A12 Bionic in New iPad Paired With 3GB RAM, Clocks in at Same Speed as Latest iPhones

[rui no onna]

So why exactly are the Phones so much more expensive again ? The screen is smaller, battery as well....

Carrier subsidies and payment plans.

 

[HarryWild]

3GB is fine. iOS isn’t a memory pig like Android so the inevitable comparisons about how much RAM they have are moot.

Edited: Although they are clocked the same, the A12 in the iPad likely has a better thermal solution than an iPhone and would have better sustained performance.

iOS is continuously in upgrade mode so 3GB will not last long for fast operations. 4GB is the right amount since I want the iPad to last 3 years from 2019! Most Androids phones and some tablets have 6-12GB of RAM!
[doublepost=1552958453][/doublepost]

A8 to A12 on the mini is going to be wild

Are you doing a lot of calculations, graphics intensive software? Otherwise it the RAM that determines the webpage rendering and video running, not the speed of SoC!

 

[realtuner]

iOS is continuously in upgrade mode so 3GB will not last long for fast operations. 4GB is the right amount since I want the iPad to last 3 years from 2019! Most Androids phones and some tablets have 6-12GB of RAM!

Too bad iOS 12 actually runs decent on devices with 1GB and great on devices with 2GB. 3GB will still be good for several years.

What good is 6-12GB of RAM running an inefficient OS? And what good is all that RAM when those devices won’t get a new Android version after they’re 2 years old?

 

[mi7chy]

The fact that it only comes with 3GB DRAM to squeeze more profit means Apple plans to keep future versions of iOS gimped with no background multitasking, limited split screen multitasking, limited PiP, no DeX desktop mode, restrictive home screen where you still can't place any icons anywhere, etc. When it comes to DRAM the more the merrier so it's funny to see the propaganda machine apologize for less DRAM.

 

[PickUrPoison]

need iPad mini pro. sadness. iPhone Pro this fall? foldable iPad mini pro?! GASP! yes pls.

1) Unfortunately iPad mini Pro is too niche, not enough customer demand... even lower than SE. I want one too but it will never happen. Who wants to pay $599-699? Even $399 causes complaints.

2) What is an iPhone Pro?

3) Foldable iPad only when they can do it with acceptable compromises. Such as: no wavy, fold/crease/wrinkle where it bends; thin enough when folded, maybe 10mm max; not $2-3,000; maybe glass instead of plastic display cover.

 

[BenTrovato]

Too bad iOS 12 actually runs decent on devices with 1GB and great on devices with 2GB. 3GB will still be good for several years.

What good is 6-12GB of RAM running an inefficient OS? And what good is all that RAM when those devices won’t get a new Android version after they’re 2 years old?

I don't think it runs great on devices with 2gb, I would say it runs fine on 2gb today and runs well on 3gb, but runs great on 4gb. When iOS 13 comes out, the 2gb devices are going to struggle a bit

 

[mprime_17]

If it's the same A12 + (pseudo) 3 GB DRAM setup as in the XR, then it's NOT a true 3 GB DRAM device !

Specifically, the XR does NOT act like a true 3 GB DRAM device ! ... that has been proven !

However, many won't notice the issue since neither the new 10.5" Air or 7.9" mini include a 12 Mpx image sensor ... specifically here, for those who don't know, a sufficient amount of DRAM is required when capturing Full-Res 12 Mpx photos ... this is where most will notice the Diff between 2 GB vs 3 GB vs 4 GB.

Both of the new iPads include the same set of cameras, 8 Mpx on the Back, & 7 Mpx on the Front ... so, 3 GB is ok with both.

I believe AAPL learned from their XR mistake.

The XR would have been fine with 4 GB of DRAM, but is a Dog / Performance Lemon with it's current (pseudo) 3 GB DRAM setup.

Few in the General Public know this.

lol what?

RAM is RAM, yes, all phones dedicate a small amount of RAM to the camera (to be ready faster), but its not that high (my old xperia dedicated 128MB for its 8MP camera).
It uses a lot when open, thats true, even more with more cameras, but this is just nonsense.

 

[realtuner]

The fact that it only comes with 3GB DRAM to squeeze more profit means Apple plans to keep future versions of iOS gimped with no background multitasking, limited split screen multitasking, limited PiP, no DeX desktop mode, restrictive home screen where you still can't place any icons anywhere, etc. When it comes to DRAM the more the merrier so it's funny to see the propaganda machine apologize for less DRAM.

Why do you continue to post lies?

No background multitasking? Users of Audiobus running multiple music creation Apps AT THE SAME TIME would disagree with you. But hey, keep on spreading the FUD.

 

[PickUrPoison]

<snip>

Now, what may be the differentiating factor is what is being done on these devices. If someone loads up 20 tabs in Safari, which is insane on a phone anyway, then maybe the user experience is degraded. Or if they are installing poorly-written apps, that could also have an effect. But saying that the XR is "dog slow" with its current memory capacity is nonsense without more specific details of each device and usage patterns.

