5 Android Phones With More RAM Than The MacBook Air

Comparing the memory of a laptop to a smartphone may seem like comparing apples to oranges, since these are different computing devices that serve different needs. Laptops can benefit from larger amounts of RAM, as the extra memory can speed up the experience. Users can run multiple apps at the same time, with more RAM ensuring smoother performance. But the same line of thinking can apply to the latest Android phones as well. 

This is especially true when smartphone vendors are adding more complex AI features to the latest devices. Users who want to take advantage of newer AI features will need phones with enough RAM. At the same time, the AI industry has been driving up the prices for mobile RAM. Some consumers may be looking for devices that have the best possible specs, to protect themselves against future price hikes.

The good news is that many Android phones now feature at least as much RAM as the latest base-model MacBook Air M5, which is one of the most popular and most capable mainstream laptops available in stores, as of this writing. The M5 and M4 MacBook Air models launched with 16 GB of memory, while the M1, M2, and M3 versions came with 8 GB of RAM in their base configurations. 

However, the bad news is that several of the following handsets may be difficult to find in the U.S. and other international markets. It's usually Chinese vendors that equip domestic versions of their flagships with 24 GB of RAM. That said, here are some Android phones that don't cut corners on their memory.

The Realme GT7 Aston Martin F1 Limited Edition, which we'll refer to as "Realme GT7" in this post, is a limited-edition smartphone from Chinese vendor Realme and Aston Martin. The phone may be available as the "GT 7 Dream Edition" in international markets, with the RAM topping out at 16 GB. However, the Chinese version of the handset, called GT7 Aston Martin F1 Limited Edition, comes in a 24 GB version which also features 1 TB of storage. That phone started selling in China in mid-June 2025 for 4,299 yuan ($635). Chinese handsets are much cheaper in China than in international markets, including flagship devices. That explains the GT7's affordable price. The Dream Edition was launched at €900 ($1,022) in Europe.

The Realme GT7's RAM isn't the only highlight. This is a flagship handset that features a 3nm Dimensity 9400+ processor and a 6.8-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2,800 by 1,280, and a 144 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, you get a 7,200 mAh silicon carbon battery that supports wired charging at up to 100 W. The phone features a dual-camera setup consisting of a 50-megapixel wide camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens on the back, along with a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The Realme GT7 launched with Realme UI 6.0 preloaded, based on Android 15. The base Realme GT7 will receive up to four major Android releases in international markets.

When it comes to performance, the international 12 GB version of the Realme GT7 scores 2,200 (single-core) and 7,109 (multi-core) points in Geekbench 6 tests. By comparison, the 16 GB M5 MacBook Air reaches 4,087 (single-core) and 17,044 (multi-core) in Geekbench 6.

Unveiled in November 2024, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro launched in the U.S. in January 2025 as an expensive high-end Android gaming phone that offered buyers up to 24 GB of RAM. That version of the handset featured 1 TB of storage, just like the special edition Realme GT7. However, the phone was significantly more expensive at launch, priced at $1,500 in the U.S. The 24 GB version may be harder to find in the States and other markets, as of this writing. Considering the handset launched with only two years of Android support, the phone isn't exactly future-proof if purchased in mid-2026. However, there is a way to increase the number of Android updates unofficially, as long as users are comfortable installing a custom version of Android on their devices. After all, the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro was a flagship phone ready to support high-end gaming. The hardware should remain capable of handling routine smartphone tasks, including AI features.

On that note, the ROG Phone 9 Pro features the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, which scores 3,171 and 9,991 points in Geekbench. This performance is closer to the M5 MacBook Air than the Realme GT7, indicating the handset would still be able to offer a high-end experience.

Other notable specs that are still relevant in 2026 are the 6.78-inch AMOLED display with 2,400 by 1,080 resolution, 2,500 nits of peak brightness, and 185 Hz refresh rate. Additionally, the 5,800 mAh battery supports 65 W wired charging speeds, and the phone houses a triple-lens rear camera setup with a 50-megapixel wide, 13-megapixel ultrawide, and 32-megapixel zoom lens.

Coming from ZTE subsidiary Nubia, the RedMagic 11 Pro is another gaming Android phone that has a 24 GB RAM version. The phone is newer than the Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro, having been launched in November 2025. The RedMagic 11 Pro features an even better processor, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which can offer improved performance over the Asus phone. Geekbench 6 listings show the 24 GB version of the handset achieves scores of 3,619 and 11,122 in the benchmark test. The 24 GB RedMagic 11 Pro version comes with 1 TB of fast UFS 4.1 storage and costs $999 as of this writing, with the official website noting that the handset is still in stock.

