Apple to upgrade base Macs to 16GB RAM, starting from M4 models: Report

Apple is reportedly developing four new Mac models for 2024, all powered by M4 chips and featuring at least 16GB RAM. This upgrade may support the enhanced Apple Intelligence features

Apple is reportedly planning to enhance its next-generation Mac models with significant performance improvements, featuring M4 chips and increased memory. According to a Bloomberg report, Mac devices powered by the M4 chip are expected to come with a minimum of 16GB RAM, a notable upgrade from the base 8GB RAM in current M3 models.

The report indicates that Apple has commenced intensive testing of four new Mac models to ensure compatibility with third-party applications. These models are listed as “16,1,” “16,2,” “16,3,” and “16,10” in the developer test log. While all four models are likely to be powered by the base-level M4 chip, they are expected to feature either 16GB or 32GB RAM. If accurate, 16GB RAM will be standard on M4-powered Macs, compared to the 8GB on previous generation models. Additionally, M4-powered Macs could support up to 32GB of memory, an increase from the 24GB supported by M3 models.

Apple has previously stated that its suite of artificial intelligence features, known as Apple Intelligence, requires more processing power and thus more RAM. This further suggests that the upcoming Mac devices will feature enhanced memory.

The report also notes that one of the four models currently undergoing testing features an eight-core central processing unit (CPU) and an eight-core graphics processing unit (GPU), while the other three models have 10 cores for each. The 10-core CPU in these models mirrors the configuration of the M4 chip found in the iPad Pro released earlier this year, with four high-performance cores and six for efficiency. The eight-core CPU in the fourth model has an equal division of performance and efficiency cores.

It should be noted that these configurations apply to the base M4 chip; there is no information available yet regarding the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

M4 chip-powered MacBook Pro and Mac Mini are expected to be launched in October, a month after the iPhone 16 series. New MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models are anticipated to be released next year.