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Xcode confirms 2 GB RAM for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, 4 GB RAM for iPad Pro

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Hamza Sood has cleverly used asset catalogs with the Xcode 7 GM to confirm the rumors around the iPhone 6s and iPad Pro RAM specifications. It confirms that the iPhone 6s has 2 GB of RAM, up from 1 GB in the iPhone 6, and the iPad Pro has 4 GB RAM, a 100% increase from the 2 GB in the iPad Air 2’s A8X chip.

[tweet https://twitter.com/hamzasood/status/643092816315445248 align=’center’]

RAM upgrades for the iPhones has been somewhat overdue, with many complaining apps have to relaunch too frequently on current hardware, especially on the iPhone 6 Plus. RAM affects how much app data the device can keep in memory at once. This is often seen through the number of tabs Safari can open before having to reload a website. More RAM (obviously) provides a better experience across the system. The iPhone has been stuck on 1 GB RAM since the iPhone 5 in 2012.

Adobe leaked the iPad Pro specifications a bit prematurely last week in a press release about the new software. On the iPad platform, RAM is also vital in offering a good split-screen multitasking experience with iOS 9. It will also enable apps to be generally more capable and do more memory-intensive things, like edit 3 4K video streams as is possible with the latest version of iMovie. Like the iPhone, it also enables the device to keep more apps ‘frozen’ in memory rather than having to relaunch the app from scratch.

Sood explains how he cleverly hacked Xcode asset catalogs to discover the information. Asset catalogs are normally used to serve different images for 1x, 2x and 3x screen scales. Sood instead made the asset loading depend on the memory capacity of the different devices.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s became available for preorder yesterday, with the launch coming on the 25th September. The iPad Pro will be released in November.

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Comments

  1. 4gb of RAM for the iPad Pro makes it a definite long lasting iPad, expect it to be updated for years to come
    i might skip getting the 6S and go straight to the iPad Pro +  Pencil, i’m sure it will give me more satisfaction than 3D touch on the iPhone. i kinda hate there’s no LTE option with 32gb or even a 64gb version… guess the iPhone is taking up the whole manufacturing process of 64gb chips

  2. jacosta45 - 9 years ago

    Yes!! Lol. It would have been a great surprise to see 3GB but I guess they won’t be able to upsell as much if that were the case, huh?

  3. I want my iPhone 6s right not! I can not stand my iPhone 4S anymore. This will be a long wait until it’ll be available in our country as well. Argh.

    • applegetridofsimandjack - 9 years ago

      Well if you’re coming from an iPhone 4s, I sure can understand you want to upgrade quickly. iOS 7 and later are very slow on iPhone 4s.

      • I’m on iOS 9.1 right now, it’s not THAT slow but yes, I would like it to be as fast as the new devices.

      • b (@therealdesib) - 9 years ago

        the 4S ran fine with iOS 7.

        It was iOS 8 where it really started to slow down. Thankfully, iOS 9 – though still slower than iOS 7 – has helped smooth out the animations thus doing away with the “lag” one experienced on iOS 8 with the multitasker or when scrolling. Although this has been smoothed out since on iOS 8 (iOS 8.4.1 runs decently on the 4S), one would still experience animation lag here and there especially when unlocking the phone

        iOS 9 has cleaned up that animation lag and given the 4S a “speedier” look as a result. It is still not as fast as iOS 7 or especially iOS 6, but it is still a capable phone and device on iOS 9.

        Some people make it out to be like the phone is obsolete on iOS 8 or iOS 9.

        For all Apple’s bumps with iOS speed on older devices and knocks against premium pricing, at least Apple is still supporting this soon-to-be 4 year old device. If you invested in a 4S, 64GB unlocked from the Apple store in 2011, I would say thats a good investment considering you could use it into 2016 if you so desired.

        Can’t say the same about pretty much any 4 year old Android Flagships

    • Summer Xia - 9 years ago

      I’m using iPhone4s with iOS8, I can not stand anymore! I have already ordered iPhone6s and I will have it in 1-2 weeks. I have been waiting 4 years because iPhone6s is the first iPhone which is worth buying since iPhone4s.

    • Ilko Sarafski - 9 years ago

      Brate, nemoj… :) I would also love to switch from my 4 (yes, not 4s) which I am currently using. That would be a huge jump for me. I am thinking, however, that’s quite possible to survive yet another year (if I only replace the home button). But probably ain’t. :D Give me the 6S!!! :)

  4. Ali Hamodi - 9 years ago

    Why iPad Pro doesn’t have 3d touch (force touch) inside!!! Is it again so Apple can claim revolutionizing iPad pro 2 next year!? I mean cmon, iPad pro got introduced at the same time iPhone 6s has and both should have include this feature. iPad pro is very expensive and should have all current best technologies!

    • luke0626 - 9 years ago

      Agree and disagree.
      Because I don’t think Apple can handle 3D touch on a 13″ big screen currently. Any defects will ruin the “Pro”.

      • Ali Hamodi - 9 years ago

        Its all about grabbing more money. Just like the 16 gb iphone 6s!

    • airmanchairman - 9 years ago

      It’s obviously not ready yet, and just like 3D Touch on the 6S compared to Force Touch on the Apple Watch, it’s going to make its predecessor look positively primitive. iOS 10, or first major update to iOS 9? Drool, can’t wait!

    • James Woods - 9 years ago

      The same reason why they did not put fingerprint sensor into iPad Air 1/Mini 2. They put it into iPad Air 2/Mini 3. Virtually the only difference between Mini 2 and Mini 3 was the fingerprint sensor, and they expected Mini 2 users should upgrade to Mini 3.