The RedMagic 11 Pro may be targeting gamers with specific features beyond the raw performance. The device features liquid cooling (the AquaCore system), shoulder triggers, and it even has a 3.5 mm audio jack, a feature that most Android flagships lack. But the handset would also work as a non-gaming Android flagship. The phone features a 6.85-inch display with 2,688 by 1,216 resolution, and a 144 Hz refresh rate. The 7,500 mAh silicon-carbon battery supports 80 W wired charging. The rear camera system features two 50-megapixel cameras, with a 16-megapixel camera available for selfies.

The official software support isn't better than the ROG handset, with Nubia promising two years of Android updates and three years of security updates for the RedMagic 11 Pro. That means the handset will go up to Android 17 officially, the operating system update that Google launched in the summer of 2026. The silver lining may be that the RedMagic 11 Pro could support advanced Gemini features, including Gemini Intelligence.

As the name indicates, the Honor Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design is a limited-edition phone. We'll refer to it as the Magic 8 RSR in this post, but it shouldn't be confused with the regular Honor Magic 8 models. Unveiled in January 2026, the Magic 8 RSR is the result of another collaboration between the Chinese smartphone vendor and Porsche Design. The 24 GB Magic 8 RSR version launched in China for 8,999 yuan ($1,329), featuring 1 TB of storage. Like the RedMagic 11 Pro, the phone features the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship chip, which means the handset should offer similar performance.

However, the Magic 8 RSR is more of a luxury item than a gaming device. It features slightly better specs than the RedMagic 11 Pro. The Honor handset has a 6.71-inch display with a peak brightness of 6,000 nits, 120 Hz refresh rate, and 2,808 by 1,256 resolution. According to Honor, the screen offers "the industry's first TÜV Rheinland Global Eye Protection 5.0 certification." The rear camera setup includes a 200-megapixel telephoto lens for improved zoom, and two 50-megapixel cameras (wide and ultrawide). On the front, the Magic 8 RSR has a 50-megapixel selfie lens. The battery technology is also notable: a 7,200 mAh silicon-carbon battery that supports 120 W (wired) and 80 W (wireless) charging speeds.

The phone launched with MagicOS 10 preloaded, based on Google's Android 16. However, the handset isn't available in the U.S. Importers may have to install Google Mobile Services on the device to get access to Google apps, including the Play Store. Also, while Honor offers seven years of updates to some of its international phones, it's unclear how many years of updates the China-bound Magic 8 RSR will offer buyers.

The last Android phone on our list of handsets with more RAM than a base M5 MacBook Air is the gaming-centric iQOO 15 Ultra. It's not a limited-edition device, which means the 24 GB + 1 TB version is more affordable than the Honor handset. But at 8,199 yuan ($1,211), it's still an expensive handset. That's the Chinese price, as the iQOO 15 Ultra isn't available for purchase in the U.S. It would need to be imported, so the same caveats apply. The Chinese version doesn't run Google apps and the Play Store, despite launching with Android 16 on board. An international version of the handset may get up to five years of software updates, which should be good news for buyers. The phone was launched in February 2026, so it should be supported until 2031.

Like other Android flagships on the list, the iQOO 15 Ultra features the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship processor from Qualcomm, which should ensure high-end performance for everyday tasks, premium gaming, and advanced AI features. The phone scores 3,559 and 10,623 points in Geekbench 6. The phone also offers users a 6.85-inch display with up to 8,000 nits of peak brightness, a 144 Hz refresh rate, and a 3,168 by 1,440 resolution. Vivo used three 50-megapixel rear cameras (wide, ultrawide, and telephoto), and a 32-megapixel sensor for the selfie camera. The gaming phone also features a silicon-carbon battery with a capacity of 7,400 mAh. Charging speeds reach 100 W (wired) and 40 W (wireless).

We looked for the newest Android phones that have more RAM than the standard M5 MacBook Air. That's why many China-only devices made the list. Three of the five handsets on the list are available only in China, which makes importing them a more difficult task for U.S. consumers. The ROG Phone 9 Pro Edition and RedMagic 11 Pro are exceptions, as the handsets were launched in the U.S. Other devices with 24 GB of RAM exist, but they may be even older. The newer the device, the longer the software support it may offer, and the better the performance, as seen in some of the Geekbench 6 scores above.

Also, phones that advertise virtual RAM exist, but we didn't include such models. These are simply cases where the vendor is allocating a portion of the phone's storage to RAM tasks, but that's not the same thing as having actual RAM on the device. That said, U.S. and international buyers would not be wrong to buy a brand-new Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy flagship with 12 GB or 16 GB of RAM. These devices will offer high-end experiences, up to seven years of Android updates, and the newest AI features.