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2 GB of RAM for next iPhone?

T

Timzer

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 10, 2011
334
0
It seems the innovation train never stops running at Samsung. They've just announced they are now mass producing new 2 GB mobile RAM. It seems this may now be the norm as it will be cheap as having 1 GB of RAM at the same time using less power. The GS3 in Japan has already been confirmed to have 2 GB of RAM. Anything to make multitasking more efficient and also help for future OS and App updates.

Source
 
Would be nice, but your source is giving a time frame of 2013, not likely for the next iphone, but maybe the one after it?
 
I wish we had more ram... for the purpose of web browsing. You load a few web pages and the first one you loaded is already toast. I suspect we will finally get 1GB of ram on board, but I don't think 2.
 
s15119 said:
Would be nice, but your source is giving a time frame of 2013, not likely for the next iphone, but maybe the one after it?
Click to expand...

The article said mainstream by end of 2013. Since when did anyone consider the iPhone mainstream. As I stated earlier, the SGS3 will be released with 2 GB of RAM in Japan. So that being said, there is no reason for Apple not to put it in the next iPhone if the cost will be the same as 1 GB or ram is now. The only thing that will stop this from happening is Apple being more interested in getting there pockets fatter.
 
Timzer said:
The article said mainstream by end of 2013. Since when did anyone consider the iPhone mainstream. As I stated earlier, the SGS3 will be released with 2 GB of RAM in Japan. So that being said, there is no reason for Apple not to put it in the next iPhone if the cost will be the same as 1 GB or ram is now. The only thing that will stop this is Apple being more interested in getting there pockets fatter.
Click to expand...

Well, based on the ridiculous amount of chips that Apple buys up, I think it would pretty much have to be mainstream. Apple has never used bleeding edge hardware in their phones, by the way. They basically use mainstream components that have great performance when married with a smooth as silk OS.
 
Timzer said:
The article said mainstream by end of 2013. Since when did anyone consider the iPhone mainstream. As I stated earlier, the SGS3 will be released with 2 GB of RAM in Japan. So that being said, there is no reason for Apple not to put it in the next iPhone if the cost will be the same as 1 GB or ram is now. The only thing that will stop this from happening is Apple being more interested in getting there pockets fatter.
Click to expand...
Since the iPhone is the most sold phone, I guess it is pretty mainstream.
 
Samsung use hardware as the selling point of their devices. It's always going to be more memory, etc.

More memory isn't necessary. 512MB is the right amount. You have to remember that Apple prefers to combine services (hence why we have a single push service) when it can. It results in better performance and battery life, without simply chucking power at the problem.
 
lamboman said:
Samsung use hardware as the selling point of their devices. It's always going to be more memory, etc.

More memory isn't necessary. 512MB is the right amount. You have to remember that Apple prefers to combine services (hence why we have a single push service) when it can. It results in better performance and battery life, without simply chucking power at the problem.
Click to expand...

I agree. Software optimization is better then just overpowering the problem. However after seeing some videos of what the S3 can do its no wonder iOS only needs 512mb and Android needs more. It looked like you could watch a video in a box in the foreground (that you could placed wherever) while continuing to do whatever else you wanted. Impressive stuff for a smart phone.
 
My guess is no. Apple's pricing tends to have the 16GB iPhone cost around $180-$190. Adding 2GB of RAM would take away from another upgrade.

Assuming that they do move to a larger screen, that additional cost has to be factored in that pricing.
 
If Apple intends to stay serous in the gaming side, they have to upgrade. Right now games keep getting bigger and bigger and my iPhone4 is having a hard time keeping up. Some of these newer games use over 200mb of Ram. You can switch to an app and back and your game state has been closed.
The new iPhone needs to have at least 1gb and preferably 2gb. Games are only going to get bigger and bigger.
 
Timzer said:
there is no reason for Apple not to put it in the next iPhone
Click to expand...

Sure there is. It uses more battery...and for what? To let more Safari pages stay loaded? Most people wouldn't really notice the benefit but they would notice shorter battery life.

So this is a trade-off that most iPhone users wouldn't appreciate. (Not all, but the majority.)

