Phil Schiller Defends MacBook Pro RAM Limitation

The new MacBook Pro has received a lukewarm response and resulted in some critics wondering if Apple can continue removing functionality on their devices. Unbelievably, the company decided to ditch the HDMI standard, Thunderbolt 2, USB 3.0 and even got rid of the MagSafe 2. Not only that, customers have experienced problems powering an external display with a USB 3.1 Type-C to HDMI dongle which tends to cause horrible green flickering. The idea that a sleek, minimalistic laptop requires so many adapters is very misguided.

On another note, the MacBook Pro has memory soldered onto the logic board which cannot be upgraded. To be fair other products like the Razer Blade employ a similar approach but it’s not ideal. Interestingly, the MacBook Pro only supports 16GB of LPDDR3 memory which resulted in a heated debate about the reasoning behind this decision. Those who are distrustful of Apple believed this was simply due to limiting the upgrade path and forcing users to select the 16GB model. However, Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of marketing clarified:

“The MacBook Pro uses 16GB of very fast LPDDR memory, up to 2133MHz. To support 32GB of memory would require using DDR memory that is not low power and also require a different design of the logic board which might reduce space for batteries. Both factors would reduce battery life.”

As you can see, Apple claims the memory restriction is due to the additional power demands of 32GB memory and the logic board being changed would limit the battery size. Of course, the company’s obsession with making incredibly thin device means they have to cram more components into a tight space. Whether or not you believe the explanation remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting argument with some validity.

Do you think the MacBook Pro should sacrifice battery life to provide 32GB options?