In a new interview, two Apple executives have once again gone on the defensive over the 8GB of unified memory starting configuration of the company’s latest MacBooks, alongside again teasing major AI news later this year at WWDC.
Kate Bergeron, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, and Evan Buyze, a member of the Mac marketing team, sat down for an interview with IT Home (machine translated). To start, the executives addressed some controversy around the latest Macs, including the recently announced MacBook Air. The new MacBook Air starts with 8GB of unified memory. This has caused a steer online, with some believing Apple should offer more as a starting configuration in 2024.
To this, Buyze said that 8GB of unified memory is “suitable” for everyday tasks on the Mac, such as web browsing, lightweight editing of photos and videos, streaming movies and shows, and more. Apple has previously defended its starting configuration, claiming that thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon and the unified memory architecture, 8GB of unified memory is equivalent to 16GB of RAM on a PC.
The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 chip also starts with 8GB of unified memory and is priced at $1,599 for 512GB of storage. The starting configuration of the MacBook Air with 8GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage starts at $1,099.
The executives also discussed the display situation with the new MacBook Air. The new MacBook Air supports up to two external displays, but only when the lid is closed. IT Home pitched the argument to the executives that when the lid is closed, heat dissipation differs and asked whether there could be a drop in performance. Buyze, unsurprisingly, said this is likely not to be an issue thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon chips.
Then IT Home asked, in the case of an external display and closing the lid, will there be a difference in performance compared with the open cover state? Because in the closed state, the heat dissipation conditions of the MacBook Air may change, and whether it will result in a decrease in performance output. For this problem, Evan Buyze said that M series chips have high efficiency in terms of power consumption, so they can achieve a quiet and fanless design. Users can be good at multitasking or switching in productivity apps, or in other usage scenarios. Able to perform.
IT Home (machine translated)
With the new MacBook Air, Apple has started to shift focus more heavily towards AI. While the company had previously used “machine learning” terminology, the company has shifted to use the more common “AI” term in the marketing material. Apple CEO Tim Cook has teased Apple’s work on AI coming later this year, with reports suggesting a heavy focus at this year’s WWDC.
Buyze said he remains excited for the future of AI and its relationship to the Mac. Buyze comments follow a Bloomberg report stating that Apple’s next M-series chips, the M4, will double down on AI performance with an entirely revamped Mac product line next year. In the interview, Bergeron said that Apple’s focus on AI isn’t new, as the company has been developing its neural network and machine learning hardware for years.
Yes, in fact, at the beginning of development, we can expect these future developments of AI, because in the past 18 months, the development of AI has been far beyond our imagination. If you see our development history in the neural network engine, this is actually our NPU. In fact, since the A11 bionic chip, there has been the development of the neural network engine, so our investment in AI did start very early.
Kate Bergeron, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering comments to IT Home (machine translated)
Apple is expected to showcase its biggest push towards AI at WWDC, set to begin on Monday, June 10. iOS 18 and macOS 15 are rumored to feature an onslaught of AI features backed into the system, including Messages, Spotlight Search, Xcode, and more. Other rumors for iOS 18 include a more customizable home screen, user interface redesigns, and an AI-powered Safari assistant.
