Are the amount of RAM, processor cores, and screen resolution really deal-breakers?

0000757 · Jul 10, 2014

I think when people say that "xGB of RAM is REQUIRED" or "I won't buy this phone unless it has 1080p resolution", or the fact that many Android makers and supporters advertise that their phones are better because of higher technical specs that it's a little unfair. However, is that something that actually matters?

For example, comparing my mom's iPhone 5C (1136x640) to my Moto X (1280x720), there's really no increase on my phone's screen. In fact in some cases the iPhone looks even better.

Or take the processor. There are Android phones pushing 2.0GHz Quad-Core and even Octo-Core devices from Samsung, and phones pushing 3-4GB of RAM, yet the iPhone is still able to stay just as smooth and fluid as those phones. Even my Moto X, which is a 1.7GHz Dual Core with 2GB of RAM *still* keeps up with phones like the GS5 in gaming performance and every day tasks. In fact sometimes my Moto X is even faster because it's not having its resources hogged by OEM skins.

Again lets look at the camera. My Moto X has a 10MP camera that does GREAT outdoor shots and the videos look amazing, but comparing indoor shots with the iPhone 5S or front-facing shots the iPhone 5S wins, despite lower MP on both cameras. The MP count really doesn't even have an effect on camera quality yet manufacturers and fanboys use it as a point to make their phone better than the competitor.

Of course your raw technical specifications do matter, and in a data processing trial and raw hardware performance all these high-end Android devices would definitely outclass the iPhone and iPad, but when you look at the devices realistically, is that actually something that matters? I don't think it does, with the iPhone 5/S and iPad Air/Mini 2 being proof that specs are only one part and that your software matters more.

What about you all? Do specs prevent you from looking at a phone? Would you refuse to buy an iPhone 6 because of its specs?

SMIDG3T · Jul 10, 2014

chrf097 said:
I think when people say that "xGB of RAM is REQUIRED" or "I won't buy this phone unless it has 1080p resolution", or the fact that many Android makers and supporters advertise that their phones are better because of higher technical specs that it's a little unfair. However, is that something that actually matters?

For example, comparing my mom's iPhone 5C (1136x640) to my Moto X (1280x720), there's really no increase on my phone's screen. In fact in some cases the iPhone looks even better.

Or take the processor. There are Android phones pushing 2.0GHz Quad-Core and even Octo-Core devices from Samsung, and phones pushing 3-4GB of RAM, yet the iPhone is still able to stay just as smooth and fluid as those phones. Even my Moto X, which is a 1.7GHz Dual Core with 2GB of RAM *still* keeps up with phones like the GS5 in gaming performance and every day tasks. In fact sometimes my Moto X is even faster because it's not having its resources hogged by OEM skins.

Again lets look at the camera. My Moto X has a 10MP camera that does GREAT outdoor shots and the videos look amazing, but comparing indoor shots with the iPhone 5S or front-facing shots the iPhone 5S wins, despite lower MP on both cameras. The MP count really doesn't even have an effect on camera quality yet manufacturers and fanboys use it as a point to make their phone better than the competitor.

Of course your raw technical specifications do matter, and in a data processing trial and raw hardware performance all these high-end Android devices would definitely outclass the iPhone and iPad, but when you look at the devices realistically, is that actually something that matters? I don't think it does, with the iPhone 5/S and iPad Air/Mini 2 being proof that specs are only one part and that your software matters more.

What about you all? Do specs prevent you from looking at a phone? Would you refuse to buy an iPhone 6 because of its specs?

Let's be honest, the iPhone 6 will probably still have 1GB of RAM (I do hope for 2GB deep down!) which will be slightly disappointing but hey, for me, it isn't an issue.

The Retina screen is amazing, yes, there are far better screens out there when looking at PPI but, as I just said, Retina display is very good, I mean, it's not even classified as full HD for goodness sake!

And well, the camera. We know mega-pixels isn't everything and the camera on the 5s can take outstanding photos. We also know that the iPhone 6's camera will simply take better photos than the 5s can.

