Apple's M4 Macs may come with 16GB RAM as standard
Apple is reportedly planning a significant upgrade for its upcoming base model Macs, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The tech giant is considering doubling the default RAM from 8GB to 16GB. This move would mark a departure from Apple's tradition of maintaining a standard base RAM for its devices, which has been in place for nearly eight years.
A response to growing customer complaints
The decision to increase the base RAM comes in response to escalating customer complaints over recent years. In 2016, Apple had raised the base RAM of its entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air from 4GB to 8GB. Gurman's report suggests that all tested M4 Macs "all have either 16 or 32GB of memory." This implies that future Mac buyers could potentially get a device with double the current standard memory without paying an extra $200 for an upgrade.
New maximum memory and CPU configurations
The report also indicates that 32GB of RAM could be the new maximum for the M4 chip, surpassing the current M3's 24GB limit. Gurman notes some tested configurations start with lower-tier eight-core CPU and eight-core GPU. This is a slight deviation from the M4 chip introduced in iPad Pro, where lower storage options come with a nine-core CPU and 10-core GPU. The fully unlocked M4 chip in Macs will have a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, matching iPad Pro's specifications.
Apple's M4 Mac lineup: What to expect
While Gurman has not provided details on M4 Pro and M4 Max, he anticipates that Apple will start rolling out the M4 Mac lineup later this year with MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. The rest of the lineup is expected to follow in 2025. However, it's important to note that these details are based on what's currently visible in a developer log and may change before the final product release.
