Apple Confirms 256GB M2 MacBook Air Has Slower SSD

Apple has confirmed that like the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, the base model M2 MacBook Air has a slower SSD.

Following the release of the 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, reviewers discovered that the base model notebook with 256GB of storage has significantly slower SSD speeds than the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro and M2 models with more storage.

In a video comparing the new 13-inch MacBook Pro to the previous generation, Max Tech notes that the 256GB M2 model benchmarks at 1446 MB/s read and 1463 MB/s write. Compare that to the M1 MacBook Pro at 2900 MB/s read and 2215 MB/s write.


Apple has confirmed to The Verge that users will notice the slower SSD speeds on the base model M2 MacBook Air as well. This is because the company is using a single chip to deliver 256GB of storage, rather than two chips.

Apple spokesperson Michelle Del Rio provided the following statement on the matter:

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.

Despite Apple's statement, some tests do indicate a real world difference due to the slower SSD. We'd suggest springing for the M2 MacBook Air with 512GB of storage.


Check out our M2 MacBook Air review roundup here and please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more MacBook updates.