What's the speed of a smartphone?

There are a number of specifications that affect the speed of a smartphone. The processor performs tasks and runs apps. The more powerful the processor, the more demanding apps you can use. The RAM runs apps in the background. As a result, apps don't have to boot every time you open them. So with a lot of RAM, you can multitask faster. The storage capacity also plays a role in this, because a full storage results in a slower smartphone. Finally, the operating system also affects the speed. A later software version is more efficient, so it works faster on your smartphone.

It's difficult to consider all of the specifications above. That's why we're happy to lend a hand. We rate every smartphone based on these specifications. With that score, the smartphone falls into one of the following speed classes:

• Poor
• Standard
• Good
• Very good
• Excellent

You can find the speed class in the specifications of the device. Read what you can do with a smartphone from each speed class here.

Smartphones that fall in the mediocre speed class category don't have a powerful processor and have a small RAM. That's why these devices are only suitable for light tasks, such as making phone calls and sending WhatsApp messages. If you switch between WhatsApp and your email, it takes longer for these smartphones to load. That's because of the small RAM. A smartphone in this category is a good choice in you don't use your smartphone very often.

Devices with a standard speed class are slightly more powerful. The processors in these smartphones are suitable for light 2D games like Wordfeud or Candy Crush, for example. You can also open your favorite news app or Facebook. The loading times to open apps are relatively long. These devices don't have a lot of RAM, so few apps run in the background. This means that when you open an app, it often needs time to boot.

Smartphones with a good speed class are suitable for the average user. The processors have quite some processing power, which allows you to use many apps without any issues. So you can check the news on multiple apps, listen to music via Spotify, and watch videos on YouTube. Switching between apps happens more smoothly than on smartphones with the speed classes we mentioned earlier. With a bit more demanding apps like YouTube and Spotify, these devices may need some more time to load.

With a smartphone with a very good speed class, you can switch between various apps extremely fast. Thanks to the large RAM on these smartphones, your apps keep running in the background. These smartphones often have quite a powerful processor. That's what allows you to use demanding apps like Photoshop or to play a 3D game. With demanding apps like these, the devices do need some more loading time. Do you use slightly demanding apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify? These smartphones run like clockwork.

Smartphones with an excellent speed class are true powerhouses. These devices are suitable for the most demanding tasks. Demanding apps for image editing or 3D games run without any problems. Apps and games that'll be released in the next years are more versatile, which is why they require more processing power from a smartphone. Thanks to the powerful processors and a lot of RAM, these devices stay fast. Even with all of the apps that'll be released in the coming years.