Retina apps are NOT huge in size so far.

[Nikos]

If you visit the iTunes App store, there is a section entitled Great Apps for the New iPad. It looks like the rumors of retina apps requiring a lot more space will most likely be false. Check out the sizes of some of these graphic intensive games. As you can see, they are just about the same as their iPhone counterparts.

 

[Yggbert]

3 apps not being much bigger isn't proof. 2 of them aren't even designed for the A5X, no?

 

[DopeyFish]

Ok... Anything that uses 2D assets to a large degree... Those will be the ones with the largest change.

3D titles will benefit from the change right away with little work, but 2D titles (with 2D animation especially) is a whole other matter

 

[Macman45]

Yep, it's far too early in the game to make a definitive judgement on this..But I fully expect Sketchbook pro...which I will buy tomorrow after I've set up my newbie, and photo apps AND HD games to be bigger...They have to be to take advantage of the retina display...We are not talking about a screen "Tweak" here, it's a doubling. Not saying apps will be twice as big but larger for sure IMO.

 

[erawsd]

3 apps not being much bigger isn't proof. 2 of them aren't even designed for the A5X, no?

The fear wasn't that new apps would be huge. It was that our old apps would be 2-3x the size and people with old 16GB iPads were royally screwed. I think this was all based on Apple's iWork apps all ballooning in size.

So far, its looking like its not such a big deal.

 

[Capt T]

Real racing 2 takes up 1.1 gb according to my iPad. So that is either the first one or the size is wrong?

 

[Nikos]

I guess I did jump the gun a bit, and we'll see what happens when apps designed specifically for the new iPad are released. I figured Sky Gamblers was one of those, with a downscaled version for the iPhone.

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Real racing 2 takes up 1.1 gb according to my iPad. So that is either the first one or the size is wrong?

That's weird, it's Real Racing 2 HD.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/real-racing-2-hd/id414566922?mt=8

 

[urkel]

Are they supposed to be bigger? When the iPhone moved from 3G to retina 4 then the apps stayed relatively the same size

 

[MattZani]

Are they supposed to be bigger? When the iPhone moved from 3G to retina 4 then the apps stayed relatively the same size

Well the apps need a whole new set of images that are twice as large, although the file size won't be much bigger. Still twice as many images.

 

[MythicFrost]

Real racing 2 takes up 1.1 gb according to my iPad. So that is either the first one or the size is wrong?

The download size is compressed, the size after installation is larger.

 

[kaibob]

The new Kindle app, which supports the retinal display, has an installed size on my iPad and iPhone of 25 MB. I don't know if that's larger than the older version, but it's certainly small enough not to be a concern. I can see where games and apps with lots of graphics could be an issue, though.

 

[irDigital0l]

The new Kindle app, which supports the retinal display, has an installed size on my iPad and iPhone of 25 MB. I don't know if that's larger than the older version, but it's certainly small enough not to be a concern. I can see where games and apps with lots of graphics could be an issue, though.

The Kindle app is pretty basic and not very graphically intense.

The only problem would be for those 16GB users because sure a couple apps won't be a lot, but who has a couple apps? It builds up.

 

[lilcosco08]

3D games such as the one in the OP aren't running at the native resolution of the new iPad

 

[joshwithachance]

Tweetbot going from 8MB to 25MB is what worries me.

 

[Capt T]

The download size is compressed, the size after installation is larger.

Interesting...so they show the compressed size not the installed size on the app store.

 

[w00t951]

I'm not sure about this, but are you sure those are the correct sizes? If you view a universal app on your iPhone, it displays the iPhone app's sizes. If you view the same app on your iPad, it displays the iPad app's sizes.

 

[SgtBullmoose]

New York Times update shows the app at only 5 megs. I can't remember how big it was before.

 

[MythicFrost]

Interesting...so they show the compressed size not the installed size on the app store.

Yeah, you can see the installed size in Settings > General > Usage I think.

 

[deeddawg]

Well the apps need a whole new set of images that are twice as large, although the file size won't be much bigger. Still twice as many images.

Same for when everything written for the iPhone 3G/3Gs was redone for the iPhone 4. Double resolution, required twice as large images.

The world didn't implode then for some reason. I suspect it won't implode this time. There will probably be a few egregious examples the Chicken Littles trot out repeatedly and there will be a few folks used to riding along with a tiny amount of headroom who have to upgrade or clean up their stuff.

The rest of us will just plod along as we've been doing and likely not notice whatever differences are under the hood..

 

[MythicFrost]

Same for when everything written for the iPhone 3G/3Gs was redone for the iPhone 4. Double resolution, required twice as large images.

The world didn't implode then for some reason. I suspect it won't implode this time. There will probably be a few egregious examples the Chicken Littles trot out repeatedly and there will be a few folks used to riding along with a tiny amount of headroom who have to upgrade or clean up their stuff.

The rest of us will just plod along as we've been doing and likely not notice whatever differences are under the hood..

But unlike with the 3GS > 4, we're dealing with much bigger resolutions to bat so it may have more of an impact.

 

[blackNBUK]

3D games such as the one in the OP aren't running at the native resolution of the new iPad

According to the release notes Real Racing 2 HD is running at native resolution. If the download size hasn't change then they probably haven't upgraded their texture maps to a higher resolution to match the Retina display. I still think it's impressive that the new iPad can run one of the highest quality games in the app store at it's full resolution.

 

[deeddawg]

But unlike with the 3GS > 4, we're dealing with much bigger resolutions to bat so it may have more of an impact.

It may. There are also a lot more apps in the market place and some people keep a surprisingly large number of apps on their device.

What it really boils down to in the end is what portion of an app's size is made up of 2D graphics images or tiles and how much space is needed by those graphics.

I suspect the effect will be different for different apps, and not nearly as pronounced as some fear it will be. In three weeks I doubt this will be anything but yet another archived thread.

 

[MythicFrost]

It may. There are also a lot more apps in the market place and some people keep a surprisingly large number of apps on their device.

What it really boils down to in the end is what portion of an app's size is made up of 2D graphics images or tiles and how much space is needed by those graphics.

I suspect the effect will be different for different apps, and not nearly as pronounced as some fear it will be. In three weeks I doubt this will be anything but yet another archived thread.

Hopefully it won't have a big effect on anything.

 

[Buildbright]

Apple pretty much cheaped out on us in the memory department. To offer the new iPad at 32GBs standard would have cost them almost nothing. But we should have been atleast given a 128GB option.

 

[AppleHater]

It's kinda besides the point, but the apps will increase in size; just matter of by how much. I feel bad for iPhone/iPad 1 & 2 users who are stuck with universal apps.