Q: Ipad air low memory crash

1GB of RAM is not enough for a high-resolution tablet, especially with a 64 bit CPU (a move to 64 bit consumes more RAM). The reason why the apps are crashing so much is because there's not enough RAM. I don't think that this will ever be fixed because it's a hardware limitation issue.

It's just unacceptable that Apple is still releasing iPads with just 1 GB of RAM. I wish that I could return mine but I can't right now. I paid $600 for the 32 GB model and it definitely does not justify the price.

Unfortunately this will likely not change because people are too busy worshipping Apple and kissing their behind and hyping up their products. I know, because unfortunately I bought into the hype. iPads are not as they're cracked out to be.

I agree. Gotta wait for the next iPad. I returned mine on The 15th day. Then I bought another one. That one crashed too so I returned it . If you call Apple they will probably approve your return even though it's past 14 days.

The best thing you can do is go buy the iPad 4 on a holiday sale. Buying it new is the only way you'll get iOS 6 back. I got lucky and got one from target for $349.

Now the waiting game for the next iPad.

Actually, I believe Apple is doing the extended holiday return policy like other stores- anything purchased between Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 can still b returned until January. Check out the Apple holiday return policy. But if you are going back to the iPad 4 and already sold your other one, you might tak a loss if you can't get the 4 on a holiday sale. Good luck to you.

I haven't had a single crash with my new iPad 4 on IOS6.... Yaayyyyyy for. Me...   8- D

If you correct, z, it would be the biggest fiasco ever for Apple.  It would mean their hardware and software architects are not in sync. It would mean that either ios7 would have to be radically altered to run on the new hardware, or the new hardware units sold would have to be replaced to run ios7.  I would expect to be compensated if a box with more RAM is the only answer.  We shall see, but I continue to think it unlikely that will prove to be the case.

When I asked the Apple guy in the store how much RAM the Air has, he said there is really no hard number.  It implies that as with for example OSX, swapping is used to and from data storage as needed.  We don't have programs so large yet they cannot be held in 1GB of executable RAM. In the future that may well be so, long after this hardware is obsolete.

As I said earlier, if you don't have to run ios7 on your device like with the Air, iPhone 5s, or Mini Retina, don't do it yet.  Ios6 is a superior option right now for everyone else. 

davidboughton,

There are many free or lowcost apps on the App Store that track memory usage. RAM is indeed only 1gb. The Air, iPhone 5s, and Mini Retina require iOS 7 as it supports the 64-bit A7 CPU architecture (iOS 6 does not).

Logic suggests that a 64-bit CPU would require twice the RAM of a 32-bit CPU all other things being equal. I was disappointed to learn that the current A7 CPU architecture includes only 1gb of RAM. Apple may have have found a clever way to compensate for only having 1gb of RAM, but it appears to fail in a non-zero percentage of shipped devices.

There are in my mind only two reasons for not bumping up the RAM in the Air, et al.: cost and battery life. zzphilxz credits the bean counters with nixing the extra RAM due to cost. I suggest that doubling the RAM could have an unacceptable (to Apple) impact on battery life. We could both easily be right.

From what I gather, RAM consumes power by the stick, not so much by the total capacity, and then it is still negligible compared to the display or the CPU. When you have apps and web pages stored in RAM, it results in the CPU not having to reload the app or web page. So having less RAM appears to cause overall more power consumption.

I for the life of me can't fathom the idiotic thoughts or decisions that led to why Apple didn't put at least 2 GB in the iPad Air, or even the iPAD 4 for that matter.

For those of you who think it is IOS7 because it is across multiple devices, here's an analogy: You have an aerodynamic small car with a 100 horsepower engine in it. It has been running efficiently for years. All of a sudden you put 500 pounds in the trunk...what happens when you try to go up a hill or accelerate quickly? It bogs down.

IOS7 = 500 pounds in the trunk.

The 64 bit iDevices are like making the car twice as large, still with the 500 pounds in the trunk, with a slightly larger engine....

And I agree, this could erupt into the biggest Apple fiasco since when Apple fired Jobs back in the day...it only took a couple years back thn before Apple started nosediving...I see a parallel. The only reason it's taking. Longer for the corporate turds to trash Apple now is because corporations are much stronger now, and taking longer to fall; but when they do, it's a catastrophe...unless the corrupt politicians bail you out, like with the banks and insurance companies...

I have the same crash issue with the Air. I updated my iPhone 4S and iPad 3 with iOS7 and subsequent updates and have had no crashes on those devices, they work near perfectly. Purchased the Air 128GB on November 1 and installed the same apps as on my iPad 3 and iPhone 4S. Almost immediately the Air started to crash to home screen on various websites that I used on the older devices which gave me no problem.  Before reading this thread, I suspected the problem was related to the Air. After reading through all 10 pages I think the 64 bit processor with 1 GB RAM might be the problem. Now I'm considering returning it and wait for a new release because I still have the iPad 3.

Check out expresslane.apple.com ...

   Sam Katz1

   Re: iPad Safari crashing regularly

   Nov 29, 2013 7:38 AM (in response to ptutini)

   You should call apple using the web to setup the call:

   http://expresslane.apple.com

Just called Apple Support. Will wipe all data and do a hard wire install of iOS7 on Saturday at Genius Bar. Want to do this at store so that if problem is not solved, it is documented at store and I will be able to get a refund from store manager and wait for an upgraded Air.

Tech said WiFi installs sometimes can corrupt updates of iOS7. He said if wipe and hard wire reinstall fails to fix, then it's a hardware issue. I have iOS7.0.4. Tech also said they are working on an update to the software.

I am planning to do the same, etype2, on the chance the early box I got is flawed. Beyond that, the warranty runs for a year.  If my Air is still crashing by the time the Air2 (or quietly updated Air1) comes out next year, I will exchange it.

In the meantime, I will put up with the occasional minor crashes and keep sending diagnostics. It's a nice box.

For the record, did you talk to a first line person or senior advisor at tech support?

If he told you that if a restore and clean machine didn't fix it, it's a hardware issue, he is way off the reservation of othe Apple senior advisors and engineers.

I talked to a women who then connected me to another advisor. He said " it is a known issue and most of the time a clean wipe and hard wire reinstall of iOS7 will fix it ... If not, it's a hardware issue and you can return it within the 1 year warranty"

Most of the time? Hahaha. Funny. Some here started in this thread saying it's only a handful of devices...now there are enough problems that advisors/engineers are saying "most of the time".... this thread is changing its tone by the hour...

  another funny thing- when I went into the Apple store in SLC, Utah, everyone there including the "geniuses" were saying I was the absolute first person to come in with any type of problem with the iPad Air...

I guess that snowball effect is kicking in.

I feel like I was the canary in. The mineshaft. I push my devices hardware to the limits, the iPad Air folded immediately under my power use. I highly doubt there is much they can do to correct the lack of memory.

I was being semi-sarcastic in a previous post when I said I had no idea why they didn't put more memory in. The only logical answer is complacency, greed and profit- the same thing that killed Apple and Macintosh when they fired Jobs back in the day.

***** being right sometimes...

Maybe the clean wipe fixes it until you get off the phone.