Even Apple finally admits that 8GB RAM isn’t enough

There were a number of exciting announcements from Apple at WWDC 2024, from macOS Sequoia to Apple Intelligence. However, a subtle addition to Xcode 16 — the development environment for Apple platforms, like iOS and macOS — is a feature called Predictive Code Completion. Unfortunately, if you bought into Apple’s claim that 8GB of unified memory was enough for base-model Apple silicon Macs, you won’t be able to use it. There’s a memory requirement for Predictive Code Completion in Xcode 16, and it’s the closest thing we’ll get from Apple to an admission that 8GB of memory isn’t really enough for a new Mac in 2024.

What is Predictive Code Completion?

Arguably the best feature in Xcode 16 has hardware limitations

There are a handful of features and changes in the Xcode 16 beta, and Predictive Code Completion is one of the highlights. The feature anticipates what code you might need next, offering code completion before you go to manually write a line of code. It works using a machine learning model made for Swift and Apple SDKs, the company says. All the data used stays on-device and requires an Apple silicon Mac, which has a few advantages. For one, it’ll be private and secure. Another benefit is that it’ll work completely offline, even when you aren’t connected to the internet.

Developers have been using machine learning models and artificial intelligence to help them write code as long as it has been possible. ChatGPT and Google Gemini are both uniquely positioned to help write and refine code. Though the Predictive Code Completion feature isn’t identical to the versatility offered by AI chatbots, it does try to perform the same general tasks. It’ll save you time by writing the code for you. In this case, it’s more useful since it is built right into the Xcode development environment.

However, as Apple explains in the Xcode 16 beta release notes, Predictive Code Completion isn’t just limited to Apple silicon computers running macOS Sequoia. It also requires at least 16GB of unified memory. To be clear, Xcode 16 will run fine on Macs with less unified memory — it’s only the Predictive Code Completion feature that will be unsupported. Still, this marks the first time Apple has clearly outlined a hard limitation that comes with base-model Macs with 8GB of RAM.

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Many of Apple’s brand-new Macs won’t support it

Mac Mini, MacBook Air, iMac, and MacBook Pro all start at 8GB RAM

Of course, this is a problem because most of the Macs that Apple sells today still start with just 8GB of unified memory. These include the base-model versions of the Mac Mini, iMac, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. We already know that AI and ML workflows that run on-device require a lot of NPU power and system memory. Though this only affects developers using Xcode for now, it’s likely the first of many hardware limitations that will start creeping up on buyers who purchased an Apple silicon Mac without upgrading its memory.

It was one thing when Apple debuted its M1 series of processors in 2020 with 8GB of unified memory, but we’re now years removed from that. Based on the Predictive Code Completion requirements, it seems like it’s time for Apple to bump the minimum RAM up to 16GB for the next generation of Macs.

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This is what everyone warned about

8GB of unified memory is enough — until it’s not

The internals of an M2 Mac Mini configured with 8GB of unified memory.

Some might argue that since the 16GB unified memory only applies to one feature in Xcode 16 — software made for developers, not casual users — it’s a non-issue. There’s a degree of truth to that viewpoint. Most users who bought an Apple silicon Mac with the default memory configuration probably won’t be running Xcode 16, and fewer will even hear of Predictive Code Completion. In fact, after testing a Mac with 8GB of memory earlier this year, I found that it’s completely fine if all you do is web-based tasks.

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However, very few people who criticized Apple’s decision to include just 8GB unified memory on select base-model Macs were talking about their usability today. The more common warning was that someday, a new feature or app will come out that requires more memory and people who didn’t buy a future-proofed machine would be left out in the cold. That day has come with Predictive Code Completion and Xcode 16.

By setting the minimum memory requirement for Predictive Code Completion higher than what base-model Macs offer now, Apple is effectively admitting that 8GB isn’t really enough. Even if it is enough for today, it certainly won’t be enough for much longer.