20 tabs? Bwahahaha.....!!

I’ve had probably 120 of these tabs open for a couple years; occasionally a new one will get added to the bottom, maybe 15-20 are transitory. iPhone 6s with a decently fast cellular (and WiFi) internet connection such that I don’t really dread the “dreaded Safari refresh”.

Yes I know where they all are on the stack, and I can quickly navigate to any tab I need and pickup where I left off. Buttery smooth scrolling from the topmost tab to the bottom.

My nightmare is accidentally closing all tabs by mistake.

 

[Tofupunch]

I would still go with a 10.5 iPad Pro (you can probably find one for a similar price to the new iPad Air). More RAM (4GB vs 3GB), Quad Speakers, 120Hz screen, etc.

I personally wouldn't. The chip is roughly 2 years old. A12>A10x

 

[KevinN206]

Too bad iOS 12 actually runs decent on devices with 1GB and great on devices with 2GB. 3GB will still be good for several years.

What good is 6-12GB of RAM running an inefficient OS? And what good is all that RAM when those devices won’t get a new Android version after they’re 2 years old?

We still have the iPhone 6 Plus. It's barely okay with iOS 12 and was dog slow and laggy with iOS 11. It never regained the same fluidity as the original OS. Sure 3 GB might be great for iPhone but the iPad is MORE capable with multitasking and split-screen apps. I would argue 4 GB is minimum for non-pro iPad and 6 GB for Pro iPads. Apple has been able to get by with less memory than Android because of its great vertical integration (i.e. full control of hardware and software), but that also allows them to maximize profit.

Ever wonder why the iPhone XS started at 64 GB of storage while Android phones like Samsung Galaxy Note9 start at 128 GB + microSD? Why does the 1 TB iPad 12.9 inch have 6 GB of RAM while other models have 4 GB of RAM? It's all about maximizing profit and upselling.

 

[creediddy]

At the end of the day...this iPad is way way better value than the 11” iPad. This is essentially an iPhone XS without the OLED screen. I noticed hardly a difference in performance between the iPad Pro 12.9 vs my older 2017 iPad Pro 10.5. No iPad should be worth over $1k. I don’t think an iPad should cost more than $500.

 

[nviz22]

The fact that it only comes with 3GB DRAM to squeeze more profit means Apple plans to keep future versions of iOS gimped with no background multitasking, limited split screen multitasking, limited PiP, no DeX desktop mode, restrictive home screen where you still can't place any icons anywhere, etc. When it comes to DRAM the more the merrier so it's funny to see the propaganda machine apologize for less DRAM.

That's one of the reasons why I am dumping my iPhone soon. I can't deal with Apple's laziness when it comes towards maximizing larger iPhone displays.

 

[rui no onna]

20 tabs? Bwahahaha.....!!

View attachment 827069


I’ve had probably 120 of these tabs open for a couple years; occasionally a new one will get added to the bottom, maybe 15-20 are transitory. iPhone 6s with a decently fast cellular (and WiFi) internet connection such that I don’t really dread the “dreaded Safari refresh”.

Yes I know where they all are on the stack, and I can quickly navigate to any tab I need and pickup where I left off. Buttery smooth scrolling from the topmost tab to the bottom.

My nightmare is accidentally closing all tabs by mistake.

Refresh speed isn't the only problem. Losing inputted form information or getting a 404 error upon refresh is also a potential issue. The form thing is especially annoying. Still, I'm happy enough to see a bump to 3GB.

 

[realtuner]

We still have the iPhone 6 Plus. It's barely okay with iOS 12 and was dog slow and laggy with iOS 11. It never regained the same fluidity as the original OS. Sure 3 GB might be great for iPhone but the iPad is MORE capable with multitasking and split-screen apps. I would argue 4 GB is minimum for non-pro iPad and 6 GB for Pro iPads. Apple has been able to get by with less memory than Android because of its great vertical integration (i.e. full control of hardware and software), but that also allows them to maximize profit.

I’ve got an old iPhone 6S and it runs pretty damn good on iOS 12. You are aware the iPhone 6 Plus has only 1GB, right? Do you have the 6 Plus or did you misspell and actually have the 6S Plus?

Last years “budget” iPad had the A10 and 2GB of RAM, and although I haven’t tried it personally all the reviews say the performance is very good.

Now we have a new iPad with a much faster A12 and 50% more RAM and people are claiming it’s not enough?

Sorry, not buying it.

 

[rui no onna]

I’ve got an old iPhone 6S and it runs pretty damn good on iOS 12. You are aware the iPhone 6 Plus has only 1GB, right? Do you have the 6 Plus or did you misspell and actually have the 6S Plus?

Last years “budget” iPad had the A10 and 2GB of RAM, and although I haven’t tried it personally all the reviews say the performance is very good.

Now we have a new iPad with a much faster A12 and 50% more RAM and people are claiming it’s not enough?

