The iPhone 4S Appears to Have 512MB RAM

I would have been surprised to see 1GB. No reason to boost the RAM for now. Maybe with a new UI, higher screen resolution (Tri-Retina?), heavier system features or very intensive software, but all of these would shorten the battery, and I don't really expect a revolution with iOS 6. Maybe with iOS 7. The Apple model works well and only keeps working better, no reason to change.
 
So be it.

That is actually good news for everyone. You know that the iPhone runs smooth. It just does. Compare it to any other phone on the market with whatever OS and specs, they cannot beat the iPhone 3GS for that matter.

A few reasons why it's good:

- probably prolongs battery life
- forces to good programming and therefore less garbage in codes and therefore potentially smaller apps and therefore for less likelihood to reach limit on your limited data plans (I love to have an unlimited one for iPhone 4 and iPad 2 though) when you download / update.
- iPad and iPhone apps are easier to port from one to the other device because only resolution / ratio changes
- for apple: lower costs

And let's be honest: Its a freaking PHONE not a data server! Put RAM where RAM is needed. Don't forget it has SSD memory and the loading times for that are not that long either. So, even if an app needs more data, you can upload it to the RAM quickly... :rolleyes:
 
Not surprised in the least. If it had 1GB, how many new apps wouldn't run on older hardware due to RAM? The next revisions will likely go to 1GB and obsolete a lot of devices.
 
howbotnik said:
My Samsung Galaxy S has had 512mb RAM for nearly a year now. God knows how old the model is....
Click to expand...

Yeah, my Samsung Focus has 512mb of RAM as well, I got it Nov 8th, of last year.

Mad-B-One said:
That is actually good news for everyone. You know that the iPhone runs smooth. It just does. Compare it to any other phone on the market with whatever OS and specs, they cannot beat the iPhone 3GS for that matter.
Click to expand...
The Samsung Focus can... ;) It's a year old right now, but I'd wager it's probably still within throwing distance of the iPhone 4s
 
Tsunami911 said:
This is a great point. And it will keep developers happier too knowing that what they are creating will work across most Apple devices. It will keep consumers happier as their have better customer experiences because everything they by just works.

Apple didn't skimp on any of the specs that matter for creating a great customer experience. And that is all Steve Jobs ever cared about.
Click to expand...

So, the amount of RAM does not matter to user experience. Is this a new low for Apple fan rationalization skills?
 
Seems more and more that the only legit reason to keep Siri off the iPad 2 (and maybe iPhone 4, too), is maybe, possibly, it's-just-barely-possible that it is a licensing issue.

It seems very likely that Siri continues to use Nuance. While Siri-the-little-startup had a licensing deal from Nuance that allowed them to give Siri away, that doesn't mean Apple got the same deal.

That's the kind of deal you give someone when you're trying to promote what you've got to hopefully get a big fish hooked... are there any fish bigger than Apple?

The licensing deal may have cost Apple a pretty penny, especially if Apple wanted exclusivity of some kind.

So, e.g., if Apple is paying Nuance $5 per device (just a made up number), then Apple couldn't just give the software away.

But if all that is the case, then Apple could still make Siri available to the devices that can run it--they'd just have to charge for it to at least cover licensing costs.
 
Tsunami911 said:
I believe this was already confirm by a few jailbreak developers. Siri is 4s only and cannot be made to run on a jailbroken iPad 2 or iP4.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's where I got it.

Sad too.

I gotta wonder if there is a reason other than to make it a 4S exclusive.

Is it that much more taxing on the system and RAM ?

Especially considering that the service relies on the internet
 
So specs don't matter when Android > Apple... But when some Apple fans find out their new phone has the same (memory) specs as their older phone there's an issue. Makes no sense.

Nor does the idea that someone posted "more memory would decrease battery life"

Fact is - specs do matter - but only in regard to what is needed for the UI.

