Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
Hmm... interesting idea. However, isn't external display support still horrible for iPad? Hopefully this will change soon, but can't bank on it.
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Redesigned iPad Mini Has Increased 4GB of RAM, iPad 9 Remains at 3GB
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This is somewhat disappointing. iPad apps, and iPadOS itself, are going to target the lowest common denominator for specs which is currently the base iPad and 3GB of RAM. iPads aren’t limited by CPU but they are limited by RAM (and iPadOS’s lack of virtual memory). iPad Pro users were howling for more advanced features this past spring only to be bitterly disappointed with such incremental updates out of iPadOS 15. The iPad will never see professional level software or certain missing features if the most popular model is hobbled by inadequate RAM. Example: Adobe won’t add HDR merging of raw files in Lightroom for iPad because, while the recent pros have ample memory to merge multiple high-megapixel shots together, the base model iPad does not and they want feature parity for all devices.
Does this mean that apps will actually work in the background instead of being fubared? I doubt it with 4gb, but one can only hope. For me this is really one of the last things separating iOS from being a full OS, well that and user accounts a well.
Galaxy Tab S7+ WIFI model has GPS chip. Using it right now on the road and the tracking is accurate and smooth. iPad Pro M1 WIFI, on the other hand, doesn't and relies on known WIFI AP locations so less accuracy with location jumping around and at intervals.
The Iphone Pros have 6 GB RAM, but the Mini 6 has 4 GB RAM so not the same. Also is it confirmed anywhere for sure that Mini 6 has the same 5 core GPU A15 chip as the Pro’s? Either way im getting one but would be interested to know what A15 chip it has.
I have only Air 3 and I don’t have any problem keeping ANY app open.
Have you never followed the base model iPads upgrade cycle before?… the chip used is always a couple years old. Last years was an A12, before that it was an A10.
This is the "phone" I want because it has TouchID. I know this won't make phone calls by itself, but what if I pair this with an Apple Watch activated through "Family Setup"? Here's the plan. Will it work?
B) Will I get all day battery-life with the Watch? (cellular takes more battery than bluetooth?)
- Get rid of current iPhone.
- Get an cellular Apple Watch through "Family Setup" and port my phone number to it.
- Get cellular iPad mini with 5g service.
B) Will I get all day battery-life with the Watch? (cellular takes more battery than bluetooth?)
Likely 4 GPU core, the reason why it has only 4 GB of RAM. Mini doesn’t need the best GPU since it doesn’t shoot ProRes and the screen is small.
Use Google Voice app which gives you a standard xxx-xxx-xxxx number if you're in the US. If you don't want randomly generated # pay $10 for custom #.
Except color. I ordered two, but I wish they had a silver option.
The iPhone 13 Pro has 6GB RAM but you're correct that it has the same CPU & GPU configuration
It doesn't have ProMotion, OLED display or FaceID. Apple has to save something for future upgrades
I was being facetious. I have a 5th generation iPad and I can keep apps open too.
So maybe we all got magic iPads?
Or perhaps Apple knows a thing or two about memory usage in iOS.
It's on Apple's website (5-core graphics), so, it's not the same as the 4-core GPU on the non-pro iPhone 13:
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
VOIP app like Google Voice, Talkatone, Comcast Voice, etc will make this iPad with Cellular a call-receiving & call-making "phone" and can receive and send texts to your number too. Get some buds with microphone and you can use this almost exactly like an iPhone with buds (sans Apple's own VOIP app exclusively for iPhone).
Been using Minis as my "phone" for many years. ONE device can do it all if you want it.
Bonus: AT&T offers 2GB LTE for 3 months for $30 on demand. I've been averaging $90 per YEAR for cellular service for a couple of years now. That's per YEAR.
Caveats:
- Mini is not pocketable (but suit pockets tend to work, purses for the ladies, etc. I just tuck mine under my arm when not suited, or in a bag if I have one).
- Mini does not come with cameras as good as iPhone Max.
- If Watch is a must, I think Watches must be "married" to iPhones (only) to give you full functionality.
- If you use heavy cellular data, the great savings of that AT&T option fails. On the other hand, if you can save eating so much data until you have wifi, works great. I always run out of time (90 days) before I burn up the 2GB but I both live and work in free wifi zones and don't even need cellular for stretches of time.
- I do NOT have a sense of how well CarPlay works without iPhone. But this setup will connect with my car's system via bluetooth and I can make and take calls using the car's microphone & speakers... and feed maps voice directions to the cars speakers too, play music stored on it, etc.
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
...or port the number you already have, which is what I did.
Bonus: if you still have land line- maybe for alarm system- look into the Obihai device on Amazon. It will leverage the SAME google voice number to take over as a land line phone at home. Works with alarm system... even works with the rare faxing need. If your calls are within North America, the monthly bill is $0. ZERO.
When someone calls my number, both my Mini AND those home phones ring. When someone texts my number, the notification pops up on my Mini and I can text with them.
Calls OUTSIDE the U.S. (if you don't want to keep 'em free with FaceTime/Skype/Zoom) are dirt cheap too.
Bonus #2: Nobody on the other end can tell. To them, I'm probably using a cell phone for texts and calls.
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The amount of RAM inside dictates when Apple will stop supporting the device! 4GB RAM is now the bottom hierarchy in the cheap mobile devices. You can keep yours if you like but I do not want to have something like this that will be obsolete in a few years from now! Apple is so frugal when it comes to expanding the RAM especially on cheap devices. The cost from 4 to 6 GB is like $3 more!Remember it's a balance between amount of RAM and battery life, so you wouldn't just want more, when the battery is so small compared with the bigger iPads.
iOS devices need less RAM compared with Android devices as Android uses "Garbage Collection" memory model, but iOS uses "Reference Counting".
My point being engineers always need to balance power, space, cost, etc. But commenters always now better
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