This is not to say it won't happen eventually, but this is why iPhone RAM sizes have lagged a bit behind what the super-users on this site often ask for. Apple has to drag its feet on RAM as they let battery life improve. As the electronics shrink they'll keep making the battery bigger and stuff like 'more RAM' will become less of a trade-off in years to come.

But that will be later. There will eventually be an iPhone with 2 GB of RAM but it sure won't be this year and probably not next year either. I think 1 GB in the near-term is far more likely for no reason other than battery life.
 
I find the limitation of iOS a to help apple not need more RAM. I've only thought a hand full of times "maybe more RAM would have helped there".

I think apple is currently doing it right with the amount of RAM vs the need for more with iOS.

Btw I'm a spec whore but I'm realistic at the same time. As far as supporting the current OS and apps the 4S does a tremendous job. Not saying that I don't think iOS couldn't use an overhaul either btw.
 
I think the 4s still holds up very well in the RAM department, better than most other phones. I don't think we will see 2gb this year. Maybe next year.
 
cynics said:
I agree. Software optimization is better then just overpowering the problem. However after seeing some videos of what the S3 can do its no wonder iOS only needs 512mb and Android needs more. It looked like you could watch a video in a box in the foreground (that you could placed wherever) while continuing to do whatever else you wanted. Impressive stuff for a smart phone.
Click to expand...

That might have been my favourite feature!


LIVEFRMNYC said:
Just waiting for a Samsung phone to surpass the specs of my 8 gig laptop. Maybe next year. ;)
Click to expand...


Haha :p
 
Timzer said:
The article said mainstream by end of 2013. Since when did anyone consider the iPhone mainstream. As I stated earlier, the SGS3 will be released with 2 GB of RAM in Japan. So that being said, there is no reason for Apple not to put it in the next iPhone if the cost will be the same as 1 GB or ram is now. The only thing that will stop this from happening is Apple being more interested in getting there pockets fatter.
Click to expand...


The iPhone is very mainstream. It's been that way for several years. I'd like to see it, but based on your source, it's not very likely.
 
lordofthereef said:
I wish we had more ram... for the purpose of web browsing. You load a few web pages and the first one you loaded is already toast. I suspect we will finally get 1GB of ram on board, but I don't think 2.
Click to expand...

You should try upgrading from the original iPhone.

Seriously, I have never seen such an issue on my 4S. The main bottleneck on most of our iPhones is the cellular connection, and that should be rectified with 4G LTE. I've got 1GB of RAM in my third-generation iPad and can't really tell any difference between it and the iPad 2.
 
Timzer said:
The article said mainstream by end of 2013. Since when did anyone consider the iPhone mainstream. As I stated earlier, the SGS3 will be released with 2 GB of RAM in Japan. So that being said, there is no reason for Apple not to put it in the next iPhone if the cost will be the same as 1 GB or ram is now. The only thing that will stop this from happening is Apple being more interested in getting there pockets fatter.
Click to expand...

::lowers head and sighs::
 
Michael CM1 said:
You should try upgrading from the original iPhone.

Seriously, I have never seen such an issue on my 4S. The main bottleneck on most of our iPhones is the cellular connection, and that should be rectified with 4G LTE. I've got 1GB of RAM in my third-generation iPad and can't really tell any difference between it and the iPad 2.
Click to expand...

Huh? :confused: I have the 4S. Load 5+ Safari pages and go back to the original. Unless the page is mostly composed of text, the original page has to be reloaded. At least it does for me, and has with every version of the iPhone, every time.

EDIT: Just to make sure I wasn't crazy, I tried it again after posting here. Loaded 5 pages and going back to previous pages forced a full refresh of the page 3/5 times.
 
s15119 said:
The iPhone is very mainstream. It's been that way for several years. I'd like to see it, but based on your source, it's not very likely.
Click to expand...

I think the article meant mainstream as in cheaper everyday phones. I believe that's how Timzer read it as well. Most everyone on this forum that bows down to Apple consistently say people buy other phones because "they can't afford the iPhone." To me that indicates it is not considered mainstream.
The word mainstream would never be associated with a high end premium product. I would never consider the SGS3 mainstream.
 
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