So in a word, no, I wouldn't refuse to buy the iPhone 6 because of the specs it has!

ionjohn · Jul 10, 2014

chrf097 said:
I think when people say that "xGB of RAM is REQUIRED" or "I won't buy this phone unless it has 1080p resolution", or the fact that many Android makers and supporters advertise that their phones are better because of higher technical specs that it's a little unfair. However, is that something that actually matters?

For example, comparing my mom's iPhone 5C (1136x640) to my Moto X (1280x720), there's really no increase on my phone's screen. In fact in some cases the iPhone looks even better.

Or take the processor. There are Android phones pushing 2.0GHz Quad-Core and even Octo-Core devices from Samsung, and phones pushing 3-4GB of RAM, yet the iPhone is still able to stay just as smooth and fluid as those phones. Even my Moto X, which is a 1.7GHz Dual Core with 2GB of RAM *still* keeps up with phones like the GS5 in gaming performance and every day tasks. In fact sometimes my Moto X is even faster because it's not having its resources hogged by OEM skins.

Again lets look at the camera. My Moto X has a 10MP camera that does GREAT outdoor shots and the videos look amazing, but comparing indoor shots with the iPhone 5S or front-facing shots the iPhone 5S wins, despite lower MP on both cameras. The MP count really doesn't even have an effect on camera quality yet manufacturers and fanboys use it as a point to make their phone better than the competitor.

Of course your raw technical specifications do matter, and in a data processing trial and raw hardware performance all these high-end Android devices would definitely outclass the iPhone and iPad, but when you look at the devices realistically, is that actually something that matters? I don't think it does, with the iPhone 5/S and iPad Air/Mini 2 being proof that specs are only one part and that your software matters more.

What about you all? Do specs prevent you from looking at a phone? Would you refuse to buy an iPhone 6 because of its specs?

I would. An iPhone costs $800, When I was younger, i was stupid and would buy it no matter what (my money, not my parents 'cause I worked) but now I need to be impressed for it is not cheap and for that kind of money you can get a lot of stuff

sunking101 · Jul 10, 2014

Why get an i7 chip when an i5 will do, why buy a $2000 Macbook when a $600 laptop will do the same stuff? More RAM and a faster processor will allow heavy users to enjoy their devices more. A nicer screen will appeal to everyone...

scaredpoet · Jul 10, 2014

ionjohn said:
I would. An iPhone costs $800, When I was younger, i was stupid and would buy it no matter what (my money, not my parents 'cause I worked) but now I need to be impressed for it is not cheap and for that kind of money you can get a lot of stuff

Yes, you can get a lot of stuff for that amount of money... stuff that isn't very good.

If Apple's made a point about anything for the past 7 years now, it's that comparing data points on a spec sheet isn't enough to determine what's a great phone and what isn't. Software and how well it's optimized for the hardware on the phone has a lot to do with it too.

12vElectronics · Jul 10, 2014

Specs on paper aren't everything.

cynics · Jul 10, 2014

scaredpoet said:
Yes, you can get a lot of stuff for that amount of money... stuff that isn't very good.

If Apple's made a point about anything for the past 7 years now, it's that comparing data points on a spec sheet isn't enough to determine what's a great phone and what isn't. Software and how well it's optimized for the hardware on the phone has a lot to do with it too.

This is absolutely true.

However when you begin to question hardware choices by Apple such as when I returned my iPad Air that logic still stands true. Just not in Apples favor.

Btw I returned the Air because at the time Safari was crashing constantly. iOS 7.1 did address that but not the tab reloading.

Now I don't know if the tab reloading is RAM related or not. However if it is then the lack of hardware is directly effecting user experience.

So less CAN be more but it can also actually be just that....less.

scaredpoet · Jul 10, 2014

cynics said:
This is absolutely true.

However when you begin to question hardware choices by Apple such as when I returned my iPad Air that logic still stands true. Just not in Apples favor.

Btw I returned the Air because at the time Safari was crashing constantly. iOS 7.1 did address that but not the tab reloading.

