The Apple MAcBook Air M2 with 16GB of RAM just got heavily discounted. Should you get this version, or save more cash with the 8GB version?

Apple had transitioned most of its Macs to 8GB of RAM by 2016. But now, after eight years, that quantity feels increasingly insufficient. Reviewers have criticized the entry-level RAM as limited since at least 2022. Local AI features like Apple Intelligence, which need constant RAM to work, have only accentuated the need to change things.

Last year, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Bob Borchers claimed that “8GB [of RAM] on an M3 MacBook Pro is probably analogous to 16GB on other systems” because its machines make more efficient use of memory through advanced memory compression and a unified memory architecture.

Apple just made 16GB the standard minimum RAM for its M4 Macs and the MacBook Air, so the new M4 MacBook Air will be unbeatable.

With the launch of M4 MacBook Pro, Apple announced the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB RAM, doubling the previous 8GB RAM.

Apple's brand-new M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch is already on sale, with preorder discounts knocking triple digits off the new release in addition to savings on three years of AppleCare.

This detailed comparison covers the M4 MacBook Pro vs M3 Air when it comes to performance, features, specs, and more.