Flash Memory
Memory chips that store data long-term. This type of memory is non-volatile, meaning it keeps data even when the device is powered off.
Flash memory in phones is also called flash storage, or simply "storage", and is distinct from RAM. Flash storage is where all of your software and content is stored, whether the phone is on or off. But RAM is generally faster, so that is where a copy of apps and data are stored temporarily while in active use.
See: RAM
The memory inside removable memory cards is also a kind of flash storage.
See: microSD
Flash memory in mobile devices is also sometimes referred to as "ROM", although that term is not technically accurate.
Last updated Mar 24, 2021 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
