In a surprise move, Apple has doubled the base RAM configuration on the M2 and M3 MacBook Air models. Both MacBook Air models will now include 16GB of RAM out of the box, up from 8GB. The RAM increase comes at no change in price.
For a limited time, Apple appears to be selling existing stock of 8GB of RAM at a discount. For example, the M2 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM retails for $899, though Apple will no longer be shipping these configurations going forward.
Increasing the RAM is a much better deal for consumers, and also means that 16GB of RAM will now be the default in stores, up from 8GB.
The move follows the launch of new M4-based Macs, which are being heavily marketed as being built for Apple Intelligence. These include the M4 iMac, M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini, and M4/M4 Pro/M4 Max MacBook Pro.
The MacBook Air still uses the M3 chip for its maximum configuration, but the RAM boost gives Apple some time before upgrading to the M4 in 2025.
Apple Intelligence in macOS runs on any M-series Mac and doesn’t require 16GB of RAM, but the extra memory bandwidth will likely be needed in future updates to Apple’s generative AI features.
Apple briefly required 16GB for its Xcode code completion feature before its release, but later dropped the requirement.
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