iPhone 4 Has More RAM Than iPad

The iPhone 4 is an even bigger upgrade than you thought.

When Steve Jobs introduces new iPhones, he skips talking about memory capacity and processor speeds: The idea is that this is an automatic computer that just works. But you’d think he would’ve at least bragged that the iPhone 4 has significantly more memory than previous iPhones and even the iPad.

Our friend Arnold Kim of MacRumors has verified that the iPhone 4 contains 512 MB of RAM, up from 256 MB in the current iPhone 3GS and the iPad. It turns out that Apple mentioned this during a session with developers at last week’s Worldwide Developers Conference. The session (#147) is downloadable for free for registered Apple developers.

512 MB of RAM would explain why the new iMovie app only works on the iPhone 4. It would also suggest that multitasking (coming with iOS 4) and general usability will be much smoother on an iPhone 4 compared to Apple’s other mobile offerings.

So let’s run down the list: a memory increase, the higher-resolution (960-by-640-pixel) display, a slimmer profile, a front-facing video camera, a 5-megapixel camera and 802.11N Wi-Fi. These are all improvements that make buying a current iPhone 3GS, even at its discounted rate, look like a sucker’s deal. No wonder Apple received 600,000 iPhone 4 pre-orders on day one.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

See Also:

• Prices Slashed on Current iPhone, But Don't Buy One


• Showdown: iPhone 4 vs. HTC Evo 4G


• Photo Gallery: Hands-On With the iPhone 4


• Apple Unveils High-Resolution, Videoconferencing iPhone 4


• Why the iPhone 4 Camera Is So Promising

Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/bZtTzjtToR4/