If the extensive testing and your own eyes weren’t proof enough, we now have definitive proof that the 13-inch MacBook Pro M2 is nothing more than a recycled M1.
IFixit has done its usual teardown of the new machine and confirmed what everyone expected: the new MacBook Pro is just a 2020 MacBook Pro with a new logic board. The new machines are so similar that Apple is essentially reusing the same A2338 model number on both machines. The screws, removal process and even the placement of the chips and cables are the same, although iFixit notes that “some chips and smaller components have changed”.
One of the smaller changes iFixit discovered is that the heatsink on the M1 has slightly rounded corners compared to the squared corners on the M2. iFixit also confirmed the slower SSD by using a single 256GB chip on the M2 model versus two 128GB chips.
However, if you’re hoping to buy an M2 logic board and simply swap the M1, you can’t. Just as Luke Miani discovered, iFixit learned that you can’t just swap out circuit boards. Although they were able to boot the laptop, the key components failed to work due to the “baffling” decision to make the trackpad and keyboard incompatible with the older chip. iFixit notes that the parts are identical, so the problem is probably due to software limitations.
As a result, iFixit believes the M2 MacBook Pro is a “missed opportunity” for Apple to introduce its first upgradeable laptop in decades and “set the benchmark for repairability and eco-friendly design,” especially as Apple launches a new MacBook Air. with an M2 chip this month with a new design and specifications.
