Base Model MacBook Air With M2 Chip Has Slower SSD Speeds In ...

Skip to ContentOpen Menu

• Front Page
• Roundups Show Roundups
  • AirPods 4
  • AirPods Max
  • AirPods Pro
  • Apple Black Friday
  • Apple Deals
  • Apple Pay
  • Apple Pro Display XDR
  • Apple Studio Display
  • Apple TV
  • Apple Vision Pro
  • Apple Watch 10
  • Apple Watch SE
  • Apple Watch Ultra 2
  • CarPlay
  • HomePod
  • HomePod mini
  • iMac
  • iOS 18
  • iPad
  • iPad Air
  • iPad mini
  • iPad Pro
  • iPadOS 18
  • iPhone 14
  • iPhone 15
  • iPhone 16
  • iPhone 16 Pro
  • iPhone 17
  • iPhone SE
  • Mac mini
  • Mac Pro
  • Mac Studio
  • MacBook Air
  • MacBook Pro
  • macOS Sequoia
  • visionOS 2
  • watchOS 11
• Guides
• How Tos
• Reviews
• Buyer's Guide
• Forums

PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletterVisit ForumsSearchClose SearchOpen Sidebar

• Apple Black Friday
• MacBook Pro
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iOS 18
• iMac
• Mac mini
• macOS Sequoia
• Apple Vision Pro
• iPadOS 18
• iPhone 17
• visionOS 2
• watchOS 11
• HomePod
• Apple TV
• iPad Pro
• AirPods 4
• Apple Watch Ultra 2
• iPad
• iPhone 15
• Apple Pro Display XDR
• HomePod mini
• Mac Pro
• MacBook Air
• AirPods Max
• AirPods Pro
• Apple Deals
• Apple Studio Display
• Apple Watch SE
• Mac Studio
• iPad Air
• iPad mini
• iPhone SE
• iPhone 14
• Apple Watch 10
• CarPlay
• Apple Pay

All >

• Front Page
• Roundups
• Guides
• How Tos
• Reviews
• Buyer's Guide
• Upcoming Products
• Forums
• Archives
• Tips / Contact Us
• PodcastInstagramFacebookTwitterMastodonYouTubeNotificationsRSSNewsletter

Base Model MacBook Air With M2 Chip Has Slower SSD Speeds in BenchmarksThursday July 14, 2022 7:08 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

The first embargoed reviews of the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip have now been published. One notable detail confirmed by The Verge is that the $1,199 base model equipped with 256GB of storage has a single NAND chip, which will lead to slower SSD speeds in benchmark testing, but real-world performance may vary.

Last month, it was discovered that the 256GB model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip has up to 50% slower SSD read speeds and up to 30% slower SSD write speeds compared to the equivalent previous-generation model in benchmarks.

The dilemma arises from the fact that Apple switched to using a single 256GB flash storage chip instead of two 128GB chips in the base models of the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Configurations equipped with 512GB of storage or more are equipped with multiple NAND chips, allowing for faster speeds in parallel.

In a statement issued to The Verge, Apple said that while benchmarks of the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro with 256GB of storage "may show a difference" compared to previous-generation models, real-world performance is "even faster":

Thanks to the performance increases of M2, the new MacBook Air and the 13-inch MacBook Pro are incredibly fast, even compared to Mac laptops with the powerful M1 chip. These new systems use a new higher density NAND that delivers 256GB storage using a single chip. While benchmarks of the 256GB SSD may show a difference compared to the previous generation, the performance of these M2 based systems for real world activities are even faster.

It's unclear if Apple's statement refers explicitly to real-world SSD performance or overall system performance. Some tests of the base model 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip showed that SSD speeds were slower even in real-world usage, but results have been mixed. Overall, if the fastest SSD speeds are important to you, we recommend configuring the new MacBook Air with at least 512GB of storage to avoid any potential impact.

Related Roundup: MacBook AirBuyer's Guide: 13" MacBook Air (Neutral)Related Forum: MacBook Air[ 723 comments ]

Get weekly top MacRumors stories in your inbox.