Now I don't know if the tab reloading is RAM related or not. However if it is then the lack of hardware is directly effecting user experience.

So less CAN be more but it can also actually be just that....less.

Everyone's experience is subjective, and not universal. The tab reloading issue has been beaten to death.

Fortunately, other options exist if iOS isn't right for you.

0000757 · Jul 10, 2014

ionjohn said:
I would. An iPhone costs $800, When I was younger, i was stupid and would buy it no matter what (my money, not my parents 'cause I worked) but now I need to be impressed for it is not cheap and for that kind of money you can get a lot of stuff

But I mean realistically when you think about it, most other devices have these powerful specs because they actually need to have it.

Look at the Moto X, for example. Compared to other flagships it's severely underpowered yet it still manages to be just as good as the others and still has plenty of life left. Most of those other devices need 4GB of RAM and Quad-Core processors because of what the OEMs put on it, it wouldn't perform smoothly without.

Just like scaredpoet said, you don't need big specs to keep in the competition and have longevity. Apple's proved this with the iPhone and iPad.

sunking101 · Jul 10, 2014

cynics said:
This is absolutely true.

However when you begin to question hardware choices by Apple such as when I returned my iPad Air that logic still stands true. Just not in Apples favor.

Btw I returned the Air because at the time Safari was crashing constantly. iOS 7.1 did address that but not the tab reloading.

Now I don't know if the tab reloading is RAM related or not. However if it is then the lack of hardware is directly effecting user experience.

So less CAN be more but it can also actually be just that....less.

Exactly. I can't rely on my browser not to refresh and I've lost a ton of text when this has happened. Now I have to remember to copy & paste what I've typed before I leave a page, just to make sure I still have it when I return to the webpage. A great user experience!

----------

scaredpoet said:
Everyone's experience is subjective, and not universal. The tab reloading issue has been beaten to death.

Fortunately, other options exist if iOS isn't right for you.

iOS shouldn't do this though, and fanboy statements that we should move platform if we dare find fault with Apple products are silly.

scaredpoet · Jul 10, 2014

sunking101 said:
iOS shouldn't do this though,

There's a whole thread about it on the iPad forum, if you wanna beat people over the head with this.

and fanboy statements that we should move platform if we dare find fault with Apple products are silly.

There's nothing "fanboyish" about telling someone that other options exist. Your biggest, most powerful vote is always with your wallet. Keep buying iPads and iPhones, and Apple will assume that they're doing things right enough for people to keep buying their stuff. And for their purposes, they'd be right, pretty much. Look at you: the problem affects you so terribly, and yet you're willing to do the copy-and-paste dance if it means that you get to keep using iOS instead of some other platform. Clearly, the problem isn't severe enough to deprive Apple of a good chunk of the limit on your credit card.

I7guy · Jul 10, 2014

sunking101 said:
Exactly. I can't rely on my browser not to refresh and I've lost a ton of text when this has happened. Now I have to remember to copy & paste what I've typed before I leave a page, just to make sure I still have it when I return to the webpage. A great user experience!

----------

iOS shouldn't do this though, and fanboy statements that we should move platform if we dare find fault with Apple products are silly.

How do you know IOS shouldn't do it? Because you work for apple and are on the O/s development team.

sunking101 · Jul 10, 2014

I7guy said:
How do you know IOS shouldn't do it? Because you work for apple and are on the O/s development team.

Shouldn't because it's extremely unhelpful, why would they design that into the o/s on purpose?

ionjohn · Jul 10, 2014

scaredpoet said:
Yes, you can get a lot of stuff for that amount of money... stuff that isn't very good.

If Apple's made a point about anything for the past 7 years now, it's that comparing data points on a spec sheet isn't enough to determine what's a great phone and what isn't. Software and how well it's optimized for the hardware on the phone has a lot to do with it too.

You could get an ipad, almost 2 minis, or a macbook air.

cube · Jul 10, 2014

My current phone is 4.2", 768p, 2GiB RAM, 16GB, dual core, with removable battery and SD slot.

