Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

What MacBooks needs to learn from competitors about transparency

Look, I get it. When you buy an entry-level laptop, you’re not getting the same components as with more expensive models. But usually, that covers things like the size of the SSD, the amount of RAM, or the specific CPU. These are obvious choices that you know you’re making when you’re putting down your cash.

But Apple’s been taking things a step further. It all started with the MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Pro M2, where the entry-level models with 256GB of storage use slower single-NAND SSDs compared to faster dual-NAND SSDs. Without going into unnecessary technical detail, I’ll just say that the smaller drives are slower than the larger drives — around half as fast, in fact. And then, to make matters worse, Apple has done the same with the performance-oriented M2 MacBook Pro, with the smallest 512GB SSD being single-NAND as well and considerably slower.

Apple MacBook Pro seen from the side.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

What’s it mean?

According to 9to5Mac, the 512GB SSD reads at 2973MB/s and writes at 3,145.5 MB/s, while the 1TB and larger SSDs read at 4,900 MB/s and write at 3,950 MB/s. Particularly in read performance, that’s a meaningful deficit, and it will impact booting the laptop, opening and saving files, and swapping to and from RAM when physical memory runs out. It’s just one performance metric, and so as Apple has pointed out, the entry-level MacBook Pro M2 Pro is still faster overall than the entry-level MacBook Pro M1 Pro. This difference is mostly going to affect the most demanding users. But that’s not the point.

Recommended Videos

The point is that there’s no way to know when you’re buying the laptop that by saving a few dollars, you’re reducing storage capacity and compromising performance. That may not matter as much to MacBook Air users who are likely running mainstream productivity apps on their machines, but for people who are buying the MacBook Pro, which starts at $2,000 for the entry-level MacBook Pro 14, it can matter a lot more.

Editing photos and video benefits from fast storage speeds, and performance reductions mean it takes longer to perform the same tasks. Added up over time, that can make a difference in productivity and money earned.

I ended up with a 1TB MacBook Pro 14 with the M1 Pro when I bought my machine, but that was only because the model I bought offered a $450 discount compared to the $350 discount on the entry-level model. I’d be pretty unhappy right now if I’d opted for the overall less expensive machine, but got lesser performance in return. In fact, if given the conscious choice, I would have happily spent more money for the faster configuration. And I’m not even a power user.

What’s the solution?

Plenty of people have already complained in op-eds and on Twitter, Reddit, and many more venues, and I don’t want to just add to the noise. But there’s an easy solution, and one that Apple should consider if it wants to be transparent to its customers.

This doesn’t apply to every manufacturer, many of which likely use less expensive components like this in lesser configurations and also say nothing. But some companies, such as Dell, HP, and Lenovo, tell you exactly what you’re getting when you’re configuring your laptop. For example, here’s Lenovo’s SSD configuration section for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 configuration page showing SSD performance.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As you can see, it’s obvious which drive you’re getting when you make your choice. And notice the 512GB and 1TB options. Yes, that’s right, there’s a PCIe Gen3 (presumably) and a PCIe Gen4 option. You can opt to spend a little more money and get a more expensive drive. I’m not suggesting that Apple make the same kind of offering, but it’s the communication that’s important here. It’s clear to the buyer that if they opt for the smaller drive, they’re giving up the option of faster storage.

HP does something similar in the HP Envy x360 13 configurator. Again, it’s not exactly the same situation as with the MacBooks, but HP clarifies that there’s a higher-performance option.

HP Envy x360 13 configuration page showing SSD performance.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

I couldn’t find a specific example of where any of these vendors offered an entry-level drive that was slower than the next version up, but I suspect that the same information would be made available. And that’s what Apple should be doing.

Here’s its storage configuration section for the MacBook Pro 14.

Apple MacBook Pro configuration page showing SSD performance.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

See that? There’s no indication that you’re getting a slower drive if you opt for the 512GB SSD. All Apple needs to do here (and with their configurations for other affected products) is to add some kind of disclaimer. They could be technical and put “(single-NAND)” next to the 512GB listing and “(double-NAND)” next to the larger SSDs. Or, they could simply indicate that the larger SSDs provide faster performance. And ironically, they’d not only avoid upsetting people who aren’t getting what they expected, but they’d also likely upsell more people to larger drives and increase their sales.

Just do the right thing

Again, I’m sure it’s not just Apple that’s playing this game. But Apple’s marketing efforts are heavily skewed toward promising the highest performance in a laptop if you buy its very costly MacBook Pro. And make no mistake about it, at a starting price of $2,000, MacBook Pros are expensive machines. Most people who buy them likely want the most performance they can get, while spending the right amount of money.

Does saving $200 justify what might be only a slight real-world reduction in performance? Perhaps. But that should be for the buyer, not Apple, to decide.

Mark Coppock
Mark Coppock is a Freelance Writer at Digital Trends covering primarily laptop and other computing technologies. He has…
The long overdue MacBook Pro design refresh might land in 2026
MacBook Pro

Apple likes to stick around with each product design refresh for at least a few generations. Take for example the M4 MacBook Pro, which is still carrying the same design language that was first introduced atop the M1 series models back in 2021.
Things could finally change next year. “In terms of major new Mac designs, I don’t expect the MacBook Pro to get an overhaul until around 2026 — when the M6 model is due to come out,” says a Bloomberg report.
Apple is currently working on refreshed MacBook Air and Pro models with M5-series processors. They might, however, stick with the same aesthetic formula as their respective M4-series counterparts. It’s not bad, but not without its flaws either.

“It’s no joke to lug around. Some will appreciate the extra screen real estate, no doubt, but there’s definitely a trade-off in mobility,” said Digital Trends’ review of the current-gen MacBook Pro.
“The one eyesore in the whole experience to me is still the notch in the display. I find it quite ugly and intrusive, and the way it cuts into the menu bar can be clumsy, especially on the 14-inch model,” the review adds.

Read more
macOS 16 / macOS 26: everything you need to know
Major changes are expected for the new macOS update, with talk it might be called macOS 26 instead
Craig Federighi introducing macOS Sonoma at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2023.

The next macOS installment, macOS 16 / macOS 26, is likely to be one of the main attractions at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2025), which kicks off on June 9, 2025.

Excitement is already building for this year's macOS update thanks to rumors of a major design overhaul for the Mac operating system - plus there's talk of a new name - macOS 26. This is everything we've heard so far about the next macOS update.
Latest macOS 16 / macOS 26 news

Read more
Apple silicon has made the MacBook Pro a consumer favorite
Someone using a MacBook Pro at a desk.

Apple’s computer lineup has greatly benefitted from its update to the M4 chip in 2024. The brand introduced the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac lines in the last year– and research has further indicated that Apple’s decision to shift from Intel processors to proprietary silicon was a solid move. It has made consumers favor Apple laptops more. 

According to statistics from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), MacBook form factors, in either MacBook Pro or MacBook Air made up 86% of Apple’s PC market share in 2024. Consumers especially favored the M4 MacBook Pro at a rate of 53%, while 33% of MacBook Air models shipped during the year, and 14% of iMac models. These figures vary only slightly from the year prior; however, CIRP noted that Apple appears to have weathered any fluctuations that may have occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Read more