New iPad Pro Equipped with 12GB RAM But 4GB Blocked: Is Apple Pushing Users Towards More Expensive Versions?

Apple recently launched the new iPad Pro with the M4 chip, featuring a starting price of 11,499 CNY for the 13-inch model (256GB / 512GB versions) equipped with 8GB of RAM. This pricing, coupled with only 8GB of RAM, has left consumers bewildered.

However, a more shocking discovery was made by the well-known teardown website iFixit: the iPad Pro actually includes two memory chips, identified as Micron Z8DMS (MT62F768M64D4AS-026 XT:B).

Micron's official website lists the Z8DMS memory chip as having a capacity of 48Gb (6GB), and third-party material procurement websites indicate the chip adheres to the LPDDR5-7500 specification, based on VFBAG packaging.

Given that the iPad Pro is equipped with 6GB flash memory chips, it should theoretically feature 12GB of RAM. However, Apple's technical specifications mention only 8GB of RAM for these models (with the 1TB/2TB models listed as having 16GB), suggesting Apple has technically blocked 4GB of RAM.

The decision to equip the device with larger memory capacity but restrict access to a significant portion of it is perplexing. It raises questions about whether Apple might eventually offer the ability to unlock additional memory through a paid iPadOS feature.

Additionally, Weibo digital blogger @肥威 shared teardown screenshots of the 1TB version on the MacRumors forum. This version is equipped with Micron D8DNV (MT62F1G64D4AS-026 XT:C) memory chips, each offering 64Gb (8GB), totaling 16GB of RAM, which aligns with Apple's promotional claims.

Discussions on Reddit have also highlighted this issue, with speculations suggesting that 6GB memory chips might be more readily available (as Samsung and Micron may no longer produce LPDDR5/LPDDR5X 4GB chips), making it easier for Apple to use 6GB chips than sourcing two 4GB chips for 8GB of total RAM.

By intentionally blocking access to part of the RAM, Apple appears to be segmenting the market. This strategy forces users who want more memory to opt for the significantly more expensive 1TB model, priced at 16,599 CNY.