There's such a thing as overkill. And I would think Apple knows how much memory is sufficient to run their OS and any Apps they would approve. Either have faith in that - or don't.
 
lilo777 said:
So, the amount of RAM does not matter to user experience. Is this a new low for Apple fan rationalization skills?
Click to expand...

I've been trying to find the core benefit of 1gig over 512mb of RAM so far, and found one article talking about caching, specifically with regards to Android multitasking.

I think an earlier comment was on the money regarding apple's multitasking- like it or loathe it, I think the fact that it keeps applications on standby out of main memory and as an image within flash memory means that for multitasking, RAM just isn't as much of an issue on IOS as it is on Android. It basically becomes a debate as to whether Apple's multitasking works for you or not.

I also think comments about fragmentation are valid too.
 
1GB-lovers, don't forget that it will cost you something:

* size or battery life or both
* $

Every additional chip counts as well as the size, power consumption, and heat generated by every existing chip. You can't double the RAM for free. So it's important to only do it if it's worth it in terms of improved over-all user experience.
 
lilo777 said:
So, the amount of RAM does not matter to user experience. Is this a new low for Apple fan rationalization skills?
Click to expand...

It does matter but the overall user experience remains quite good, no? The apps open up quickly and the whole phone is speedy. iPad 2 is blazing fast overall compared to Android tablets with 1GB RAM.

A more pertinent question would be why you keep spending so much time here and other various internet forums writing things about the platform you seem to hate with passion.
 
Abyssgh0st said:
Until Apple re-does their multitasking (let's be honest, it's pretty terrible) they really have no reason to add more RAM.
Click to expand...

I disagree... The people who say they don't have real multitasking are arguing semantics.

It looks, feels and works like multitasking... It is multitasking.

I see no problem with the implementation. I don't have to micromanage my running apps because they don't affect performance... I double click the home button and bring up the app I want... Where's the problem?
 
No it won't be slow and useless. It will be fast. But for the price it should have 1Gig of RAM.

YES RAM MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

YES RAM MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

YES RAM MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

YES RAM MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
 
lilo777 said:
So, the amount of RAM does not matter to user experience. Is this a new low for Apple fan rationalization skills?
Click to expand...

Specs don't matter... We have always said that. What matters is REAL WORLD RESULTS.

Does the 4S need more memory? I don't know but real world tests will confirm or deny that.

You can sit behind your desk and rub one out to a spec sheet but I am happier with a device that is lighter, thinner and smaller with less specs that runs better and faster thanks.
 
This is only logical, since the use of an A5. Apple uses a SOCs (A4, A5) with stacked on RAM so to build an iPhone 4s with 1GB they would have to make a new version of the A5.
Listening to all the rumors on "tech" sites about the new iPhone, you come to realize, that most of their staff has not very much knowledge about technology, possibilities and economic decisions.

By the way: my iPad2 runs out of RAM all the time in the browser.
 
Tsunami911 said:
Good grief what do you want here? The 3Gs is still going strong and will run the latest version of iOS more than 2 years after launch? I expect the 4s will be going strong at least for the next 3 years and let's face it. 90% of the people posting here will have "upgraded" to a newer phone anyway simply because they want it...not because their 4s couldn't hack it anymore.
Click to expand...

I would like 1GB of RAM in the 4S. I'm coming from the iPhone 3G, a phone that was slowed down by iOS upgrades. I want to make sure the phone I am purchasing has the ability to last. I don't think that is too much to ask.
 
Wiesi24 said:
This is only logical, since the use of an A5. Apple uses a SOCs (A4, A5) with stacked on RAM so to build an iPhone 4s with 1GB they would have to make a new version of the A5.
Listening to all the rumors on "tech" sites about the new iPhone, you come to realize, that most of their staff has not very much knowledge about technology, possibilities and economic decisions.
Click to expand...

Yes, but remember that the iPhone 4 got double the RAM of the iPad 1- so they had to modify the A4 to do it (supposedly this was a last minute decision).

But it could be that sandwiching 1 GB of RAM into the A5 just wasn't worth it from a cost/benefit perspective.
 
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