Is there a noticeable performance difference between 4 and 6GB RAM?

elbarto.2 · July 31, 2022

Hi! My current phone, the OnePlus 5T, has 6GB RAM. I am thinking of buying an iPhone 13, which has 4. Would I be able to notice a performance difference in everyday use? I don't use any performance-intensive apps/games and rarely have more than 5-6 apps open at once. Thanks!

WhitetailAni · July 31, 2022

The A15 inside the iPhone 13 stomps all over the Snapdragon 835 in the OnePlus 5T, and iOS has very good RAM management - my iPhone 7 from 2016, with a much weaker CPU and only 2GB of RAM can handle many games in the app switcher, since iOS unloads them from RAM after a short time.

Darkseth · August 3, 2022

Not these phones, but i switched from a Oneplus 8 Pro with 12 gb Ram to a 6gb Ram iPhone 13 Pro Max.

You don't have to worry.

iOS and iOS Apps are more efficient memory wise, and iOS memory management is better too. iOS also likes to keep the Ram pretty full, while Oneplus tends to be a bit aggressive with closing Apps and keeping a bit Ram free.

But first of all: Ram is NOT for performance directly. It's "space" to keep Applications inside, when you switch from App to App. Like a Table where you do stuff. Bigger Table lets you keep more stuff on the Table, while a smaller Table forces you to pack things back into the Drawer.

Myy 12gb Oneplus almost never hit 10gb used Ram. I tried. I like used Ram, i want all my Apps to be in Ram, so they are always "ready to go". I usually had maximum 9gb~ used Ram or something like that. While older Apps still closed!

I was surprised, how competetive the iPhone can be with "keeping Apps open" with just 6gb Ram. It's really not an issue, it keeps alot of them open. From my subjective feeling, not less than my old 12gb Oneplus did.

Still: Consider going to the 13 Pro.

ProMotion 120 Hz is really something. It gives iOS the smooth feel it deserves, and Cameras are also better. Better Mainsensor, better Ultrawide (wich Macro Mode!) and a Telephoto Camera for Portraits. For many years to come, that price difference might be worth it.

And you do get 6gb Ram, and a faster 5-Core GPU.
To me, ProMotion Display is already reason enough.

But if you don't care about those few things, you're perfectly fine with the regular 13.