topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Tuesday March 19, 2024, 6:04 am
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?  (Read 14458 times)

KynloStephen66515

  • Animated Giffer in Chief
  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2010
  • **
  • Posts: 3,741
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?
« on: November 11, 2011, 01:05 AM »
I put this question to my fellow DC members:

Is it POSSIBLE (albeit goddamn hard work) to increase the INTERNAL memory of a cell phone?

Im not talking about upgrading from an 8GB to a 16GB micro-sd card, I'm talking, its literal internal memory.

If you know its possible, would anybody be willing to share with me how to do it?

It would make for an interesting hardware project  :D



11/11/11

Lest We Forget


They shall grow not old

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

From Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen, written in September 1914

« Last Edit: November 11, 2011, 01:10 AM by Stephen66515 »

mahesh2k

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2007
  • **
  • Posts: 1,426
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2011, 01:14 AM »
I dunno but superuser.com users can spam on that question for sure.  :P

Stoic Joker

  • Honorary Member
  • Joined in 2008
  • **
  • Posts: 6,646
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2011, 06:49 AM »
While the physical part of changing the memory chip shouldn't be that hard (depending of ones soldering skills and equipment availability). I think the main question should be, Will the phones system architecture allow it to access/utilize the extra memory if it is added? Because if the answer to that question is no...there ain't much point in cracking the thing open.

Renegade

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,288
  • Tell me something you don't know...
    • View Profile
    • Renegade Minds
    • Donate to Member
Re: Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2011, 07:13 AM »
While the physical part of changing the memory chip shouldn't be that hard (depending of ones soldering skills and equipment availability). I think the main question should be, Will the phones system architecture allow it to access/utilize the extra memory if it is added? Because if the answer to that question is no...there ain't much point in cracking the thing open.

Stoic is right. No. You can't. (Usually.)

First, the kind of chips you need aren't generally available. The kind of memory you need to look at is measured in Mb or Gb, and not in MB or GB. We're talking about individual chips and not banks of them.

But if you do have them, then you into different problems.

Parts of the firmware are compiled for specific memory.

Remember, different memory uses different voltages, with newer memory using less and less. So you'd also have power issues to worry about. You don't want to put 1.8 V through memory that needs 1.35 V.

However, it's a case-by-case basis and depends on your specific device. In general, no you can't.

However, if your phone has something like eMMC in it, then you can relatively easily. eMMC has a single point for the interface and insulates application designers from the specific memory type. This is the wave of the future for mobile memory and you'll see more and more of it. moviMMC and other stuff is coming as well, which will allow the same kinds of things.

In short, if you need to ask the question, don't even think about trying. Unless you have a phone to burn and don't care if you destroy it, then by all means, have some fun and experiment! :D

Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker

Ath

  • Supporting Member
  • Joined in 2006
  • **
  • Posts: 3,610
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2011, 08:51 AM »
Most modern phones are use SOC's (System On a Chip) baked into a single chip-casing. It's quite difficult to open that up, solder in the extra chips if you could get them (you can't), and then close it all firmly. The only phones that aren't built like that are quite old phones these days (~5+ years)

And that's besides the (software) facts Renegade and SJ already mentioned.

The next thing you'd want is to over-clock it to get some extra speed out of it.


Cheapest option is to buy the best phone you can afford, at the time you can't postpone the buy any longer. ;)
« Last Edit: November 11, 2011, 09:01 AM by Ath, Reason: typo »

Renegade

  • Charter Member
  • Joined in 2005
  • ***
  • Posts: 13,288
  • Tell me something you don't know...
    • View Profile
    • Renegade Minds
    • Donate to Member
Re: Increasing a Cell Phones INTERNAL Memory: Is it possible?
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2011, 09:23 AM »
Ack! Forgot to mention SoC. Ath is right there. But seriously, you can't mess with SoC.

Have a look here:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/System_on_a_chip

Can we say, not fun?

The equipment you'd need would cost you a LOT more than a new phone.
Slow Down Music - Where I commit thought crimes...

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. - John Diefenbaker