The 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 has a much slower SSD than its predecessor with the M1.

New 13″ MacBook Pro with M2 chip, which we have already shared our analysis about, has a key drawback that you should consider before buying. According to a benchmark conducted by Vadim Yuriev (via MacRumors), recognized youtuber mac world, new portable integrates a significantly slower SSD than its M1 predecessor. This statement is true, at least for the model with 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM.

SSD speed can be 50% slower, too high a percentage. Especially if you expect the MacBook Pro M2 to perform better in multiple sections, such as any generational transition.

Now there is a specific reason that caused the SSD performance to drop. Yuryev opened both computers and the answer quickly appeared: 13″ MacBook Pro with M2 has one NAND chip, instead of two like the M1. This simple fact led to a sharp drop in the speed of the drive. Of course, the difference is noticeable in both read and write speeds:

Writing:

MacBook Pro M1: 2215 MB/s
MacBook Pro M2: 1463 MB/s

Reading:

MacBook Pro M1: 2900 MB/s
MacBook Pro M2: 1446 MB/s

In many of the activities we perform every day on our computer, reading speed is usually the most important, and it is in this area that the MacBook Pro M2 falls far short of its M1 counterpart.

As Yuryev rightly notes, it may seem to someone that this speed difference is not very important, but it is not. youtuber conducted several tests, during which it was confirmed that, indeed, MacBook Pro with M1 is faster when browsing the web or opening apps.

Why when opening applications? macOS, like other operating systems, reverts to an SSD when the RAM is full. In a computer with 8 GB of memory, this situation is not so strange, mainly when using applications aimed at the professional sector.

In general, when the MacBook Pro M2 is subjected to more complex tasks – like photo editing – it will lag behind its predecessor due to the SSD. The difference can be in seconds, yes; But again, not the performance you expect when buying the latest computer.

To be honest, until now, many of us still do not understand why a 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 is needed, at least not in the hardware options it offers besides the new chip. Why does it keep the old design? still integrated into the Touch Bar? These are decisions that don’t make much sense, especially since the new MacBook Air M2 offers almost the same performance with an updated design and even a MagSafe connector.