According to anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg, Apple’s new M4 series of Mac computers launching this year will all have at least 16GB of RAM. That’s double the current minimum of 8GB for entry-level models and a level Apple has stuck to since 2012 despite plenty of criticism and many of its competitors offering a base amount of 16GB.
The information comes from the developer test logs for four new Mac models labeled “16,1,” “16,2,” “16,3,” and “16,10.” These tests check for compatibility with third-party applications and are usually done fairly close to launch. Three of the models have 10 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, while the last has eight CPU and eight GPU cores — but all four have either 16GB or 32GB of RAM.
When the MacBook Pro M3 launched, Apple defended the RAM specification by claiming 8GB on an Apple silicon MacBook is “probably analogous to 16GB on other systems,” explaining how its system-on-a-chip (SoC) allowed for much more efficient memory use. One reason for the change of heart could be related to the upcoming Apple Intelligence features.
Apple likely wants all of its Mac models to run upcoming and future Apple Intelligence features smoothly, which could be why its revamping the entire Mac lineup with M4 chips and why it’s switching to a minimum 16GB of RAM. This is just speculation, but since Apple was still defending its decision to ship base Mac models with 8GB of RAM just last year, it wouldn’t be surprising for the recent wave of AI PC hype to be the cause of the sudden change.
Whatever the motivation, as long as the effect on pricing isn’t unreasonable, more RAM will be great for buyers. Even people who always choose minimum specs will end up with a computer that can stay competitively performant for longer — especially since RAM upgrades are pretty much impossible on Apple silicon PCs.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.