9.7-inch iPad Pro and iPhone SE Both Have 2GB RAM

[cppguy]

I have the Surface Pro 3. It has a much more powerful CPU and a real desktop OS, so you can run Visual Studio, Lightroom, Manga Studio, all sorts of serious products. However, you constantly have to type in your password, there's a software update several times a week, and it pops up exactly when you need to take a note. The pen has two buttons, which is very useful (for example, erase, select), but it doesn't feel like a real pen, and it isn't accurate (due to parallax, it doesn't draw where you want it to). It takes 30 seconds to turn it on and enter your password, and the fan is already running at full speed by that time, even though you're not running any apps.

Since I'm only using it for sketching / flow charting / equations / block diagrams / notes, I'm really considering switching to the iPad Pro. It has a very accurate pencil, it feels closer to pen and paper, there's less parallax, no constant system upgrades, no loud fan pushing hot air out, and most importantly instant on.

So it depends what you need. For notes, iPad is probably better. For CAD, design, manufacturing, engineering, programming, Surface Pro, all the way. There are both advantages and disadvantages to having a full-blown computer. A Mac with a pen option could be nice, though.

 

[Traverse]

The Air 2 is terrific. But if I'm going to dish out "Pro" dollars, then I want a comparable device. 2GB RAM guarantees that I'm not going to dish out "Pro" dollars. The sad part is that Apple quietly discontinued the 128GB Air 2 yesterday. Thankfully that's the one I bought last Fall, but I was hoping to perhaps buy another for my wife.

I just sold my Air 2 though. :/

 

[tjwb]

I am really itching to buy a shiny new Apple product - I'm on iPhone 5 and iPad 3, and while they both mostly still work fine, I'd love to upgrade. But man, it seems like every single new product has some feature that really disappoints me and just saps the fun out of splurging.

The prices in Europe are getting ridiculous - the new iPad (I see no reason to refer to it as 'pro') is now almost 700 euros. The top of the line iPhone 6s+ is almost 1100 euros. The storage options are frustrating and stingy. And the features are apparently distributed over the devices in such a way that you're never 100% happy with your choice - the better camera in the iPhone+, extra ram in the bigger iPad, poor displays on the Air, etc.

I know I'm really sensitive when it comes to this stuff, but I keep getting the feeling that Apple is getting more and more interested in maximizing profits at the expense of their specs-oriented customers' experience - at a time in their history that is characterized more than anything else by their being fantastically rich. This really rubs me the wrong way, and it looks like for me, 2016 will be another year without buying a nice new Apple gadget.

 

[AliMacs]

Apple does this to save on cost and materials obviously. But you really think they are using RAM, a spec they don't even talk about, to entice new buyers? Outside of tech forum readers do you think anyone knows how much RAM is in their iPad?

MOST Apple product consumers are pretty UN-EDUCATED about tech. I mean seriously, they open their wallets out without even first knowing what's on the inside of that iGadget they are purchasing. That's what Apple marketing wants you to believe - they tell you things just "work" and you don't have to worry about specs, blah blah blah. The last time I bought a car I made sure what the engine size was, how much HP/Torque, if it was AWD/4WD and if it had torque vectoring.

You guys really need to educate yourself about products you are buying. There is a reason why RAM is important. 2GB of RAM for an iPad no matter how efficient iOS is still sets limits on app/system performance. The next iOS 10 comes out don't come back here and complain about how you should've had more RAM.

 

[Eckscaliber]

I have an Air. Upgrading to the Pro 9.7 is a must for me.

 

[joeblow7777]

I understand the idea of "future proofing", but honestly, I doubt that many people need more than 2GB of RAM on an iOS device.

 

[pdoobs]

This is starting to feel like the iPad 3 trap i fell for and haven't fully recovered from. Hoping the iPad Air 3 comes out this fall and includes pencil support for a more reasonable price that most of us were hoping for.

 

[zombiecakes]

You could say the SE is actually more powerful than the 6s because its pushing much less pixels with the same hardware, it should be significantly faster in games and many things that use heavy graphics

 

[JohnApples]

For me, this confirms that iPhone 7 will have 32GB standard. They pushed 16GB to the low end with this move, and since RAM is the only differentiating factor between the 6S and SE, the 7 will push the the storage up.

I'm shocked the SE has 2GB of memory. Really unexpected. This has to be the lowest margin device that Apple makes, period.

Agreed, this is my theory too. 32, 128, 256 will be the tiers. Or, possibly, just 32 and 128 at first, with a 256 version coming later, like they did with the iPP 12.9.

 

[dBeats]

Benchmarks and spec sheets, cuz you know they're always such great predictors of user experience.

 

[nando87]

Typical sheep that know nothing of specs at all and they are the majority. If you don't know that then you are truly out of touch with the typical consumer and hanging out on forums like this too much. People like those on these forums are in the minority. Very few people will walk into a store and say "hey, this only has 2gb of memory". Why would someone buy a 16gb 6s plus over a 32 or 64 (whatever it is) 6 plus? Because it's newer and because they don't know anything about specs.

I don't know of anyone other than myself that has a clue how much ram their device has.

