iPad iPad 2018 2 GB RAM - Good enough?

[jbunker7]

How does iOS do with 2 GB of RAM? Trying to decide if I need to wait for 3+ GB of RAM.

I have an iPhone X, plus an aging iPad Mini 2. Normally, I have just used my iPad in bed for web-surfing and watching YouTube. I will say I have in the tens of Safari tabs open at once, and I probably alternate between about 10 tabs per session.

Pretty much exclusively used the X since I got the X. The frequent Safari reloading on my Mini due to the 1 GB of RAM have made it practically unusable in my use...

 

[LovingTeddy]

How does iOS do with 2 GB of RAM? Trying to decide if I need to wait for 3+ GB of RAM.

I have an iPhone X, plus an aging iPad Mini 2. Normally, I have just used my iPad in bed for web-surfing and watching YouTube. I will say I have in the tens of Safari tabs open at once, and I probably alternate between about 10 tabs per session.

Pretty much exclusively used the X since I got the X. The frequent Safari reloading on my Mini due to the 1 GB of RAM have made it practically unusable in my use...

Well... I have 4 backgroud apps and 5 tabs opened. As soon as i open 6th tab, all 5 pages were reloaded.

You mileage may vary. 2GB does not cut anymore.

 

[joeblow7777]

I’m okay with it. I don’t do much multitasking on my iPad, and usually no more than 3 tabs open. Any browsing more intensive than that and I’ll use my laptop.

 

[LovingTeddy]

I’m okay with it. I don’t do much multitasking on my iPad, and usually no more than 3 tabs open. Any browsing more intensive than that and I’ll use my laptop.

Even with 3 tabs, Safari still reload sometimes. If i have a video playing on website like CNN, other tabs will reload.

If you can’t even open ore than 3 tabs without reload on iPad, then it is pretty sad.

 

[DanGoh]

I updated my iPad Pro 9.7 (2GB of RAM) to iOS 11 in September/October and I noticed more refreshes when changing apps and going between Safari tabs. I reverted back to 10.3.3.

11.3 could be better but I wouldn't know. I just wish Apple would have put 4GB of ram in their 2018 devices.

 

[rui no onna]

Managed to update the 2017 iPad from iOS 10.3.3 to iOS 11.3. iOS 11 doesn’t seem to handle memory as well as iOS 10 did. I’m getting much more frequent Safari tab reloads (unnecessarily?). Seems like iOS 11 is ejecting tabs from memory too aggressively. The apps I already force closed seem to be kept in memory, though (likely to the detriment of Safari). Honestly, app/tab reloading seems pretty random and while I’m sure iOS 11 is trying to predict what best to keep in memory based on user behavior, I don’t think it’s succeeding (at least in my case).

Also, it looks like Safari isn’t caching pages to disk anymore? On iOS 10, I can leave a tab open for weeks and while it would re-render the page (so looks like a normal refresh/reload), the content on the page would still be the same as when I left off.

Darnit, I’m also currently encountering a bug and I can’t scroll to the top of this thread. Ugh. Looks like I’ll be holding off on updating my other devices. Speed-wise, I didn’t notice slowdowns in general use once an app has been loaded but I think loading apps seem to take a bit longer and updating apps is definitely slower.

 

[Richard8655]

I concur and am having the same experience with 11.2.6, and now today with 11.3. Frequent Safari page reloads. I don’t remember seeing that for a long time and assumed it was an issue long ago resolved.

 

[joeblow7777]

Even with 3 tabs, Safari still reload sometimes. If i have a video playing on website like CNN, other tabs will reload.

If you can’t even open ore than 3 tabs without reload on iPad, then it is pretty sad.

Yeah, you’ve stated your opinion.
For me it’s no big deal.

 

[LovingTeddy]

Yeah, you’ve stated your opinion.
For me it’s no big deal.

WOW... Wonderful.... I have higher standard than just have few tabs opened

 

[joeblow7777]

WOW... Wonderful.... I have higher standard than just have few tabs opened

Okay...
That’s fine. I’m not trying to argue with you, I just said that it’s fine for my needs. It’s not fine for yours. That’s fine. You should probably go with a Pro or wait for next year’s model.
The OP made the thread to ask for opinions. I just gave mine. Wasn’t trying to invalidate yours.

 

[s2mikey]

The RAM issue is exactly whats keeping me from upgrading my aging Air 1 to a 6th gen iPad base model. The problem is that I really dont need any of the "pro" features that you get with the 10.5" iPad except the damned RAM!

I so wish they just did the 4GB as a standard iPad "thing". But they dont and never will. Ill have to go to my local store and try one out, I guess. Even so, its frustrating.

