Byte
A data unit consisting of a sequence of bits (usually 8). A bit is a binary unit - a "1" or a "0".
In a simple file format such as plain text, one byte traditionally represents a single character, such as a letter or number.
Bytes are commonly used to measure the capacity of storage and memory. These measurements are usually abbreviated, with "B" standing for byte, prefixed by a Metric-unit multiplier such as kilo, mega, giga, or tera. For example, 1 TB (terabyte) = 1,000 GB (gigabytes) = 1,000,000 MB (megabytes).
Bytes are only represented by an upper-case "B", while a lower-case "b" means "bit", an even smaller unit that is just a one or zero. Whereas bytes are used for amounts of data, bits are used to measure data speed.
See: Bit
Last updated Jun 12, 2025 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.
