the question is, how much memory does the iPhone 4 have?

not positive, but i believe it is 256MB

Steve doesn't think you need to know that.

Its really a moot point isn't it. I mean people are going to buy the iPhone regardless of how much ram it will have.

Besides, the specific technical specification will be posted on apple.com either at time of pre-order (next week) or when its available. Either way you'll know the answer to your question shortly.

I'm fairly sure Walt Mossberg will get an early unit for review. But, we might have to wait until after the launch for the teardowns.

aleni said:

guess i have to wait till the end of june. btw i wish it is 512mb to make safari not reloading the damn tabs again.

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Apple has probably found some way to make it speedy with the new A4.

aleni said:

speedy? yes it is very speedy, just like my iPad, but the lack of ram makes safari keeps reloading the tabs.

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Actually not true according to peeps who have installed ios4. Persistent state thing solves thAt.

I bet it's 256 MB

If it had 512MB you can bet Steve would have presented it as x2 working RAM on his keynote speech presentation.

Sadly I think it has the same feeble 256MB as the 3GS.

aleni said:

i guess 256mb is plenty enough for the time being

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But will it be in six months, or a year, or two years? Will it limit the potential for apps moving forward?

Florida Gator said:

But will it be in six months, or a year, or two years? Will it limit the potential for apps moving forward?

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In a year Apple wants you to buy a new iPhone

I was actually wondering the same thing.

that's it?

I know it's a smart phone but in this day and age 256mb is really barely adequate when taking into account what wil be coming down the pike in the next 18 months or so. I really don't know how the next chip will effect the phone's ability to load APPs but I am sure there is a marked improvement. Planned obsolesence aside, what is the reason for not making it 512k???

djwindsor said:

I know it's a smart phone but in this day and age 256mb is really barely adequate when taking into account what wil be coming down the pike in the next 18 months or so. I really don't know how the next chip will effect the phone's ability to load APPs but I am sure there is a marked improvement. Planned obsolesence aside, what is the reason for not making it 512k???

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Probably couldn't fit more ram chips in there or something it is "packed to the gills" or maybe it's a price issue. OR they wanted to save something for next year.

It's the same as in the iPod Touch, the iPhone 3GS and the iPad: 256MB.

With the iPad, Apple set the stakes so low that they would look foolish if they released a smart phone now with more memory than the iPad.

I think most Android phones now come with 512 MB (and have been for a while).

Whoever said that it was moot - Of course, it's a moot. Everything is relative.

djwindsor said:

I know it's a smart phone but in this day and age 256mb is really barely adequate when taking into account what wil be coming down the pike in the next 18 months or so. I really don't know how the next chip will effect the phone's ability to load APPs but I am sure there is a marked improvement. Planned obsolesence aside, what is the reason for not making it 512k???

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The RAM is packaged on the A4 chip (PoP), so there is no simple or easy way to add more RAM. Also there is absolutely no need for more, because the way they implemented multitasking doesn't keep the apps in the background loaded in memory.

TheGodfather said:

The RAM is packaged on the A4 chip (PoP), so there is no simple or easy way to add more RAM. Also there is absolutely no need for more, because the way they implemented multitasking doesn't keep the apps in the background loaded in memory.

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This is an interesting topic. I've been wondering how the iPhone handles the storage and launch of various complex apps when it has only 256M of RAM. And I'm curious how Android phones handle the same issue.

The EVO has 512M of RAM, 512M of ROM, and 8GB miniSD (expandable to 32GB).

well I saw a graph yesterday from here or HOFO that showed it had 512

TroyBoy30 said:

well I saw a graph yesterday from here or HOFO that showed it had 512

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yes but no one knows. that is all speculative. they made that unknowingly. i honestly think apple has 800/256. they would have mentioned 1 ghz if true. it makes no sense for them to put 512 in iphone while leaving 256 in ipad.....

bmms8 said:

yes but no one knows. that is all speculative. they made that unknowingly. i honestly think apple has 800/256. they would have mentioned 1 ghz if true. it makes no sense for them to put 512 in iphone while leaving 256 in ipad.....

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It really has sense to have more RAM. It is the first iDevice with multitasking, iMovie video recording and editing. I am sure iPad will be getting the same upgrades soon. It would be nice to have 512 MB, because in a year many apps will probably be using more RAM. With the higher resolution display, apps will get bigger.

Aren′t other phone makers putting more RAM as well, like 1GB? And I think that RAM is not expensive nowadays. I am not sure, I haven′t been buying it lately.