 

[BenTrovato]

2gb wasn't good enough in 2016 let alone now

 

[rui no onna]

I so wish they just did the 4GB as a standard iPad "thing". But they dont and never will. Ill have to go to my local store and try one out, I guess. Even so, its frustrating.

They will. Eventually. By the time they make that transition though, you'd probably be wishing for 8-16GB.

 

[sracer]

For general tablet use, 2GB RAM is fine. More is obviously better but considering that one must nearly double the price to get an iPad with 4GB, and the fact that Apple just released a new iPad with 2GB, it is reasonable to go with 2GB.

In anticipation of getting a 2018 iPad (or the hypothetical Mini Plus), I swapped iPads with my wife... I gave her the 12.9 Pro I've been using for the past 2+ years, and she gave me back the Air 2 (that was mine before getting the Pro).

After spending a few days with a 9.7 iPad again, and going back from 4GB to 2 GB RAM, I didn't notice the difference all that much. I never experienced the no-tab-refreshes on the 12.9 Pro that others have. Tabs were always reloading, even when though I almost always had only a single tab (sometimes 2) open.

The biggest thing I had to be reacquainted with was the keyboard size. I have a Belkin QODE ultra-thin keyboard case for the Air 2. Terrific keyboard, but being spoiled by the sprawling layout of the 12.9 ASK, I forgot how cramped keyboards are for the 9.7 form-factor.

 

[rui no onna]

After spending a few days with a 9.7 iPad again, and going back from 4GB to 2 GB RAM, I didn't notice the difference all that much. I never experienced the no-tab-refreshes on the 12.9 Pro that others have. Tabs were always reloading, even when though I almost always had only a single tab (sometimes 2) open.

Maybe has to do with the type of content in the tabs? Mine are primarily text and static media - forums, prose, online shopping, etc. I get more frequent tab refreshes on 2GB than on 4GB.

 

[Beelzbub]

I am not a huge power user, using my iPad 2017 in the office right now, assuming it has 2 GB of ram, I have 6 tabs of Safari open, streaming audio on it and a Remote Desktop session to one of my servers, and Safari is snappy going back and forth between texting and emailing as well and none of the Safari pages reload when switching tabs.

 

[DNichter]

I think 2GB is fine for general use. If you are someone that needs many tabs always accessible or needs to multitask with a lot of apps, then you may want to consider the Pro. Otherwise I think it should be just fine.

 

[Frankfurt]

The RAM issue is exactly whats keeping me from upgrading my aging Air 1 to a 6th gen iPad base model. The problem is that I really dont need any of the "pro" features that you get with the 10.5" iPad except the damned RAM!

I so wish they just did the 4GB as a standard iPad "thing". But they dont and never will. Ill have to go to my local store and try one out, I guess. Even so, its frustrating.

I just upgraded from my 1GB RAM iPad Air to the IPP 10.5. It is a night and day difference. Given the current aggressive prices (that may come further down after WWDC) you may want to consider an upgrade. I am not a "pro" user , i.e. no photo/music editing etc, but use the iPad as my travel laptop to edit MS Office files, email etc. I suspect the 4GB RAM of the IPP will give me 3-4 years until the next upgrade.

 

[joeblow7777]

The thing about the 2018 iPad and the 2017 before it is that they are the “every man” iPads, so to speak. They are meant to meet the needs of the average consumer, and not have them (the consumer or Apple) pay for anything that they don’t need. Most people, that is, the people who aren’t posting on iPad forums, will have no problem with 2GB of RAM on an iOS device. If you look at all the iOS devices that Apple is selling right now in 2018, most are 2GB. It is not in Apple’s best interest to screw over their costumers or have them be frustrated with their products. They know what specs are required to provide the user experience that is going to keep them in business.

If your demands are more than that of the average consumer, that’s why there are iPad Pros, and the iphones X and 8 Plus with more RAM. You buy the pants that fit, not a size too small and then say the designer short changed you.

 

[sracer]

The thing about the 2018 iPad and the 2017 before it is that they are the “every man” iPads, so to speak. They are meant to meet the needs of the average consumer, and not have them (the consumer or Apple) pay for anything that they don’t need. Most people, that is, the people who aren’t posting on iPad forums, will have no problem with 2GB of RAM on an iOS device. If you look at all the iOS devices that Apple is selling right now in 2018, most are 2GB. It is not in Apple’s best interest to screw over their costumers or have them be frustrated with their products. They know what specs are required to provide the user experience that is going to keep them in business.

If your demands are more than that of the average consumer, that’s why there are iPad Pros, and the iphones X and 8 Plus with more RAM. You buy the pants that fit, not a size too small and then say the designer short changed you.

Bingo. This is why I've been saying that the fact that the 2018 iPad ships with 2GB RAM is an indicator that the longevity of all other 2GB RAM iOS devices has been essentially extended. It is one of the reasons why I'm excited about the 2018 iPad.

