Apple's Xcode iOS simulator shows 2GB RAM for iPhone 6s & 6s Plus, 4GB for iPad Pro
As expected, Apple appears to have bumped the available RAM in its latest handsets from 1 to 2 gigabytes while doubling that for the new jumbo iPad Pro, the numbers seemingly confirmed by a clever application of Xcode's iOS simulator.
Developer Hamza Sood made the discovery by running a small test application containing three images, which are included or excluded dynamically based on the amount of RAM available. Though the app was run in the iOS simulator, the results should be identical if run on a device.
The original iPhone packed just 128 megabytes of RAM, doubling that for the 3Gs and again for the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 was the first to receive 1 gigabyte, a number which did not change for the 5s, 6, or 6 Plus.
Apple did switch from LPDDR2 to LPDDR3 for the iPhone 5s and 6, making the memory slightly faster. It's not clear yet if the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus continue with LPDDR3 or if they've switched to memory compatible with the nascent LPDDR4 specification.
The iPad, meanwhile, hit 1 gigabyte with the iPad 3 in 2012. That was finally increased to 2 gigabytes with the iPad Air 2, though --?like the iPhone --?the tablet did switch to speedier LPDDR3 in the interim.
Adding 4 gigabytes of RAM to the iPad Pro could be a sign that Apple anticipates heavy use of side-by-side multitasking on the larger device.
Developer Hamza Sood made the discovery by running a small test application containing three images, which are included or excluded dynamically based on the amount of RAM available. Though the app was run in the iOS simulator, the results should be identical if run on a device.
The original iPhone packed just 128 megabytes of RAM, doubling that for the 3Gs and again for the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 was the first to receive 1 gigabyte, a number which did not change for the 5s, 6, or 6 Plus.
Apple did switch from LPDDR2 to LPDDR3 for the iPhone 5s and 6, making the memory slightly faster. It's not clear yet if the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus continue with LPDDR3 or if they've switched to memory compatible with the nascent LPDDR4 specification.
The iPad, meanwhile, hit 1 gigabyte with the iPad 3 in 2012. That was finally increased to 2 gigabytes with the iPad Air 2, though --?like the iPhone --?the tablet did switch to speedier LPDDR3 in the interim.
Adding 4 gigabytes of RAM to the iPad Pro could be a sign that Apple anticipates heavy use of side-by-side multitasking on the larger device.
Comments
This bodes well for creative use of the iPP. I remember watching one of AI's videos where an Adobe guy opened a 50 megapixel image and did a quick retouching demo. Seemed to work great, no lag I could see. Between the improved CPU, GPU & RAM the iPP should be a reasonably well-equipped device.
Now the ball is in the developers' court to make apps to take advantage of it
Should have I gone with, "Only 4GiB! But that's less than half of 8GiB," to make to my sarcasm more clear?
What?! Only 4GiB! But that's half of 8GiB. What's the point of 64-bit if it doesn't have at least 8GiB. Even cheap laptops under $400 have 8GiB RAM. Typical Apple always skimping out when another 4GiB of RAM only costs 12¢ more¡
First, I thought you were making some sort of joke about gibibytes, which we don't hear nearly enough about. But a gibibyte (GiB) is only a little smaller than a gigabyte (GB), so you're probably not joking.
But if you have a line on 4GB (or GiB, if you prefer) of mobile-compatible memory for $0.12, please provide a link, because I'm buying.
The other way around. The original decimal use of kilo/mega/giga/... is 1000<sup>3</sup>, which is used by SI ( International System of Units). The JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) convention uses the same exact nomenclature, which can be referred to as a but it's 1024<sup>3</sup>, which means it's larger than the decimal value. The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) also uses 1024<sup>3</sup> but with the kibi/mebi/giba/... nomenclature which prevents confusion over interchanging BASE-2 and BASE-10 values. Polysemous are bad enough, but when it's something that involves math and science there simply is no reason it should persist. I just wish Apple didn't only go partway in correcting this several years ago.
This explains the 2GB increase in the binary size few months ago.
It will require work on Apple's part too. Witth cheap games and IAP people are conditioned to not want to pay for apps. I really hope Apple goes all out in courting developers to make really good professional apps for the iPad Pro. That could put a nail in Surface's coffin.
The other way around. The original decimal use of kilo/mega/giga/... is 10003, which is used by SI ( International System of Units). The JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council) convention uses the same exact nomenclature, which can be referred to as a but it's 10243, which means it's larger than the decimal value. The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) also uses 10243 but with the kibi/mebi/giba/... nomenclature which prevents confusion over interchanging BASE-2 and BASE-10 values. Polysemous are bad enough, but when it's something that involves math and science there simply is no reason it should persist. I just wish Apple didn't only go partway in correcting this several years ago.
You got me. I should have checked a bit of trivia that I barely remembered from years ago. I did have the acronyms right, though, right?
It's believed that it does as Apple shows it supporting split screen multitasking.
It’s a 1:1 of the iPad Air 2 (minus the A8X), so yes.
I knew these phones would have 2GB RAM. Shame last years didn't. The 6 Plus especially could have used it. Does anyone know if the iPad mini 4 has 2GB RAM?
Don't know a single owner of a 6/6+ who has ever complained of performance issues (and I know a shitload, including dozens of close friends and family members), so no, it's not that much of a "shame".
Don’t know a single owner of a 6/6+ who has ever complained of performance issues...
“BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT iOS 11 will be SLOW!”
“BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT iOS 11 will be SLOW!”
In 2025: "I found Mom's old iPhone 6 in the drawer. It still starts, but it's such crap: the holographic display and keyboard are broken, it doesn't work with the aerial charger, and it won't run Infinity Blade XII. I can't believe anybody ever thought these things were any good. No wonder Apple's still at $115 a share."
No wonder Apple's still at $115 a share."
After the Second Great Depression and two stock splits.
Don't know a single owner of a 6/6+ who has ever complained of performance issues (and I know a shitload, including dozens of close friends and family members), so no, it's not that much of a "shame".
Lack of RAM doesn't have to cause "slowness" to be annoying. How many times have you switched tabs in mobile Safari and had to wait for the page to reload, even though the screenshot was still good? That kind of thing drives me insane and happens because iOS ran out of RAM and had to ditch "unimportant" states.
I think the 6+ is by far the best iPhone I ever had. I probably don't use it as much as some of the guys here, but it is the best of everything that is currently available in the phone market.
... No wonder Apple's still at $115 a share."
Yes... and Sog35 never recovered from it...