Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air SSD Really Is Twice as Fast as Previous Model

As customers are receiving their new Apple Silicon Macs, we're starting to see more benchmarks and testing being posted in our Apple Silicon forum. One forum user (abbotsford1980) shared SSD Benchmarks for their new M1 MacBook Air with 256GB storage:

apple silicon macbook air ssd benchmarks

The benchmarks confirm that the new ‌MacBook Air‌ SSD is approximately twice as fast as the previous model with 2190 MB/s writes and 2675 MB/s reads. Apple did announce this performance boost when launching the new machine, and attributed the improved speed to the ‌M1‌'s storage controller as well as new flash technology:

The M1 chip’s storage controller and latest flash technology deliver up to 2x faster SSD performance, so previewing massive images or importing large files is faster than ever.

The 2019/2020 Intel ‌MacBook Air‌ was criticized for actually offering a slower SSD than the 2018 model. The 2019/2020 ‌MacBook Air‌ SSD speeds were 1319 MB/s reads and 1007 MB/s writes.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forum: MacBook Air

Popular Stories

ios 17 iphone 15 pro status bar sos crop feature2

iPhone SOS: Verizon Experiences Major Outage Across the U.S. [Update: Fixed]

Monday September 30, 2024 9:03 am PDT by
Verizon is currently experiencing a major outage that is affecting many customers across the U.S., including iPhone users. Affected users may be unable to send or receive phone calls, send or receive text messages, or use cellular data. As a result of the network being down, many affected iPhone users are seeing "SOS" displayed in their device's status bar. In a support document, Apple says...
15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.1

Friday September 27, 2024 6:14 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.1 in October, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update marks a significant step forward in Apple's AI integration, offering a new Siri contextually-aware experience and a range of additional capabilities powered by on-device machine learning and large language models. There are a couple of handy new...
m3 mbp space black

What to Expect From an Apple Event in October: iPad Mini 7, Redesigned Mac Mini, and More

Friday September 27, 2024 11:47 am PDT by
Apple will likely hold another event in October this year to announce new Macs and iPads. If so, it would be the fourth time in the last five years that Apple has held an event in October. Last year, Apple held a virtual event on Monday, October 30 to announce new MacBook Pro and iMac models with the M3 series of chips. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Tuesday October 1, 2024 5:47 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

iPhone 16 Pro Max Charging Speed Test Proves 45W Rumor Was Wrong

Monday September 30, 2024 8:16 am PDT by
While a Chinese regulatory filing showed that all iPhone 16 models are rated for up to 45W charging speeds, tests have since shown that the devices do not actually charge this fast. However, there are still improvements. ChargerLAB last week tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a variety of Apple and third-party chargers, and it found that the device achieved maximum sustained charging speeds...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 2

Apple's Next New iPhone to Debut in the Spring: What to Expect

Tuesday October 1, 2024 3:14 am PDT by
Apple's budget-friendly iPhone SE is set for a major overhaul with a fourth generation model expected to launch in spring 2025. The upcoming model will mark a significant departure from its predecessors, adopting several features from higher-end iPhones while maintaining its position as the most affordable new model in Apple's lineup. According to recent reports, the iPhone SE 4 will sport a ...
apple silicon mac lineup wwdc 2022 feature purple

MacBook Pro, iMac, and Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 Chips on Track to Launch 'This Year'

Tuesday October 1, 2024 1:57 pm PDT by
Apple plans to release new MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models with the M4 series of chips "this year," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman initially said these Macs would likely be announced during a virtual event this October, but he has been more vague about the timing lately, with wording such as "in the coming weeks" and now merely "this year." In any case, it is clear that...
iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit

Apple May Launch First iPad-Like Smart Home Accessory Next Year

Monday September 30, 2024 2:55 am PDT by
Apple could release an iPad-like smart home accessory based on its homeOS platform as early as next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reports that the display will run Apple apps like Calendar, Notes, and Home, and will feature an interface "optimized for controlling home appliances and quickly seeing information." Apple's...

Top Rated Comments

eric89074 Avatar
51 months ago
The switch to Apple silicon has been a home run, and this is just the beginning.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ersan191 Avatar
51 months ago
Apple really undersold this thing, imo.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zoom25 Avatar
51 months ago
The new iMac can't come soon enough.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FactVsOpinion Avatar
51 months ago
Apple has proven to be unusually honest with claims like this.

The all around performance of these new models is surprising, but to find out that Apple’s claims weren’t bogus is not surprising—not to me anyway.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dragoon2745 Avatar
51 months ago
So it's twice as fast today because the cut the speed in half in the previous models? Why did they have to move to slower SSDs in the MacBook Air to begin with?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UndefinedxJoker Avatar
51 months ago
First time in a long time that an Apple product gets nothing but positive news.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)