iPad Pro M4 IPad Pro - 8 GB RAM vs 16 GB RAM

[Adelphos33]

I broke my iPad Pro screen - it seems like M4 will be a good buy for a long while. I am considering buying a new one via AT&T given free financing offers I have (I want to put AppleCare on it). I have the 1 TB version, but wondering if I need it. FWIW I have Macs with 16 GB RAM.

Or maybe I get an iPad Air…

 

[dumastudetto]

16 GB minimum IMO if you're serious about taking advantage of future Apple Intelligence updates and enhanced functionality.

 

[Shirasaki]

I kind of doubt iPadOS will easily take advantage of 16GB of RAM but if you need 1TB of storage at least, then you will get 16GB of RAM. I suppose the stage manager experience would be a bit better under 16GB of RAM. AI? Meh. By the time AI has become seriously needed, you might be able to get M8 iPad Pro.

 

[Abazigal]

Till now, I still have no idea how exactly 16gb ram helps an iPad. Given how they will be a vast minority of pro iPads available, I cannot imagine any developer creating so heavy an app that it runs only on this small number of iPads in circulation (and that's assuming that this already minute number of iPad users are even interested in your app to begin with).

The day AI on iOS becomes so powerful that it requires 16gb ram to properly run is the day Apple makes 16gb ram the standard for all iPhones and iPads, which is also the day you can upgrade your iPad anyways.

Maybe just go with the entry level M4 iPad Pro with 256gb storage. 😬

 

[Isengardtom]

I think a good way to decide is

1) what size iPad do you want?
2) how much storage do you currently use on your device (for most people 256GB is the sweet spot I’m guessing)
3) how important is the screen tech?


I love the pro for the light weight and the OLED screen is very nice. It’s my main device and I enjoy traveling with it.
For the rest I have the baseline iPhone 16e (battery is great) and a midrange M1 iMac model which is mostly for some work.

I personally don’t really find the air that good value compared with the base iPad model, especially since they upped the storage to 128 GB on the base models. 64 Gb was definitely too restrictive.

I found the M3 Air update a bit strange. I think it’s just because TSMC doesn’t want to produce M2 anymore or Apple has high volumes of M3 left.

 

[Dr McKay]

Till now, I still have no idea how exactly 16gb ram helps an iPad. Given how they will be a vast minority of pro iPads available, I cannot imagine any developer creating so heavy an app that it runs only on this small number of iPads in circulation (and that's assuming that this already minute number of iPad users are even interested in your app to begin with).

The day AI on iOS becomes so powerful that it requires 16gb ram to properly run is the day Apple makes 16gb ram the standard for all iPhones and iPads, which is also the day you can upgrade your iPad anyways.

Maybe just go with the entry level M4 iPad Pro with 256gb storage. 😬

Rendering apps usually eat memory on Desktop systems. I suppose, if they're the kind of person who actually uses apps like Final Cut on their iPad, then would more memory help speed along the export?

 

[sdz]

16 GB minimum IMO if you're serious about taking advantage of future Apple Intelligence updates and enhanced functionality.

I have the top of the line iPad Pro M4 13.
2TB, Nano Glass, Cellular. And before that I had a 8gb iPadPro. I notice NO difference AT ALL.
I have the same apps open in parallel, can download huge torrents p2p files in the background, work on various SSH-sessions, browse X opened Safari Windows, watching youtube in PIP basically constantly and / or listening to Spotify.

No troubles with 8GB or 16GB.

 

[ericwn]

16 GB minimum IMO if you're serious about taking advantage of future Apple Intelligence updates and enhanced functionality.

Without any justification that these features actually have the need for that. By the current state of Apple tech 16 isn’t going to add much for a long time.

 

[sdz]

Without any justification that these features actually have the need for that. By the current state of Apple tech 16 isn’t going to add much for a long time.

Apple Intelligence? I just got that crapware. It is a joke. 3TN$ Company? A joke.

 

[ericwn]

I have the top of the line iPad Pro M4 13.
2TB, Nano Glass, Cellular. And before that I had a 8gb iPadPro. I notice NO difference AT ALL.
I have the same apps open in parallel, can download huge torrents p2p files in the background, work on various SSH-sessions, browse X opened Safari Windows, watching youtube in PIP basically constantly and / or listening to Spotify.

No troubles with 8GB or 16GB.

I am not surprised that real world experience beats the random hot air take.

 

[ericwn]

Apple Intelligence? I just got that crapware. It is a joke. 3TN$ Company? A joke.

Not sure why you are quoting me then.

 

[sdz]

Not sure why you are quoting me then.

Not sure either 😂 Just wanted to make emphasis that Apple Intelligence is so primitive. I really wonder if this thing is constrained by RAM or by Apple's incompetence.

 

[ericwn]

Not sure either Just wanted to make emphasis that Apple Intelligence is so primitive. I really wonder if this thing is constrained by RAM or by Apple's incompetence.

When it comes to AI let’s not blame ram. After living with Siris low capabilities for a decade it’s becoming more and more obvious that AI isn’t really their strong suit.

 

[sdz]

When it comes to AI let’s not blame ram. After living with Siris low capabilities for a decade it’s becoming more and more obvious that AI isn’t really their strong suit.

fully agree...

Apple Intelligence answered me for the prompt if I had any reminders this week:
"there are no reminders that are due yesterday"
Bravo!

 

[Digitalguy]

I have the top of the line iPad Pro M4 13.
2TB, Nano Glass, Cellular. And before that I had a 8gb iPadPro. I notice NO difference AT ALL.
I have the same apps open in parallel, can download huge torrents p2p files in the background, work on various SSH-sessions, browse X opened Safari Windows, watching youtube in PIP basically constantly and / or listening to Spotify.

No troubles with 8GB or 16GB.

Same thing with M1, I have a maxed out M1 and a regular one and not even Safari benefits from 16GB RAM, they reload exactly the same...
Still in my case I have a clear benefit, the 16GB RAM model can run Windows 11 with UTM with 8GB RAM allocated to it... (for those wondering, no, it's not the UTM that you find in the Apple store, it's the full version that can take advantage of Hypervisor and that you need a jailbreak to use).

Now of course this is the situation now, will it be the same in 5 years? Who knows, but by then the base model iPad pro will probably have 16GB RAM by default, just like the Mac.... So maybe instead of spending $2000 now it could be wiser to get 8GB now and then sell and get a new one in a few years, with probably many more other features (and a new battery). That's why I got the base M4...

 

[sdz]

Still in my case I have a clear benefit, the 16GB RAM model can run Windows 11 with UTM with 8GB RAM allocated to it.

Ok for virtualization stuff more RAM is always better. I offloaded that onto cheap virtual servers and connect via RDP. Although you could easily run a full desktop environment for linux like Xfce with 1GB of RAM perfectly!

So I can't wait till Apple is forced to open APIs for app contributors of alternative app stores. UTM Slow Edition is only good for soft command line stuff. But for basic terminal work in full speed a-shell is fine so far.

 

[Digitalguy]

Ok for virtualization stuff more RAM is always better. I offloaded that onto cheap virtual servers and connect via RDP. Although you could easily run a full desktop environment for linux like Xfce with 1GB of RAM perfectly!

So I can't wait till Apple is forced to open APIs for app contributors of alternative app stores. UTM Slow Edition is only good for soft command line stuff. But for basic terminal work in full speed a-shell is fine so far.

I also use remote desktop most of the time, but when you have no internet or very poor one (long flights, trips to countries like Cuba, I have one planned soon, where internet is hit and miss), virtualisation will work better.... But 95% of the time you are fine with RD, especially if you have cellular