With Apple’s latest product launch, there’s a notable upgrade that’s hard to miss—all new Apple devices, including the iPhone 16 series and the latest iPad mini, now come with 8GB of RAM. This applies even to the standard iPhone 16 models. But why the jump to 8GB, especially when previous models like the iPhone 15 ran perfectly on 6GB? The answer lies in a game-changing feature that Apple is pushing across its devices: Apple Intelligence.
Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of advanced AI-powered features, requires the processing power of 8GB RAM, making it a necessary upgrade across the lineup. Let’s dive into the reasons behind this upgrade and why it matters for the Apple ecosystem.
Apple Intelligence: The Driving Force Behind 8GB RAM
Earlier this year, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies, Johny Srouji, explained why 8GB of RAM became a requirement for all new devices supporting Apple Intelligence. In an interview with tech YouTuber Geekerwan, Srouji highlighted Apple’s commitment to user experience and performance.
“We have extensive data on what enables certain features, and Apple Intelligence is a crucial feature we wanted to support,” Srouji told Geekerwan. “We evaluate different configurations for computation, memory bandwidth, and capacity to ensure the best performance. Apple Intelligence was a key factor in our decision to increase the RAM to 8GB.”
Apple Intelligence is an evolving suite of features that utilizes advanced AI algorithms for tasks like image recognition, language processing, and adaptive learning. These capabilities demand significant memory resources, which made 8GB a minimum requirement to ensure a smooth, efficient experience for users.
The iPad Mini Joins the 8GB RAM Club
The new iPad mini, refreshed after three years, also made the leap to 8GB of RAM. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, this upgrade is directly related to Apple’s intention to make Apple Intelligence a standard feature across its lineup. As a premium device, Apple wanted the latest iPad mini to be on par with other devices in supporting Apple Intelligence, which is also enabled by the powerful A17 Pro processor.
The enhanced RAM and processor in the iPad mini mean it can handle more intensive apps and multitasking, but, more importantly, it ensures smooth access to AI-powered features that Apple plans to expand across its devices.
Why Standard iPhone 15 Models Lack Apple Intelligence
Only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models from the iPhone 15 series support Apple Intelligence. A quick comparison reveals that standard iPhone 15 models come with 6GB of RAM, while the Pro models have 8GB—the same as the iPhone 16 lineup.
While these standard models have capable processors, the decision to limit Apple Intelligence to Pro models was likely influenced by the need for higher memory capacity. Although AI features can technically work on lower-powered processors, Apple’s hybrid implementation for optimal user experience benefits from the extra 8GB of RAM and the A17 Pro’s processing power, exclusive to the Pro models.
What Does This Mean for Apple’s Future Devices?
This move to standardize 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence suggests Apple is committed to expanding AI-driven capabilities across its devices. It indicates a future where Apple Intelligence will likely play a central role in the Apple ecosystem, providing an optimized experience across all devices. As new devices and updates continue to integrate these AI features, the 8GB RAM upgrade marks an important step toward ensuring smooth, high-performance functionality for Apple users.
