The teardown experts at iFixit are currently in the process of taking apart the new 13-inch MacBook Air released yesterday, and while the machine appears to be only a minor update to the previous model, there are undoubtedly some changes that are worth noting.
The most notable change so far is with the solid-state storage. Apple has tweaked the connector design on the MacBook Air's integrated flash storage, making current replacement and upgrade modules from third parties incompatible with the latest models. Other World Computing has also noted this difference and indicated that they are working "full steam ahead" on launching new Aura Pro Express SSDs compatible with the 2012 MacBook Air. Apple announced at WWDC that it was using new 500 MBps SSDs in its MacBook Air, and the new connector design is likely to accommodate the faster data transfer capabilities.
Toshiba SSD in Mid-2012 MacBook Air
Beyond the SSD, iFixit has found very few changes to the MacBook Air. The new models incorporate Apple's thinner Magsafe 2 standard that the company developed as it has sought to find ways to continue reducing the thickness of its notebooks. The new MacBook Air obviously also incorporates Intel's latest Ivy Bridge processors and new 1600 MHz RAM, as well as USB 3.0 support, but these upgrades have yielded very little in terms of changes to the machine's internal layout.
Left I/O board from Mid-2012 MacBook Air, with MagSafe 2 connector at left
iFixit's teardown is still underway, so there may yet be more news to come, and we will update this story with any additional discoveries of note.
Over the years I've built up quite a collection of MacBook power cords all throughout the house, so I can have power where ever I may be sitting. I wonder how much the MagSafe2 => MagSafe adapters are going to be.
I still don't get the advantages of the new MagSafe 2 port. It's a little thinner, but the original was not thicker than a USB port anyway, so how does making it slightly thinner help at all?
There are disadvantages, including it being wider, creating incompatibility, fall back to T-shaped connector for some reason...
I want to understand in what ways MagSafe 2 is better, anyone have some ideas?
Why would Apple change something unless it's significantly better; they're not known to change things without a good reason.
It might have to do with the fact that the "barrel type" acts like a hook when yanked from behind.
Secondly, by going shallower, it releases easier - so less likely to have a fall. The lighter the laptop, the lighter the grip the connector should have.
I still don't get the advantages of the new MagSafe 2 port. It's a little thinner, but the original was not thicker than a USB port anyway, so how does making it slightly thinner help at all?
There are disadvantages, including it being wider, creating incompatibility, fall back to T-shaped connector for some reason...
I want to understand in what ways MagSafe 2 is better, anyone have some ideas?
Why would Apple change something unless it's significantly better; they're not known to change things without a good reason.
It actually was slightly thicker than a USB port, at least it is on my 2011 MBA. They probably just wanted to make it a little thinner and be done with it. 5 years from now, nobody will care.
Wednesday January 19, 2022 11:30 am PST by Juli Clover
It's now been a few months since the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models launched in October, and MacRumors video editor Dan Barbera has been using one of the new machines since they debuted. Over on the MacRumors YouTube channel, Dan has shared a three month review of his MacBook Pro to see how it has held up over time and how it's changed his workflow.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube ...
Wednesday January 19, 2022 6:44 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple suppliers will begin producing display panels for the third-generation iPhone SE this month, with final assembly of the device likely to start in March, according to information shared by display industry consultant Ross Young.
Based on this production timeframe, Young believes the third-generation iPhone SE is likely to launch in the second half of April, or perhaps in early May at...
Tuesday January 18, 2022 11:46 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released a new 4C170 firmware update for the AirPods 3, an update from the prior 4C165 that was made available in December.
Apple does not offer details on what's included in new firmware updates for the AirPods, so we don't know what improvements or bug fixes the new firmware brings.
There is no standard way to upgrade the AirPods software, but firmware is...
Tuesday January 18, 2022 6:11 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today filed unreleased iPhone and iPad models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database, as spotted by French blog Consomac.
The filings likely represent the rumored third-generation iPhone SE, fifth-generation iPad Air, and potentially more. The unreleased iPhone models have the identifiers A2595, A2783, and A2784, while the unreleased iPad models have the identifiers A2588, A2589, ...
Tuesday January 18, 2022 10:35 am PST by Juli Clover
Verizon and AT&T's upcoming rollout of new C-Band 5G technology could cause chaos and lead to widespread delays of passenger and cargo flights, major U.S. airlines said on Monday in a letter sent to the White House National Economic Council, the FAA, and the FCC (via Reuters).
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Tuesday January 18, 2022 4:15 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Microsoft has released a new version of its Office for Mac productivity suite that includes an updated Excel app with 100% native support for Apple silicon machines.
According to the release notes accompanying version 16.57, Excel will now run natively on Macs powered by Apple's M1-series processors without having to use the Rosetta 2 translation layer, which means anyone using a Mac with an ...
Wednesday January 19, 2022 2:22 am PST by Sami Fathi
Apple is now requiring that customers in the United States verify that they're active students, teachers, or staff members at an educational institution in order to access education discounts on products.
Previously, little verification was needed for customers to purchase products through Apple's education store in the United States. Apple's education stores offer models of the iPad and Mac ...
Continuing the tradition set with the iPhone 13 Pro, only the highest-end iPhone 14 models will feature Apple's ProMotion display technology, according to a respected display analyst.
Ross Young, who on multiple occasions has detailed accurate information about Apple's future products, said in a tweet that ProMotion will not be expanded to the entire iPhone 14 lineup and will remain...
Apple's long-rumored under-display Face ID technology will not be coming to the iPhone 14 Pro, according to recent reports.
Based on the latest rumors, it now looks unlikely that the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature Face ID technology under the display as several reports claimed over the past year.
Display industry consultant Ross Young, who often reveals ...
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It might have to do with the fact that the "barrel type" acts like a hook when yanked from behind.
Secondly, by going shallower, it releases easier - so less likely to have a fall. The lighter the laptop, the lighter the grip the connector should have.
But can they afford George Costanza? :p
It actually was slightly thicker than a USB port, at least it is on my 2011 MBA. They probably just wanted to make it a little thinner and be done with it. 5 years from now, nobody will care.