Flexi Experience, you can choose your upfront payment amount, payment period, data and talk time.

Our range of mobile add-ons, which include Unlimited Weekend Data to Caller Number Display, also provides our users with added flexibility. Contact us to learn more about M1’s release dates, deals and promotions for all the latest phones, including the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, Samsung S22 Ultra 5G, Xiaomi 12 Pro and Vivo X80 Pro.