Popular Stories

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now: AirPods, iPads, and More

Friday November 22, 2024 5:28 am PST by Mitchel BroussardBlack Friday 2024 is less than one week away, and as always the next few days will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals. Right now, this includes big savings on popular Apple products like AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPad, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...Read Full Article • 38 comments

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by Mitchel BroussardAnker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...Read Full Article • 22 comments

Apple Announces 2024 Black Friday Event, Offering Up to $200 Gift Card

Thursday November 21, 2024 5:10 am PST by Joe RossignolApple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product. In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...Read Full Article • 67 comments

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by Joe RossignolBarclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...Read Full Article • 131 comments

Apple TV+ Releasing Next Week's 'Silo' Episode Early

Friday November 22, 2024 7:25 am PST by Joe RossignolThe next episode of Apple TV+'s award-winning sci-fi series "Silo" will be released early. Apple previously announced that new "Silo" episodes would be released on Fridays, but the third episode of the second season will instead be released on Wednesday, November 27. Apple has likely bumped up the date so that people can watch the episode during the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday,...Read Full Article • 63 comments

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by Tim HardwickAT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...Read Full Article • 108 comments

iOS 19's First New Feature Has Leaked

Friday November 22, 2024 6:22 am PST by Joe RossignoliOS 19 is not expected to be announced until June 2025, but the software update's first major new feature has already leaked. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week reported that iOS 19 will introduce a "more conversational Siri" powered by "more advanced large language models." He said this upgrade will make Siri more like OpenAI's ChatGPT, allowing the assistant to "handle more sophisticated...Read Full Article

Black Friday Deals Hit Beats Headphones With Up to 52% Off

Thursday November 21, 2024 12:05 pm PST by Mitchel BroussardBeats is joining in on the Black Friday discount frenzy, with up to 52 percent off select headphones, earbuds, and speakers on Amazon. You'll find many of the same prices at other retailers like Best Buy as well. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. This sale...Read Full Article • 8 comments

Top Rated Comments

16_inch_MacBook_Air_Pls31 months agoStill waiting for the day Apple makes 512GB/16GB standard.256 8 has been the starting config for like a decade now.Score: 68 Votes (Like | Disagree)antiprotest31 months ago

Blown way out of proportion. Vast majority of users won't notice any difference.

On the SSD issue, the "most people will not notice it" people miss the point. The point is whether customers are getting what they pay for or know what they are getting."Most people" will think they are paying for a better and faster machine. It is a reasonable assumption. Since it's newer they'd expect everything to be the same or better.Since it's called M2 vs M1, they'd expect the chip to be faster without having other components drag it back down."Most people" will not know they are not getting what they pay for. "Most people will not notice it" actually makes it worse. It makes this seem like a form of fraud.Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)ponzicoinbro31 months ago

lmao. glad i didn't pre order now.wtf you doing apple?

It is a base model Air.A base model.Air.What you gonna do with it?Render Toy Story 10?Use it as a high capacity high speed quantum universe time travel data center?Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)staypuftforums31 months agoThat is brutal. Especially for a machine that is going to be swapping like crazy due to the paltry 8 GB of RAM.Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)krspkbl31 months agolmao. glad i didn't pre order now. wtf you doing apple?Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)jchap31 months agoNo matter how you spin it, a reduction in performance compared to the previous gen. just doesn’t sound good.Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)Read All Comments

Next Article

7 Best Black Friday iPad Deals for 2024

Guides

Apple Intelligence Guide

Apple Intelligence is what Apple is calling its artificial intelligence feature set, previewed at WWDC in June 2024. Here's everything we know.

MacRumors 2024 Gift Guide

Find all of the season's best Apple and Apple-related gifts in our 2024 Gift Guide.

Image Playground Guide

Image Playground is Apple's dedicated image creation app that can build cartoon-like pictures based on text descriptions.

iOS 18.1 Features

Apple Intelligence, phone call recording, new Control Center options, and more.

• iPhone Mirroring Not Working? • iPhone 16 vs 16 Pro • iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro: How to Use All the New Features • 50 macOS Sequoia Features • watchOS 11: All the New Features and Changes • What's New in iOS 18 Messages • iOS 18 Photos Changes • New AirPods Features in iOS 18 • 21 Time-Saving iPhone Tips • 14 macOS Tips to Make Your Life Easier • One AirPod Not Working? See more guides

Upcoming

Black Friday November 29

Expect great deals on a variety of Apple products and third-party accessories as the holiday shopping season kicks into high gear.

M4 MacBook Air Early 2025

M4 chip update expected, but no design changes.

iPad (11th Generation) Early 2025

Chip update and other spec bumps for Apple's entry-level iPad.

iPhone SE (4th Generation) Spring 2025

The end of the iPhone Home button as Apple shifts its final model to an all-display front with a notch and Face ID.

• M4 Mac Studio • M4 Mac Pro • iPhone 17 See full product calendar

Other Stories

iOS 19's First New Feature Has Leaked

2 days ago by Joe Rossignol

Here's the Fastest Way to Power Off Your iPhone

2 days ago by Tim Hardwick

How to Check and Update AirPods Firmware

3 days ago by Tim Hardwick

iOS 18.2: Create Custom Emoji in Messages

3 days ago by Tim Hardwick

The 'iPhone 17 Air' is Confusing

3 days ago by Joe Rossignol