Just found this awesome video explaining how the RAM management works on both iOS and Android. This will put a lot of those debates to rest.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why iOS needs less RAM compared to Android
- Thread starter akash.nu
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
There will always be a debate, but yes obviously iOS has better RAM management. Everyone knows that. iOS would scream on Android hardware if properly ported.
It's fairly obvious. One OS needs 2GB of ram to run efficiently, one needs 4-6.
iOS is better software. No if's, and's, or but's.
Better software = no need for overpowered hardware.
Android attempts to be too many things to too many people, and therefore Android phones need a lot more horsepower just to come close to being on par with anything that runs iOS.
Better software = no need for overpowered hardware.
Android attempts to be too many things to too many people, and therefore Android phones need a lot more horsepower just to come close to being on par with anything that runs iOS.
I remember using Android and there seemed to always be something wrong, The Android app site was a mess back then and many I tried to use would not run or ran poorly.
We might not like some of Apple's restrictions but it does help to keep things running smoothly
We might not like some of Apple's restrictions but it does help to keep things running smoothly
The only time I had an issue with Ram management was with the iPhone 6. Otherwise, I feel with the iPhone 6s and above, I have not had any issues with performance with the iPhone.
Last edited:
I've been on iOS with a 5, a 6+ and now a 6s+ since September 2012. I came from Windows Mobile where I had 3G on Sprint and neither ram nor coverage nor speed were even on my radar at the time.
The only Android devices I have come across in this time has been two LG G-Pad 7s and a LG VX700 G-Pad. Both the G-Pad 7's had superior antennas and seemed to handle Google Maps fluidly. My iPad Air 2 still stutters when updating GPS location. I use my tablets for in-car NAV.
All three tablets were garbage compared to an iPad, but they did and do handle things well enough.
All this to say that since I've never actually handled a flagship Android phone I can't verify the veracity of your claim.
Guess I will find out in a few months.
[doublepost=1507651577][/doublepost]
????
Yet Apple users here complain that iOS updates cripple or slow down their hardware…
Those are all fair points, but I think even with a flagship Android phone, it won't prove otherwise. Your Note 8, let's say, will likely be pretty smooth and handle everything thrown at it, but it needs 6GB of RAM to do that. Meanwhile, the X will likely at least just as fluid and handle multitasking and the like just fine, yet it only has 3GB of RAM. Top level hardware on both sides doing very similar things, one just doesn't need double the RAM. To me, that has to be better RAM management. I am no expert of course, but I have always felt that it was the way Android was created (background processes that can do what they please) that has caused the issue. I know it is something Google is working to fix.
There also a fundamental difference between the two when it comes to limiting or perhaps controlling (is the better word) what goes on in the background.
Android gives greater freedom there...whether that's good or bad ultimately, is dependent on the viewpoint.
Oh yea definitely. I think that's the main issue with Android. I know it is something Google is working to fix so it looks like they have finally decided Apple's approach is probably better long term.
Well yeah, new software on 2-3 year old hardware isn't going to run as well as it does on brand new hardware.
If you want to compare apples to apples, I can guarantee you that trying to run the newest version of Android on a 2-3 year old Samsung phone (if the 2-3 year old Samsung even gets the option for it, ha) would be far, far worse than trying to run iOS 11 on an iPhone 6, for example.
I think this guy needs treatment for Crossy Road addiction...
Much of this boils down to Java and garbage collection.
I think the advantages of garbage collection are receding now that automated memory management in ObjC/Swift have gotten as good as they are, but there's still places where the programmer needs to be aware of how memory is being used.
Anyway, the point here isn't whether one OS is better than the other, it's whether the argument that Apple is crippling their devices with less RAM holds any merit. It doesn't. Android comparisons aren't valid in this instance.
Much of this boils down to Java and garbage collection.
As with most things, there's always room for debate. It's not just a matter of elegance, it's a question of system objectives and tradeoffs. iOS development is more memory efficient, but some would argue that Java is faster to develop in and more forgiving to the developer.Why does iOS need less RAM: it is programmed in a more elegant way
I think the advantages of garbage collection are receding now that automated memory management in ObjC/Swift have gotten as good as they are, but there's still places where the programmer needs to be aware of how memory is being used.
Anyway, the point here isn't whether one OS is better than the other, it's whether the argument that Apple is crippling their devices with less RAM holds any merit. It doesn't. Android comparisons aren't valid in this instance.
Not much difference honestly. The Pixel 2 launches with 4GB of RAM and will likely be the smoothest Android phone.
I'm sorry but iOS needs less ram because it just slaughters anything running in the background. When you open an app in iOS, it has to reload everything, no matter how much iOS tries to hide it.
This refusal to let anything run sometimes means the badges are out of date. You can have a (2) on the appstore, open the appstore and find there are actually 8 updates.
Android on the other hand uses more ram because it updates apps properly in the background and keeps Twitter and other social media apps up to date. It's a trade off well worth taking.
This refusal to let anything run sometimes means the badges are out of date. You can have a (2) on the appstore, open the appstore and find there are actually 8 updates.
Android on the other hand uses more ram because it updates apps properly in the background and keeps Twitter and other social media apps up to date. It's a trade off well worth taking.
No it doesnt. The S8 runs smooth enough on 4 GB ram. That 6 gb Ram on the Note 8 becomes more handy since you multitask even more on the Note 8 than any other phone. Furthermore, some of us use DeX to turn our mobile device into a PC on the Note 8 which makes the experience even more smoother due to the extra ram.
That extra ram is not just to make the note 8 smooth, I believe the smoothness of the UX was due to the updated Samsung Experience UX (SOFTWARE) and not even the ram. The ram just allows us to hold more in memory. Thanks to it I can hold over 20 apps into memory and over 20 browser tabs without any reloads. Far more than you can do in Safari on iOS and any of your other iOS apps without reloading. I'm using my Note 8 as a fully functional productive device with S pen included to enhance that productivity. You cannot ask for anymore from a device that has this feature set and does a good job at it.
Last edited:
Aside from the amount of RAM, Apple's (very) far ahead in terms of CPU and GPU power.
CPU and GPU benchmarks don't matter when the software is far more optimized. This is why the Note 8 is the fastest smartphone currently and I'm sure the Pixel 2 Phones will beat the iPhones as well. Enjoy your A11 bionic......
This is absolutely untrue. The badges on the AppStore have nothing to do with background app handling. Oh and iOS does update apps in the background as well.
This doesn't show that the software is "far more optimized" - the Note 8 has double the RAM........... the Bionic basically slaughters anything Qualcomm/Samsung came up with. Try testing a Note 8 with 3GB of RAM... or better yet, do a speedtest of the Galaxy S8 vs the iPhone 7/8. Even with 1 more GB of RAM it still gets beatenCPU and GPU benchmarks don't matter when the software is far more optimized. This is why the Note 8 is the fastest smartphone currently and I'm sure the Pixel 2 Phones will beat the iPhones as well. Enjoy your A11 bionic......
Also,
somehow this doesn't scream "I'm confident and secure in my recent purchases" to me
If the speed has improved, that does help show that the software has been more optimized. You are not seeing the lag and stutters of yesteryear either. Thats showing it to me. Look at the task switching etc.....its showing better optimization and less animation lag. All of this can be seen in this video.