No matter how much RAM in the new M1 iPad Pro, no single app can use more than 5GB at the moment due to Apple's limit.
Even though the new M1 is based on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 16GB of high RAM, Apple is blocking any app from using it at all. On iPadOS, the maximum usage of any single app is approximately 5GB.
As first pointed out by Procreate developers on Twitter, this limit includes some functionality. The Procreate photo editing app has announced that it works four times faster on the new 12.9-inch Pro Pro, compared to the previous model, but can only add more than a quarter layers of fabric.
Most layers are a drain on RAM, and the new Procreate version reportedly holds up to 115 (compared to 90 in the previous version). The limitation therefore does not prevent applications from detecting performance improvements, but it does limit what they can do.
Apple did not comment on this choice. However, the company regularly praises how fast the iPad Pro is switching between apps. If any single application were able to command the full available RAM, that speed change could be reduced.
The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes with 1TB and 2TB versions, both at 16GB. While no single app can use more than 5GB of RAM, having a larger amount than available means that some apps can be stored in RAM and allow for quick changes without a reboot.
Apple has announced an 8GB and 16GB RAM feature for this new iPad Pro, but it is rare for the company to reveal this information.
The original 4GB version of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro in 2015 included apps in 3GB under iOS 11.4. Similarly, the iPhone X under the same iOS 11.4 allowed apps up to 1.2GB, however with iOS 12.1 which went up to 1.8GB RAM, so a software update that raises the ceiling in RAM usage could be released in the next day .
Differences in software over hardware mean that this is not a technical problem. Instead, it is a long-term decision made by Apple and it has become a problem now as the iPad Pro comes with more RAM.
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