Apple’s entire Mac lineup now ships with at least 16GB of RAM

This week Apple introduced a new iMac, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro. And aside from the fact that they’re all powered by Apple M4 series processors, one thing they have in common is that every new Mac ships with at least 16GB of RAM.

Tucked away in a press release announcing the launch of the new MacBook Pro, Apple also noted that it’s increased the amount of memory in entry-level MacBook Air models with M2 and M3 chips to 16GB. And that means Apple is no longer selling any new computers with 8GB of RAM. It’s about time.

Apple has a long history of charging premium prices for memory and storage upgrades, and since switching from Intel processors to Apple M-series chips, it’s been impossible for users to perform their own memory upgrades using third-party RAM. The amount of memory you select when buying a Mac is as much as that computer will ever have.

So it’s nice to see that you no longer have to pay extra to get a Mac with 16GB of memory – Apple has kept the starting price for its new entry-level MacBook Pro the same as the price for last year’s model, even though the 2024 version has a faster processor and twice as much memory.

Apple has long claimed that 8GB of RAM is sufficient for basic usage, but many folks have taken issue with that assertion… particularly the power users who are willing to spend $1599 or more on a premium computer like a MacBook Pro.

What’s even nicer is that you don’t necessarily need to pay a premium price to get a Mac with 16GB of RAM. Prices for the new Mac Mini with an M4 processor and 16GB of RAM start at $599, while a 13 inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip and 16GB of RAM start at $999.