Transcend Debuts JetDrive SSD Upgrade Kits Up to 960GB for MacBook Air, Retina Macbook Pro

Transcend has introduced new JetDrive SSD upgrade kits designed for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display. The upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of internal storage capacity and come with both installation tools and instructions.

JetDrive kits also ship with an aluminum USB 3.0 enclosure, which allows upgraders to reuse their original SSD, and all kits include a five year warranty.

Stop shuffling around your files and fretting about storage space. Transcend's JetDrive SSD upgrade kits offer up to 960GB of storage capacity. Upgrading your Mac to a JetDrive SSD ensures you'll have plenty of space for all your favorite music, videos, and photos.

The JetDrive SSDs are able to take advantage of JetDrive Toolbox monitoring software, which keeps track of the health of the drive and enables TRIM support for optimum write speeds and SSD life. JetDrive SSDs also have maximum read speeds of 495MB/s and maximum write speeds of 495MB/s.

The company has three separate products for early MacBook Airs, mid–2012 MacBook Airs, and mid-2012 Retina Macbook Pros, in multiple capacities. While mid–2012 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros can be upgraded with 240, 480, or 960 GB of storage space, earlier MacBook Airs (late 2010 and mid–2011) are limited to 240 or 480 GB. Transcend's JetDrive kits are not PCIe and are not compatible with the most recently released 2013 MacBook Airs and Retina MacBook Pros.

Transcend's JetDrives can be found on Amazon.com, with prices ranging from $190 for the lower end upgrade to $600 for the higher end upgrade. Ordering information and specific links can be accessed on Transcend's website, but the 960 GB SSDs have yet to make their way to Amazon.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Touchscreen MacBook Feature

Here Are the Four MacBooks Apple Is Expected to Launch Next Year

Monday December 1, 2025 5:00 am PST by
2026 could be a bumper year for Apple's Mac lineup, with the company expected to announce as many as four separate MacBook launches. Rumors suggest Apple will court both ends of the consumer spectrum, with more affordable options for students and feature-rich premium lines for users that seek the highest specifications from a laptop. Below is a breakdown of what we're expecting over the next ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
chatgpt logo

Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans

Tuesday December 2, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic. Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation,...

Top Rated Comments

TranscendInfo Avatar
152 months ago
Hello Everyone!
This is Transcend's Official MacRumors account. We'd love to answer any questions you might have!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TranscendInfo Avatar
152 months ago
“ JetDrive SSDs deliver the performance you need.”


They're not PCIe and the don't really deliver performance...
Hi treichert,
You'll be pleasantly surprised that our JetDrive SSDs are significantly faster than OEM Apple SSDs. For example, our 480GB JetDrive 520 installed in a 128GB Mid 2012 MacBook Air boosted sequential read speeds from 403 MB/s to 490 MB/s and sequential write speeds from 150 MB/s to 422 MB/s*. We'll be providing samples to various media for third party testing to substantiate our claims as well.

*Tested with Blackmagic Disk Speed Test
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maflynn Avatar
152 months ago
“ JetDrive SSDs deliver the performance you need.”


They're not PCIe and the don't really deliver performance...

My SATAIII SSDs is quite fast so while you may not be pleased with that. I'd say a SATA SSD is going to be faster then a SATA HD. So in a sense they are delivering performance. Just not to your liking.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Binarymix Avatar
152 months ago
So NOT for the 2013 Macbook Air :(


They need to get 3rd party SSD's for the 2013 models!!!
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TranscendInfo Avatar
151 months ago
Everything has been tried. It was inserted properly and retried several times. If you look at the stock Apple drive, there's plenty of room for it to fit. That is not the case with your drive, as is quite evident in the side-by-side shot.

I've already requested the return to Amazon. Shipping back tomorrow. Don't see the point of discussing this matter further. This was the first time I've purchased a product made by Transcend. "One chance to make the right impression." G'luck with that.
Hello endlessct9a,
Thank you for your feedback on this issue. Again, we would like to apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you. We take such matters very seriously here at Transcend, and we’d like to take some time to explain our findings after thoroughly investigating this issue.

What we’ve found:

1. 13” Retina MacBook Pros are not affected by this issue since the SSD is located in it’s own plastic tray beneath the trackpad. Transcend’s JetDrive 720 is fully compatible with the 13” MacBook Pro with Retina display.

2. JetDrive 500 and 520 are not affected by this issue.

3. We have found that on some 15” Retina MacBook Pros, Apple’s assembly tolerances may allow for the motherboard to be shifted slightly to the right, decreasing the clearance between the speaker and the back of the SSD. The reduced clearance caused by the shifted motherboard will prevent our JetDrive 720 from seating correctly since it is 0.5mm longer than the stock SSD. We are therefore announcing that our JetDrive 720 is currently incompatible with the 15” MacBook Pro with Retina display.

Our next steps:
1. We will change all Amazon listings and our own website to reflect this issue.
2. We will redesign our JetDrive 720 PCB to be the exact length as the stock SSD, making it fully compatible with both the 13” and 15” MacBook Pro with Retina display.

We have attached a few photos to illustrate the above issues. (imgur link (http://transcendinfo.imgur.com/all/))

13" MacBook Pro with Retina display

Stock SSD


Transcend JetDrive


15" MacBook Pro with Retina display

Stock SSD


Transcend JetDrive


Stock SSD


Transcend JetDrive
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakesaunders27 Avatar
152 months ago
YAY!!! Finally can stop living with 64GB!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)