Using == operator in Java to compare wrapper objects

Question

I'm reading SCJP Java 6 by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates and this book is confusing me so much. On page 245 they state that the following code below.

Integer i1 = 1000;
Integer i2 = 1000;
if(i1 != i2)
System.out.println("different objects");

//Prints output
different objects

Then on the very next page they have the following code

Integer i3 = 10;
Integer i4 = 10;
if(i3 == i4)
System.out.println("same objects");

//Prints output
same objects

I'm so confused! When I try this out on my own it seems that you cannot use the == to compare the same way you would use equals() method. Using the == always gives me 'false' even if the Integer variables are set to the same value (i.e. 10). Am I correct? Using the == to compare the same Integer object (with same values) will always result in 'false'

Answer 1

The key to the answer is called object interning. Java interns small numbers (less than 128), so all instances of Integer(n) with n in the interned range are the same. Numbers greater than or equal to 128 are not interned, hence Integer(1000) objects are not equal to each other.