Sorry, not buying it.

iOS 11 sucked at memory management but iOS 12 is a pretty marked improvement. We've got Air 2 and 2017 5th gens running quite happily on iOS 12 in the household. They're certainly aging much better compared to older models. I actually expect to see at least a couple more years use out of our iPads.

 

[EugW]

I’ve got an old iPhone 6S and it runs pretty damn good on iOS 12. You are aware the iPhone 6 Plus has only 1GB, right? Do you have the 6 Plus or did you misspell and actually have the 6S Plus?

Last years “budget” iPad had the A10 and 2GB of RAM, and although I haven’t tried it personally all the reviews say the performance is very good.

Now we have a new iPad with a much faster A12 and 50% more RAM and people are claiming it’s not enough?

Sorry, not buying it.

CPU speed is usually not an issue. Truthfully while 2 GB can occasionally be limiting these days, 3 GB is fine and probably the sweet spot for most people. But that’s with iOS 12. Things change as the OS improves. Remember, my 512 MB iPad 2 ran great for many years but today, it is basically unusable, even though it’s only running the ancient iOS 9.

BTW, the 10.5” iPad Air is not a budget iPad. It’s Apple’s mid-priced offering.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I’ve got an old iPhone 6S and it runs pretty damn good on iOS 12. You are aware the iPhone 6 Plus has only 1GB, right? Do you have the 6 Plus or did you misspell and actually have the 6S Plus?

Last years “budget” iPad had the A10 and 2GB of RAM, and although I haven’t tried it personally all the reviews say the performance is very good.

Now we have a new iPad with a much faster A12 and 50% more RAM and people are claiming it’s not enough?

Sorry, not buying it.

Agree that 3GB is a lot of RAM for iOS and I would expect it to be fine for maybe 5-7 years—or more. There’s a big difference between 1GB and 2GB. With only 1GB, if the system wants 700 MB, there’s very little left over for the user, just 300 MB. With 2GB, the system still gets 700MB but now you’ve got 1.3GB for the user. With 3GB you’re in really good shape with iOS; not so much with Android.

 

[iSayuSay]

Too bad iOS 12 actually runs decent on devices with 1GB and great on devices with 2GB. 3GB will still be good for several years.

What good is 6-12GB of RAM running an inefficient OS? And what good is all that RAM when those devices won’t get a new Android version after they’re 2 years old?

I could say 1GB of RAM is far less than decent on iOS 12. I had an iPad Air 1 and it runs slow, like really slow despite Apple says it is great for older hardware. Wasn't much different than iOS 11 because the CPU is old, and RAM is lacking.

Even 3GB iPhone 7+ shows a bit stutter here and there. Having more headroom never hurts. I'd welcome more RAM for upcoming iPhones and iPads.

 

[ACG12]

The iPad mini 5 is currently the best bang for the buck Apple device. I can’t wait to get one.

 

[pratikindia]

3GB is fine. iOS isn’t a memory pig like Android so the inevitable comparisons about how much RAM they have are moot.

Edited: Although they are clocked the same, the A12 in the iPad likely has a better thermal solution than an iPhone and would have better sustained performance.

3 GB was fine few years ago. The iPhone X, XS and XS Max could not hold large apps such as games if you switch 2 apps and reload with their 3/4 GB memory. Where as more RAM can have positive effect. Games like Real Racing 3/Asphalt 9 refresh even I switch to any other app for more than 2-3 minutes which should not happen.

 

[rui no onna]

CPU speed is usually not an issue. Truthfully while 2 GB can occasionally be limiting these days, 3 GB is fine and probably the sweet spot for most people. But that’s with iOS 12. Things change as the OS improves. Remember, my 512 MB iPad 2 ran great for many years but today, it is basically unusable, even though it’s only running the ancient iOS 9.

Personally, I wouldn't want to use an iPad 2 past iOS 7. Ideally, I'd even keep it on iOS 6.

I found the iPad Air on iOS 9 (2013-2017) faster compared to the iPad 2 on iOS 7 (2010-2014). The Air 2? Doing much better than either even on iOS 12.

Would I appreciate more RAM? Sure. That said, this is Apple. Skimping on memory is kinda their SOP. By the time they make 4GB+ RAM standard on their entry level and mid-range iPads, people would already be lamenting that they should have 8GB.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

So why exactly are the Phones so much more expensive again ? The screen is smaller, battery as well....

Carrier subsidies and payment plans.

This explanation makes no sense. iPhone s would need to be cheaper than.
[doublepost=1552974071][/doublepost]

Demand. Higher demand for phones than for tablets.

I think there is a demand supply equilibrium reached. That explanation makes no sense.
[doublepost=1552974104][/doublepost]

[doublepost=1552949263][/doublepost]They're magical

That must be it.
[doublepost=1552974138][/doublepost]

I think Apple would prefer if you just didn't think about that one

Right. Because the answer would be greed.

 

[Buty]

even 2GB is more than fine for iOS.

I don't think so after ios 13. IOS 13 on ipad is going to big change and RAM is required.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

Overall I think the new iPads are a solid update. Nothing special. What is beyond me is that they still support the old pencil.