Skip to main content

M2 MacBook Air teardown reveals troubling news for performance

The newly released MacBook Air featuring Apple’s latest proprietary M2 chip has the gotten teardown treatment from the Max Tech YouTube channel, revealing a basic look at the internals of the notebook and some bad news about the system’s performance.

The featured model included 256GB SSD in a single NAND storage chip. MacRumors noted this specs setup has the potential to result in a notebook that performs 30% to 50% slower in SSD benchmark tests than MacBook Air models with higher specs or older MacBook Air models with the same specs. This was also a problem with the recently launched M2 MacBook Pro.

The motherboard of the M2 MacBook Air is revealed in a YouTube teardown.
MacBook Air motherboard, as shown by Max Tech teardown. Image used with permission by copyright holder

The video also discussed some interesting details during the teardown, such as the more elongated design, which allows for a larger and more powerful battery cell in the M2 MacBook Air. This model features a 52.6-watt hour battery, a slight upgrade from the 49.9 watt-hour battery in the M1 MacBook Air. While subtle, Eremenko noted that the new notebook has more internal volume, which allows it to hold a larger battery, which is expected to power the device for up to 18 hours at a time.

The notebook features speakers located at the front of the paneling. They are also front-firing, which is intended to make for better audio.

Finally, the teardown mentions that the M2 MacBook Air includes an ultra-wideband chip within its motherboard. The component appears to currently not be functional; however, it has the potential to be unlocked in the future for uses, including Air Tags and lossless wireless audio.

M2 MacBook Air Teardown: Apple's SECRET Revealed (& SSD)

The M2 MacBook Air has been available for pre-order since July 8 and is now on sale in stores. Prior reports detailed that the notebook was quickly back -ordered and experienced shipment delays as late as mid-August, as soon as pre-orders opened.

Many Apple products have experienced shipping delays throughout the year; however, it is not clear whether the M2 MacBook Air shipping delays have been caused by consumer demand or by supply chain issues.

The M2 MacBook Air model, which is featured in the video, starts at $1,199.

Editors' Recommendations

Fionna Agomuoh
Fionna Agomuoh is a technology journalist with over a decade of experience writing about various consumer electronics topics…
The MacBook Pro 14 still obliterates this Windows laptop
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 14 front view showing display and keyboard deck.

Several of Apple's latest MacBooks are on our list of the best laptops around, and the MacBook Pro 14 is arguably the best 14-inch laptop you can buy today. Any new machine that wants to compete has to offer an incredibly compelling combination of features and value.

Lenovo's Slim Pro 9i 14 is a laptop that's obviously aimed directly at the MacBook. It has some powerful components inside and it performs just as well. It's also less expensive. Unfortunately, even those things fail to give it a leg up.
Specs and configurations

Read more
This tiny ThinkPad can’t quite keep up with the MacBook Air M2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 rear view showing lid and logo.

While the laptop industry continues to move toward 14-inch laptops and larger, the 13-inch laptop remains an important category. One of the best is the Apple MacBook Air M2, with an extremely thin and well-built chassis, great performance, and incredibly long battery life.

Lenovo has recently introduced the third generation of its ThinkPad X1 Nano, one of the lightest laptops we've tested and a good performer as well. It's stiff competition, but which of these two diminutive laptops stands apart?
Specs and configurations

Read more
As a laptop reviewer, these are my most anticipated laptops still coming in 2023
A top down view of the Framework Laptop 16 against a blue backdrop.

As a laptop reviewer, I have the great fortune of being able to try out the latest and greatest tech in this product category. In terms of the best laptops, there's always something interesting on the horizon. Now that we're around halfway through the year, I want to look ahead to what's left of the year and spotlight some of my most anticipated releases.

The range of new laptops is wide, spanning from ultra-portables to high-performance machines, mixed in with a healthy dose of experimentation. That's enough to get me excited for what's ahead.
Framework Laptop 16

Read more