ROM
Read-Only Memory
In the mobile technology industry, the term "ROM" is often used to refer to flash memory. This is not technically accurate, but it is relatively common.
See: Flash Memory
Strictly speaking, ROM means memory that is read-only, meaning data stored in it cannot be changed, or can only be changed via a special, slow process that is not designed to be used frequently.
Software stored in ROM is often called "firmware", because it is not as easily updated as other software, so it is, in a way, "in-between" software and hardware.
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.