The word pro is just a marketing scheme and it will work on a lot of people. A lot of people just want the "newest" and have no clue. "Hey, the newest is a pro it's worth the difference". "The air 2 is a year and a half old" no matter how good it is.

You seem to believe most people research these releases, they do not. They realize apple released something new, go into the store and buy it. "Newest version", "pro". Why do you think they did not call it air 3? Marketing and sales. What do you think sales people will push? The newest version on display.

Try working in retail sometimes, it's an eye opener. Add the word pro, professional, etc. to something and people believe it. Not people that hang out on forums but typical consumers. Tools, etc.

Having or not having clue, selling crap is selling crap. Do you know what SJ said when he returned to Apple? Stop selling crap. Selling crap is bad for the brand, it doesn't matter if people knows about numbers or specs or not, everybody prefers better. Better tabs keeping their pages, faster charging, faster loading... Or at least, not the same at huge prices.

 

[CrashX]

Does anyone know when the new iPhone goes on sale on Thursday - what time?

My iPhone 4 finally bit the dust, so I'm pretty psyched to be able to upgrade to the Steve Edition.

I'm hoping it'll hold out for another 5 years.

 

[Michael Goff]

The issue is it didn't retain ANY tab. Not the first 4-6, nothing.

After loading up twenty. I don't think you get the point. If a Air 2 can keep 4-6 tabs, the 9.7 Pro can. And the Air 2 can keep 4-6 tabs. Heck, my 6S Plus can keep 4-6 tabs open and it has the same amount of RAM. It just couldn't do it if I opened up 20 before going back to the start.

 

[AliMacs]

Benchmarks and spec sheets, cuz you know they're always such great predictors of user experience.

Right. With this mentality you'd be buying every product first then complaining why it sucks when you use it. There are reasons for benchmarks and spec sheets. So educated buyers will know what they are paying for.

 

[nando87]

Does anyone know when the new iPhone goes on sale on Thursday - what time?

My iPhone 4 finally bit the dust, so I'm pretty psyched to be able to upgrade to the Steve Edition.

I'm hoping it'll hold out for another 5 years.

5 years? What iOs were you running on your iPhone 4?

 

[Gudi]

Oh right. That makes it even worse. Thanks for this.

Way worse. If 32GB isn't enough for you, you have to pay $150/€180 extra for a 128GB version. No more $100/€100 jump to 64GB, which was my ideal size.

 

[Michael Goff]

Wow, they keeping crippling the smaller iPads. The iPad mini 2/Air 1 had the same CPU/GPU/RAM. The mini 4 has a weaker CPU/GPU compared to the Air 2 (I'm not even going to mention the pathetic place-holder Mini 3). Now the iPP 9.7 has half the ram of it's bigger brother. Apple is segmenting the hell out of their iPads!
Gotta love Apple, when you're losing sales the answer is to further cripple your iPads.

The iPhone SE is a sweet phone OTOH as it's just as quick as their flagship which still outclasses Android flagships.

Crippled? Seriously, hyperbole rains down from on high.

 

[jcmeyer5]

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!! 2GB in "Pro" iPad!

 

[Toltepeceno]

Having or not having clue, selling crap is selling crap. Do you know what SJ said when he returned to Apple? Stop selling crap. Selling crap is bad for the brand, it doesn't matter if people knows about numbers or specs or not, everybody prefers better. Better tabs keeping their pages, faster charging, faster loading... Or at least, not the same at huge prices.

I agree, never said it wasn't.

My point is that in retail calling something "pro" does work. This is the regular version, vs this is the pro version. Even if means nothing.

 

[lyngo]

To be fair, the price of the new iPad Pro at 32gb is the same price of the 32gb iPad Air 2 before the event. So it is still a great upgrade.

It is not a "Pro" though.

There was never a 32GB iPad Air 2.

 

[Michael Goff]

Right. With this mentality you'd be buying every product first then complaining why it sucks when you use it. There are reasons for benchmarks and spec sheets. So educated buyers will know what they are paying for.

Except neither of them actually educate buyers.

 

[GatorGhost]

That's good for the iPhone, makes the iPad Pro 9.7 a little less attractive though....

Best Buy is selling the iPad Pro 12.9" for $699.00...right now the 9.7" is a whole lot less attractive! But each to their own about any size and spec differences, for me the 12.9" is at the moment a no brainer.

 

[AliMacs]

Except neither of them actually educate buyers.

That's the fault of the buyer themselves. Too dumb to understand what they are buying in the first place.

I also would not be surprised if Apple sells you an iPhone 7 this year with sizes of: 16GB, 128GB, and 256GB only.

 

[Zirel]

Underclocked and only 2GB of Ram. Apple; what are you doing to the iPads? Bumping features in one area and downgrading in others. I wish there was only one ultimate model like in the old days.

Upping $100, and the worst part of all... the camera bump.

Still buying it. Because I need the Pencil and the size, and the 12" is even more expensive.

 

[Michael Goff]

Prediction: the 12.9 will get more RAM before the 9.7 does, and we'll be complaining about how 4gg is useless then.
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Underclocked and only 2GB of Ram. Apple; what are you doing to the iPads? Bumping features in one area and downgrading in others. I wish there was only one ultimate model like in the old days.

What area did they downgrade from the product this replaces?