When the entry level iPad starts shipping with 4GB is the time that the clock starts ticking toward the end of the viability of those 2GB devices.

 

[s2mikey]

They will. Eventually. By the time they make that transition though, you'd probably be wishing for 8-16GB.

Hence - they'll never actually fix it!

RAM is cheap now too. Its not like the 80's or 90's when it was like "wow, dude, you just bought some RAM for your computer? That must have requred a home equity loan to pay for". Even if they raised the base price to like $349 and gave you 4GB of RAM I would have bought one on release day. Ugh. So irrtating. Now, I guess I'll just wait until I can score a good deal on a 10.5" pro. I really didnt want to spend that much and like I said before - I wont use most of the pro features.

I just upgraded from my 1GB RAM iPad Air to the IPP 10.5. It is a night and day difference. Given the current aggressive prices (that may come further down after WWDC) you may want to consider an upgrade. I am not a "pro" user , i.e. no photo/music editing etc, but use the iPad as my travel laptop to edit MS Office files, email etc. I suspect the 4GB RAM of the IPP will give me 3-4 years until the next upgrade.

Yeah, I bet its night and day! I also have the Air 1 and Im really itching to do something. Im not a power user by any means but I game and do some productivity stuff. Lots of browsing and things like that. Ill probably hit my local Best Buy this weekend and see what they have. Ill end up taking the plunge..... probably...soon..... I think.

 

[MhaelK]

I think 2gb of ram is fine for now, but at the same time the bare minimum in 2018. If all you use your ipad for is media consumption then you’ll be fine for 2-3 years.

However, The increase in ram has always been the long term buy signal for a new ipad. With apple’s plan for integrating mac OS apps with iOS apps I believe ram is gonna start being an issue really fast for certain users.

IMO this is how Apple will separate the ipad Pro from the normal ipad line. One of them is for consumption and one is more geared towards work/production - maybe in time IOS will separate into two lines/userfaces: one for the iphone/ipad and one for the ipad Pro/Macbook(ARM).

 

[joeblow7777]

People keep talking about the RAM and longevity, but it’s processors that seem to affect life span. For example, we will see A8 devices like the iPad Mini 4 become slow and cease getting support well before the 2018 iPad with its A10, even though they have the same RAM.

 

[sracer]

People keep talking about the RAM and longevity, but it’s processors that seem to affect life span. For example, we will see A8 devices like the iPad Mini 4 become slow and cease getting support well before the 2018 iPad with its A10, even though they have the same RAM.

Considering that the 2 (RAM and CPU) generally go hand-in-hand, the line isn't so clear.

The iPad models with the greatest longevity have been those at the beginning of a RAM capacity bump. (again, whether that is due to the processor or the RAM is not exactly clear)

The iPad 2 (512MB), iPad 4 (1GB) (3 doesn't count), iPad Air 2 (2GB), iPad 1st Gen 12.9 Pro (4GB) are all the first models at their RAM levels. If a person bought each of those when they were first released, they enjoyed the longest productive runs.

The Air 2 will be 4 years old this October and it is still going strong. Basic tablet functions like web browsing, media playback, etc. don't really benefit from faster processors as much as they benefit from RAM. A surprising amount of the functions of iOS 11 are supported on the Air 2.

Will the 2018 iPad have the same functional lifespan as the Air 2? We won't know until, (A) Apple discontinues support for the Air 2 and (B) Apple discontinues support for the 2018 iPad.

 

[joeblow7777]

Considering that the 2 (RAM and CPU) generally go hand-in-hand, the line isn't so clear.

The iPad models with the greatest longevity have been those at the beginning of a RAM capacity bump. (again, whether that is due to the processor or the RAM is not exactly clear)

The iPad 2 (512MB), iPad 4 (1GB) (3 doesn't count), iPad Air 2 (2GB), iPad 1st Gen 12.9 Pro (4GB) are all the first models at their RAM levels. If a person bought each of those when they were first released, they enjoyed the longest productive runs.

The Air 2 will be 4 years old this October and it is still going strong. Basic tablet functions like web browsing, media playback, etc. don't really benefit from faster processors as much as they benefit from RAM. A surprising amount of the functions of iOS 11 are supported on the Air 2.

Will the 2018 iPad have the same functional lifespan as the Air 2? We won't know until, (A) Apple discontinues support for the Air 2 and (B) Apple discontinues support for the 2018 iPad.

Well, there are 2GB devices sporting the A8, A9, A10, and even A11 chips. I doubt we’ll see them all lose support at the same time.

Even with 1GB, there are A6, A7, and A8 devices. The only ones not still supported are the A6. The A7 will probably not get iOS 12 this year, then the A8s go next year, and so on.