Starting from iPadOS 15, Apple has allocated more memory to developers so that applications can use more available memory in the iPad and run faster and smoother. Now, through the grant of a new right, developers can let iPadOS 15 know that if their applications can get more system memory, some of its functions may perform better.
At present, Apple has set an upper limit on the amount of memory that an application can use, mainly to ensure that a single application does not use all the memory of the device and affect other core system functions. So far, we have limited information on the specific details of this right, including how much memory an application can apply for.
However, with the launch of iPad OS 15 on September 20, we now know that on the most high-end M1 iPad Pro, applications can use twice the amount of memory previously allowed. The new details are shared by the developers behind the graphic design application Artstudio Pro. According to their findings, on the most high-end M1 iPad Pro, has 16GB of memory, and applications can use 12GB of the available memory through a claim. However, on the M1 iPad Pro model with only 8GB of RAM, the app can request up to 6GB.
We confirm iPadOS 15.0 finally allow to use the whole RAM on iPad Pro with M1 chip! And we have just released Artstudio Pro 3.2.9 which support that! Get it now: https://t.co/rc042GWsMe
— Lucky Clan (@lucky_clan) September 17, 2021
In both cases, even if the application informs iPadOS that additional memory is required, iPadOS will still allocate a 2GB buffer for the application on top of the 4GB available for the 16GB iPad Pro model and the 2GB available for other models. This new change may be most beneficial for graphics-intensive applications, such as those used for drawing, modeling, and photo and video editing.
Although the increased memory allocation is welcome, some users may continue to think that iPadOS does not make full use of the internal hardware of the iPad, especially the M1 chip used in the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which is completely in a state of a sledgehammer.
Apple said that the new memory usage rules will be provided on supported devices. At present, it is not known which devices are supported except for the new iPad Pro. For example, this week, Apple released the new iPad mini and the ninth-generation entry-level iPad, equipped with 4GB and 3GB of memory, respectively. For these new models, Apple is unlikely to allow applications to request more memory than the system limit, because this may affect the core functions of iPadOS.
