Imagine if they had a normal iPad with 2gb and a pro with 3gb when it comes to RAM. Do you think that'd help them make it a pro device? Or do they need it at all?
Good question.
I think it depends on whether or not Apple will focus on market segments previously untapped by the iPad lineup. If the iPad "Pro" (keep in mind that we don't know what it will be called) is just a bigger iPad Air, then I do not think that Apple will put more than 2 GB of RAM into it.
However, the rumors of the iPad "Pro" having stylus support, a USB-C port, and stereo speakers point to it being a larger jump than just an upscaled iPad Air 2. I suspect that Apple is targeting two (non-disjoint) groups of people with the iPad "Pro."
- Those who take notes or perform other tasks that require precise touchscreen usage.
- Those who require computers with more powerful hardware than an iPad Air 2.
The first group is served by the stylus. The second group can at least partially be served by a large spec jump, RAM included, from the iPad Air 2 to the iPad "Pro" that allows for new features or pro apps that were not feasible on previous iPads. Correspondingly, given the low amount of RAM that Apple likes to put in their iOS devices, I think that the iPad "Pro" will have more than 2 GB RAM only if the above scenario actually occurs. One example is a hypothetical 4-window Split View. If (2-window) Split View requires 2 GB RAM then perhaps 4-window Split View would require at least 3 GB RAM. A less silly hypothetical example is Apple's pro apps on iOS.
The hardware requirements for Logic Pro X and Final Cut Pro X are below (from the Apple web site). Other requirements are in grey.
Logic Pro X:
- 4GB of RAM
- Display with 1280-by-768 resolution or higher
- OS X v10.9.5 or later
- Requires 64-bit Audio Units plug-ins
- Minimum 6GB of disk space. 49GB of optional content available via in-app download.
Final Cut Pro X:
- OS X v10.10.2 or later
- 4GB of RAM (8GB recommended for 4K editing and 3D titles)
- OpenCL-capable graphics card or Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later
- 256MB of VRAM (1GB recommended for 4K editing and 3D titles)
- 4.15GB of disk space
My guess from last week regarding the iPad "Pro"'s specs are as follows:
- 12.9" 2732x2048 (264 PPI) display
- Force Touch
- A9X SoC
- 4 CPU cores, +30% over A8X
- PowerVR Series 7XT GPU, 12 cores, 2x–2.5x GPU over A8X
- 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
- X/64/128/256 GB storage, where X < 64
- $Y/$699/$799/$999, where Y < $699.
Now, I do not assume that hypothetical iOS versions of Apple's pro apps will have the same hardware requirements as the Mac versions, or that these apps even run well at the minimum requirements. But if the iPad "Pro" ends up at least close to my guess, then I think it will be powerful enough so that Apple could make the pro apps work, if Apple was so inclined (most likely with some features removed from the apps).