So I expect the minimum a replacement to offer to be around 5" (but fully fitting in a back pocket), 1080p, 3GiB RAM, 32GB (rather 64GB), quad core, 64-bit, with removable battery and SD slot. This would qualify as a mid-range phone.

scaredpoet · Jul 10, 2014

ionjohn said:
You could get an ipad, almost 2 minis, or a macbook air.

Thanks for proving my point... all of the things you've listed make really lousy smartphones.

(They're pretty great at the things they're designed to do, though.)

Meister · Jul 10, 2014

What is the point of having a lot of ram in a phone?

capathy21 · Jul 10, 2014

chrf097 said:
Do specs prevent you from looking at a phone? Would you refuse to buy an iPhone 6 because of its specs?

No. Specs are nothing more than number on a sheet of paper. The Moto X on paper is under powered junk. In real life it was 5 times the performer that the Galaxy S4 was. It's all about the software optimization. I have a far better user experience on my "under powered" iphone 5S than I ever did with the Nexus 5, GS4, HTC ONE, Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Galaxy S3, Note 2, Note 3, you get the point. All of these devices were "quad core" power houses with much higher specs than the iphone 5S or the Moto X yet they both outperformed these others by a mile.

----------

Meister said:
What is the point of having a lot of ram in a phone?

No point..

Same people who say every user needs 16GB of ram in their computer.

Newtons Apple · Jul 10, 2014

Many here will say it is a deal breaker but you will find them in line at the Apple store to get the 6

cube · Jul 10, 2014

Meister said:
What is the point of having a lot of ram in a phone?

What is a lot?

I find that is 16GiB of RAM is not enough in a notebook in 2013, a phone that had 2GiB of RAM last year is just right (1GiB usually filled running basic stuff).

Meister · Jul 10, 2014

cube said:
What is a lot?I find that is 16GiB of RAM is not enough in a notebook in 2013, a phone that had 2GiB of RAM last year is just right (1GiB usually filled running basic stuff).

that doesnt really explain anything.
16gb in a mbp or 1gb in a phone might not be enough for you, but what do you use it for?

cube · Jul 10, 2014

Meister said:
that doesnt really explain anything.
16gb in a mbp or 1gb in a phone might not be enough for you, but what do you use it for?

As I said, a basic regular user will fill 1GiB of RAM, so a basic phone should have no less than 1.5GB of RAM last year, for not being throwaway.

And 8GB storage might have been OK in a budget phone, but not in one costing $400 last year.

I7guy · Jul 10, 2014

sunking101 said:
Shouldn't because it's extremely unhelpful, why would they design that into the o/s on purpose?

But there may be some underlying reason IOS will use cell data if it's connected. While I understand you believe IOS should not use cell data when wifi is connected, what may be happening is when the phone is sleeping, wifi is off but cellular data is on. Background tasks unable to use wifi use cellular data.

Which is why I turn off cellular data when I positively don't need it on

ionjohn · Jul 10, 2014

scaredpoet said:
Thanks for proving my point... all of the things you've listed make really lousy smartphones.

(They're pretty great at the things they're designed to do, though.)

Yeah but you already have a smartphone

Meister · Jul 10, 2014

cube said:
As I said, a basic regular user will fill 1GiB of RAM, so a basic phone should have no less than 1.5GB of RAM last year, for not being throwaway.
And 8GB storage might have been OK in a budget phone, but not in one costing $400 last year.

How do you "fill" 1gb of ram? How does that look in real use? Does your iPhone not work properly with 512mb?
I know that my mini works fine with 512mb.

Can you explain?

Are the amount of RAM, processor cores, and screen resolution really deal-breakers?

macrumors 68040

Suspended

macrumors 65816

macrumors 604

macrumors 604

macrumors 68040

macrumors G4

macrumors 604

macrumors 68040

macrumors 604

macrumors 604

macrumors Nehalem

macrumors 604

macrumors 65816

Suspended

macrumors 604

Suspended

macrumors 65816

Suspended

Suspended

Suspended

Suspended

macrumors Nehalem

macrumors 65816

Suspended

Our Staff