If you buy a new M3 iMac or M3 MacBook Air at an Apple Store today, you’ll spend more than a thousand dollars yet only get a machine with 8GB of RAM – unless you choose to upgrade to a more copious amount and pay extra, of course. That’s something that Apple has long drawn flak for with many Windows PCs and laptops shipping with more, especially at the same kind of price point. However, Apple has now suggested that there is a very good reason these Macs come with just 8GB of RAM – that’s all that people really need.
At least, that’s what most people who buy these particular Macs need, according to two Apple executives who were interviewed by IT Home.
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According to the IT Home report, Mac marketing executive Evan Buyze argued that the entry-level 8GB of RAM in iMacs and MacBook Airs is plenty for most tasks and most users. He used some examples as well, saying that media playback. photo and video editing. and even gaming only needs 8GB assuming you aren’t pushing the boundaries – high-end games might need more, but it’s unlikely anything downloaded from the App Store and Apple Arcade, will. Web browsing is another key use, and 8GB is plenty for that, too.
Kate Bergeron, Apple’s VP of hardware engineering noted that one of the reasons Apple’s Macs don’t need so much RAM is its use of custom-designed silicon. Apple’s chips have been a huge deal for the Mac, especially its laptops, and it’s expected that the chips will also prove to be a big factor in the Mac’s future AI features, too.
Apple is expected to unveil the latest big macOS software update this coming June. The WWDC event, set to kick off on June 10, will see Apple preview the macOS 15 software update with rumors strongly pointing to new AI features. While we don’t yet know exactly what those features will be, similar upgrades are also thought to be coming to the iPhone with iOS 18.
If Apple sticks to its usual pattern we can expect the new software updates to be unveiled at WWDC on June 10 before immediately entering a developer beta program. That program is likely to run for a number of months before Apple makes all of the new software available to people around the world in September. Updates for the Mac and iPhone will likely be joined by software for the iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, too.