This is Apple’s brand new 13” MacBook Pro. It’s got a 13 inch Retina display, an 8 core CPU,
the super popular touch bar with touch id, 2 thunderbolt 4 ports and a headphone jack….um
actually that is the 2020 M1 MacBook Pro…Sorry Craig.
This is the new MacBook Pro and it’s totally understandable that we got
these confused, they not only look identical, there doesn't seem to be
much difference between these two models other than the processor.
Apple’s eagerly awaited M2 chip has finally arrived and no one - and I really do mean no
one - seems excited about the vessel heralding its arrival, the 13 inch MacBook Pro. Reviews
are pretty unanimous across the board, it’s a good laptop with great battery life but:
it doesn't have enough ports the display doesn’t support high refresh rates
it’s too expensive for what you get
And It’s already overshadowed by the redesigned MacBook Air being released in a few weeks.
We’re guessing this machine is pretty much the 2020 model with an upgraded Logic Board,
but we won’t know until we tear it down!
The chassis of the machines are identical, right down to the model number printed on the
bottom of the case. With the exception of this tiny EMC number on the back,
there is not a single thing we can identify that’s different about the exteriors.
The bottom cover and screws are the same as is the removal procedure for the cover.
Thats to say, unnecessarily difficult.
Here’s where things get really interesting. Looking at this shot of the two logic boards,
it’s clear that some of the chips and smaller components have changed but otherwise everything
else looks identical. Cables, grounding pins, screws and standoffs, you name it.
The interior of the machines are identical in all things other than the logic board itself.
One exception that stands out, the heatsink on the M1 has slightly rounded corners
as compared to the squared off corners on the M2. If you get
the impression we’re really reaching to find differences here, you’re not wrong.
At this point we’re wondering if Apple has made their first truly upgradable laptop,
which would make them the only other manufacturer other than Framework to do so.
If you haven't heard already, Framework has begun production on a world first upgradeable laptop
motherboard which is due for release later this year. Did Apple beat them to the punch?
This needs to be tested but first we need to free the logic board from the case.
First up we disconnect the trackpad and battery from the rest of the board
followed by the remaining components. This is fiddly work, and those cables are pretty delicate.
Here’s the moment of truth,
all the cables are loose and we’re free to take the M2 logic board out.
Ok let’s see if the M2 board will fit in the M1 case…and
it’s a perfect match! We should test to see if the machine powers on.
We eventually get it to boot…but it can’t detect the built in peripherals.
After checking the cables and reseating everything several times, replacing the TouchID sensor
between machines, and perhaps a dozen other tests, we finally concede defeat and reached
out to Hector from the Asahi Linux project. We’re told that the M2 trackpad has offloaded
some processes to the SoC. We can’t say for certain that this is serialisation but for all
intents and purposes, in its current state, it serves the same purpose. In other words,
this blocks a full logic board upgrade unless you change the trackpad with an M2 compatible one. .
The machine works just fine with an external mouse and keyboard but then it wouldn’t be a functional
laptop if you have to drag a keyboard and mouse around with you. And maybe that’s the point.
In our tests we found that the components that have some or all functionality disabled are
the trackpad, keyboard, and TouchID sensor. The latter of which is understandable but we
find the decision to disable the trackpad and keyboard baffling, if intentional.
There’s definitely still a positive side to all this. We assume that
Apple will be adding this device, and maybe even the M1 model, to its Self
Service Repair program. This means that you may potentially have the opportunity
to upgrade and repair your machine. Could you potentially upgrade your old M1 machine to an M2
at some point in the future? Doubtful, but who knows!
The parts are clearly cross compatible and we’re again faced with what seems
like an blatant attempt to block repairs and replacements through software locks.
Previous arguments for the lack of upgradability between generations have centered around a lack of
space inside a devices frame, a lack of manufacturing capability, or even cost
considerations. So…how do we explain this away?
As a final note on the hardware, various reviewers have commented on the slower
read/write speeds on the newer M2 device
and they’ve narrowed the problem down to one 256GB SSD chip on the board doing all the work,
whereas the M1 used two 128GB SSD chips to spread the workload.
With two SSD chips the system reads and writes up to twice as fast because its
performing the operations at the same time. This is essentially a
RAID 0 setup. Conclusion
It may seem wild that Apple re-used so many old parts in their latest entry level device
but honestly it would make perfect sense if we lived in a world where rampant consumption
was not the norm. This pandemic has exposed flaws in our supply chains ⛓and has led to
chip shortages that eventually culminated in various “odd” decisions such as this.
As far as we’re concerned, this is a missed opportunity for Apple to introduce their first
upgradeable device in a good long time. What’s more, it’s a missed opportunity for
the electronics juggernaut to set the tone for repairability and eco-friendly design.
Whether intentionally or not, Apple has shown that a more sustainable approach to
technological progress is possible. It’s a shame that this message is buried behind a facade of
empty promises of performance increases that are meaningless for an entry level device like this.