2017 MacBook Pro Might Finally Have 32 GB Of RAM

MacBook Pro owners might have something to really look forward to this year if Ming-Chi Kuo is on the mark. The renowned analyst from KGI is predicting that this year's generation of MacBook Pros will finally break through the 16 GB RAM limit. While 32 GB on a "professional" computer might seem normal these days, that has actually become a sore topic with the late 2016 models as Apple refused to go any further, sacrificing power for the sake of longer battery life and portability.

It is sadly both a matter of physics as well as marketing and there was no compromise to be made based on last year's technology. MacBook Pro users, particularly those that use the computer for video editing, wanted more than 16 GB RAM to use. Apple, however, was limited by both technology and its product goals.

On the one hand, Apple wanted to be able to boast about how its MacBook Pros remained petite and light, relatively speaking, while still maintaining long hours of battery life, which some are contesting anyway. More RAM would have sucked the life out of the MacBook Pros, not to mention stealing some precious space from the battery. This is mostly due to the limitations of current technology, as Intel's notebook chipsets didn't support anything more than 16 GB LPDDR3. While LPDDR4 does exist, it isn't supported yet.

The market, however, might force Apple's hands this year given the large outcry for 32 GB RAM MacBook Pros. If Intel doesn't catch up with support, Apple will be forced to use the desktop-class DDR4 memory type. While more powerful, it is also more energy-hungry and will inevitably incur penalties in other places.

Along with a 32 GB RAM model, Kuo believes that Apple will also update the ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook RAM from 8 GB to 16 GB. While 8 GB was still on par with ultraportables back when it launched in 2015, it will become a liability and maybe even a butt of jokes if a 2nd gen this year launches with still that little RAM.

VIA: Apple Insider