    • usmansaghir - 9 years ago

      Its been said the force touch has made the iPhone 6a heavier and thicker. Maybe this could have been the issue for not being in the iPad Pro.

    • Greg Sofio (@gregsofio) - 9 years ago

      Any chance 3D Touch would somehow interfere with those sensors needed to make the Apple Pencil work?

    • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

      If they couldn’t did it with the screen this year they could done 3D Touch like gestures using the pencil.

      The truth is iPads never get iOS love and optimizations. iOS for iPads is still mostly a blown up version of the phone minus the new split screen feature. iOS does not take use of the extra screen space. Look at how few home screen apps even the iPad pro has. Why should iPhone 6 and 6s have more rows of apps then the iPad pro?

      With watch os, and tv os it is really Tim to have iPad os since Apple neglects adding features and make use of the big screens of iPads.

      • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

        Yes the iPad’s should have hundreds of apps on the screen to make it a convoluted mess of apps. Great idea. Here’s the difference so you’ll know I’m the future before complaining about this a million more times (just kidding you’ll forget and still do it anyway): the iPhone has a 16:9 aspect ratio, and the iPad has a 4:3 aspect ratio, so right off the bat you wouldn’t make the app arrangement the same, and secondly you don’t want to make the screen a mess of apps, although I’d allow another row.

  5. airmanchairman - 9 years ago

    Can’t wait for AnandTech to cast their seasoned eyes over the A9 and 9X chipsets, kick the tyres and then show us what these new wee beasties can do.

  6. usmansaghir - 9 years ago

    2GB ram. Will definitely make the iphone 6s last longer then previous generations major benefit about owning your own hardware and software (you cant bake a cake without all theingredients). Apple has done extremely well giving older generations the latest software. But that has come at a cost to many.

  7. applegetridofsimandjack - 9 years ago

    Very happy with the 2GB iPhone 6S. The iPhone 6 should’ve also been a 2GB device but Apple finally made the step to 2GB.

  8. islandgirl45 - 9 years ago

    Is the iPad mini 4 confirmed to have 2GB of RAM?

    • applegetridofsimandjack - 9 years ago

      I think it has to, really hoping it does because I’m in the market for a new iPad. iPad Pro is not the thing I need but I do need 2GB of ram otherwise I go mad.

      • islandgirl45 - 9 years ago

        I’m also thinking it probably has 2GB, because it supports the split screen multitasking like the iPad Air 2. I guess we won’t know for sure until someone does a teardown.

    • rettun1 - 9 years ago

      I don’t think anybody knows yet. Phil said on stage that it had “all the power of the iPad Air 2”, but we later learned that the 4 will have an A8 chip as opposed to the A8X.

      • b (@therealdesib) - 9 years ago

        And the A8 isn’t that much more powerful than the A7 (used in the Mini 2/3)

        The biggest difference in the Mini 4 however, is the 2GB of RAM which future proofs the device a great deal.

        The A8 is still a very capable chip, and at 1.5GHz in the Mini 4 it is clocked at a high enough speed that it should be a fine experience for the average consumer, and be capable for years to come.

        The likely reason Apple chose not to include the A8X in the Mini 4 is likely due to thermal output in the smaller enclosure

    • Ilko Sarafski - 9 years ago

      The Mini 4 is basically iPhone 6. They share the same hardware. But due to the split screen, as someone noted, maybe they put the so needed 2GB on it. If so, the Mini 4 could survive at least until 2020 without too many issues, just like the 6S WILL survive as many as 4 and something years WITHOUT any troubles! :)

  9. taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

    I don’t see why Apple is advertising the ram of the New Apple TV, but still not doing so on iPhones and iPads.

    • scottwilkins - 9 years ago

      I can’t see where they advertised the ram of the Apple TV. I’m sure lots of 3rd party sites have it though. Besides, what does it matter?

      • taoprophet420 - 9 years ago

        It was on the specs page for Apple TV on Wednesday. I posted about it on some post about it then.

  10. Gregory Wright - 9 years ago

    If the 2/4 GB Ram is in there why didn’t Apple reveal this at the event [I mean why the secrecy now]?

    • o0smoothies0o - 9 years ago

      Because they don’t sell specs, they sell quality products that just work. Guess what percentage of the users know what RAM does anyway?

      • Agreed. Specs are for those Android users who masturbate their ego about it but it doesn’t really matter since it’s all about software. Why would I need high specs when I can do the same with less?

      • mytawalbeh - 9 years ago

        Agreed. Not only that, on iOS you can even do more than “number phones”. Apple has approved that all the time: Numbers don’t mean Performance. Performance what matters.

      • Ilko Sarafski - 9 years ago

        Agree on that one. They only sell megapixels and camera specs because people only know that :D Which I assume is logical and normal. Despite the fact that they could’ve say that the new iPhone has DOUBLE (100% more) RAM than its predecessor which is more than 50% of the megapixels upgrade. Still, that’s why we love Apple – because if they are fighting specs, they are doing it underwater. And that’s why they win after all. :)

  11. latinoboyboy - 9 years ago

    I’m so glad the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are much more snappy. I really desire a new iPad though. I have an iPad 2 and it’s REALLY slow, apps crash a lot and it sometimes freezes. I’ve been holding out on getting a new one because I was waiting for a larger screen. Guess the wait is over… now I just need the money to buy it. Maybe I’ll ask Santa Clause for it.

  12. mytawalbeh - 9 years ago

    iPhone 6s really worth to upgrade to. iPhone 6+ to 6s+

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.