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iPhone 12 Do you think iPhone 12 with 4GB RAM can be an issue for its lifespan?

L

Lwii2boo

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 12, 2020
475
1,062
Paris, France
Hey guys,

I remember that the iPhone 6 aged poorly regarding performance mainly because of only 1GB RAM it's was the last one with 1GB RAM.

It is reasonnable to think that the iPhone 12 could be the last iPhone with 4GB RAM (12 Pro should be 6GB RAM and probably all 2021 iPhone ?).
As a person who keep iPhone 3-4 years at least, do you think 4GB RAM can be an issue ?
I don't want to run big apps but I do like to keep a fluid experience and being able to multi task with classic app properly (social networks, mail, youtube, news apps etc etc).

It's literraly the only thing I could appreciate on the Pro 6.1" vs Regular 12 but since it's too heavy for me + I am not a photo enthusiast, I just would like be sure than the regular iPhone 12 will not be slow in 3-4 years.

We can't predict the future but any thoughts would be appreciated ;)
 
Lwii2boo said:
Hey guys,

I remember that the iPhone 6 aged poorly regarding performance mainly because of only 1GB RAM it's was the last one with 1GB RAM.

It is reasonnable to think that the iPhone 12 could be the last iPhone with 4GB RAM (12 Pro should be 6GB RAM and probably all 2021 iPhone ?).
As a person who keep iPhone 3-4 years at least, do you think 4GB RAM can be an issue ?
I don't want to run big apps but I do like to keep a fluid experience and being able to multi task with classic app properly (social networks, mail, youtube, news apps etc etc).

It's literraly the only thing I could appreciate on the Pro 6.1" vs Regular 12 but since it's too heavy for me + I am not a photo enthusiast, I just would like be sure than the regular iPhone 12 will not be slow in 3-4 years.

We can't predict the future but any thoughts would be appreciated ;)
Click to expand...
2 GB RAM devices are still getting iOS updates.
 
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Abazigal said:
Remember that the pro models are getting 6gb of ram mainly to help with camera performance. I think 4gb ram is good for another 4 years at least, especially Apple just updated the SE2 with A13 and 3gb of ram earlier this year.
Click to expand...
100% agree.
 
I don't think it will be OK with 4GB. Why? 5g is here and all apps will be upgraded to another level. Example: Facebook will allow 1080p 60fps streaming, video call apps like FaceTime, whatsapp, zoom etc will also take another leap forward and allow greater resolution. 4gb is just silly. I strongly think 12GB will also not be enough....
 
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Well they are still selling iPhone XR's with 3GB of Ram and that's doing fine. The iPhone 8 only had 2GB of ram and was only discontinued this year, with probably another 2-3 years of IOS updates. I would say 4 GB is will ok for the next 3-4 years.
 
QCassidy352 said:
But not running all that well on iOS 14. At least my 7 isn’t.
Click to expand...
My experience with iOS 14 on iPhone 7 has been fairly comparable to iOS 13. However things progress over time so that older devices will feel some of the changes somewhat more as they get older, and while RAM can be a factor in that, it's really well beyond that.
 
Coffee_Time said:
I don't think it will be OK with 4GB. Why? 5g is here and all apps will be upgraded to another level. Example: Facebook will allow 1080p 60fps streaming, video call apps like FaceTime, whatsapp, zoom etc will also take another leap forward and allow greater resolution. 4gb is just silly. I strongly think 12GB will also not be enough....
Click to expand...
LOL. None of these examples demands a lot of RAM...
 
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I think another consideration is how you personally react. In other words, how sensitive are you to needing to wait for something to happen? Some people can get bent out of shape really quickly if something doesn't respond very fast, and other people aren't really bothered if a large web page takes 10 seconds to load instead of 5.

If you fall in the latter category then I wouldn't worry. I think Apple will be supporting 12s for many years to come. But, if you find yourself frequently getting irritated when things are more leisurely paced then perhaps you should lean towards a pro model.
 
Lwii2boo said:
Hey guys,

I remember that the iPhone 6 aged poorly regarding performance mainly because of only 1GB RAM it's was the last one with 1GB RAM.

It is reasonnable to think that the iPhone 12 could be the last iPhone with 4GB RAM (12 Pro should be 6GB RAM and probably all 2021 iPhone ?).
As a person who keep iPhone 3-4 years at least, do you think 4GB RAM can be an issue ?
I don't want to run big apps but I do like to keep a fluid experience and being able to multi task with classic app properly (social networks, mail, youtube, news apps etc etc).

It's literraly the only thing I could appreciate on the Pro 6.1" vs Regular 12 but since it's too heavy for me + I am not a photo enthusiast, I just would like be sure than the regular iPhone 12 will not be slow in 3-4 years.

We can't predict the future but any thoughts would be appreciated ;)
Click to expand...


nah, my XS max is still super fast, no lag no reloading. 12 will be fine. IOS is extremely well optimized, its why 4gb iOS devices run circles around android with twice as much ram.
 
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Day 1 iPhone XR here. 3gb ram is holding up well. Can use for another year if I wanted but the 12 Pro is just too sexy and I’m getting $400 for this trade-in so
 
For a phone? Sure. Sure, others cramp in 12gb ram into their phones on android side and 100mp cameras etc but it's just numbers, question is how usefull something is and how much space you can save by not opting for those options.
 
Coffee_Time said:
When you will stream FaceTime in 2k or 4k,where is that data buffered going to be stored?
Click to expand...
in a FaceTime call most pixels don’t change frame to frame (background) so even in 4K you only need to buffer the changes between frames. Current RAM amounta are plenty for this.
 
NaitzabEZ said:
For a phone? Sure. Sure, others cramp in 12gb ram into their phones on android side and 100mp cameras etc but it's just numbers, question is how usefull something is and how much space you can save by not opting for those options.
Click to expand...
exactly its just numbers. Look at the reviews on the 100mp camera for s20 and s20 ultra, its hideous and imprecise. Very bad camera and it can't focus apparantly because the camera mp is too high or something. 12gb is needed because android is not optimized. Apple has stuck to 12mp for quiet some time now and continue to perfect the camera with pretty excellent results.

Unless you keep your phone for 6-7 years I don't think you have anything to worry about, and if you do, there are no options really. Buying and android phone you'll be lucky to get three software updates, and even then again, its not optimized to the processor since android has to fit a variety of processors. You can rest assure your phone 12 will be supported at least 2026 given apple's current level of support. They believe having people with up to date software will enable to them to consume subscription services, so it helps their bottom line to keep people engaged.
 
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Perhaps towards the end but nothing any time soon

2GB iPhones perform very well still
 
The $1000 phone from last year had 4GB of ram. I think it’s safe to say that you will upgrade long before you begin to notice performance issues.
 
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More than good enough. The only reason the Pro even has an extra 2 GB is for specific camera features: recording Dolby Vision at 60fps vs. 30 fps, and Apple ProRAW.
 
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