New iPad Apparently Sports 1GB Of Memory
by Brent Dirks
March 8, 2012
While speculation abounded for quite some time, sources are reporting to The Verge that the new iPad is indeed sporting 1GB of RAM. That is double the iPad 2's 512MB and four times the 256MB memory of the original iPad.
Two main features of the new iPad probably caused Apple to increase the memory – the 2048x1536 Retina screen and 4G LTE connectivity. Both features will increase the size of apps, requiring more memory.
A more fluid user experience should also help Apple target professional photographers, artists and designers who need more power to do their work on the iPad.
While Apple was happy to rattle off new features (and the new name) of the iPad yesterday during its event, the company has never been big on highlighting unappealing specs like memory. And just like The Verge stated, the iPad has never blown any tech-spec fanboys away with the amount of memory included, anyway.
Some expected the iPhone 4S to ship last fall with 1GB of memory, but the flagship phone contained only the 512 MB chip found on the iPhone 4. The new iPhone is expected to ship sometime in the fall, and with the increased memory of the iPad, its probably a safe bet the next iPhone will have the same amount, or hopefully even more.
We won't know officially until next Friday, but it will be interesting to see how the added memory affects the overall experience on the new iPad. With the Retina display receiving raves from those who had hands-on time with the tablet yesterday, the extra added memory should help make our favorite apps go just a little faster in high-definition.
