The just-announced 2021 iPad Pro packs at least 8GB of RAM and can be configured with 16GB. The days when Apple’s tablets got an anemic amount of RAM are over.
There’s so much, Apple stopped hiding the amount. It now proudly announces how much RAM is in its latest professional-grade tablets.
How to get 16GB of RAM in the 2021 iPad Pro
The amount of RAM 2021 iPad Pro depends on how much storage the tablet is configured with. Purchase the tablet with 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of capacity and it includes 8GB of RAM. But configure it with 1TB or 2TB of storage and there’s 16GB of RAM.
Just be aware that this will add considerably to the price. Especially for the 12.9-inch version Even the base unit is $1099, and the 1TB version is $1799. The 2TB one is a whopping $2199. On the 11-inch model, the base price is $799, the 1TB version is $1499 and the 2TB one is $1899.
If that’s too rich for you, take comfort in the knowledge that even the base model has more RAM than any previous iPad Pro. The 2020 version offers 6GB. The 2018 model has either 4GB or 6GB, depending on configuration.
Putting iPad on par with Mac
The available RAM options on the 2021 iPad Pro are now equal to the ones on many Macs. Buyers of the most-recent MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini can also choose from 8GB or 16GB. Shoppers have to pick the 16-inch MacBook Pro to have the option to go past 16GB.
That’s not really surprising considering the fifth-generation iPad Pro includes an Apple M1 processor. That’s the same chip as in the latest Macs.
No longer a secret
Going back to the first iPad, Apple never announced how much RAM its tablets had. This detail had to wait until reviewers got their hands on the devices and could run benchmarking applications. Maybe it’s because Apple didn’t have much to crow about — the iPad 1 had 256 MB of RAM, for example.
That changed on Tuesday. Apple openly lists the generous amount of RAM in the 2021 iPad Pro on its website for all the world to see.
