Apple might be giving Mac users what they’ve been asking for: more RAM. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the California-based tech giant is testing its upcoming M4-powered Macs with a minimum of 16GB of unified memory, a big upgrade from the current 8GB standard.
The 8GB base configuration has been a sticking point for Mac users, particularly for those involved in creative fields or with demanding workflows.
Sure, you can choose a higher-tier model at the time of purchase. But the price difference between the base and upgraded options is often quite steep. This makes the higher-tier models a poor value for money.
Now, moving to a 16GB base means we’re likely to see a price increase. But we think Apple will find a way to make the new configuration competitive in the market. They have to!
Back to Gurman’s report, Apple is said to be testing four new Mac models with M4 chips. These chips will come in 8-core and 10-core variants, similar to those in the latest iPad Pros. To be specific, the higher-end M4 will likely have 4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores, while the base model will have a 4/4 core setup.
Besides the increase to 16GB RAM, there may be other changes. The report suggests a broader M4 refresh for the Mac lineup, possibly including updates for the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac.
The switch to 16GB as standard is particularly noteworthy because Apple’s M-series chips integrate RAM directly into the processor package. This means upgrading RAM after purchase is next to impossible.
So, a 16GB of baseline RAM would not only ensure smoother performance out of the box, but it will also eliminate the need for users to pay extra for a more RAM-equipped model from the outset. These details are still unconfirmed by Apple, so they remain very much speculative at the moment.
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