MacBook Air M2 disassembled: the motherboard reveals several surprises

Just a few days after the start of deliveries, Apple MacBook Air M2 has already been dismantled, thanks to the YouTube channel Max Tech. We can’t talk about a very complete teardown, but we have a very close look at the motherboardfrom which some interesting details emerge.

Meanwhile, it is noted that the design of the new model is significantly improved compared to the M1. Especially at the M2 SoC, the cooling solution it is more refined and precise, with thermally conductive paste directly above the chip and a large surface to better disperse heat throughout the body. However, it should be noted that most early reviews agree that the M2 chip is significantly warmer than the M1, and as a result the laptop struggles more often than the Air M1.

Digging a little deeper, we have definitive confirmation that the base model, with 256 GB, has only one SSD chip on board, and therefore its performance is halved compared to the Air M1 which had two 128 GB. The empty “slot” (in reality we are talking about chips soldered directly on the board) is there, but it is occupied only by the model with 512 GB memory size (essentially, basic size: 1×256 GB, more generous size: 2×256 GB = 512 GB).

Furthermore, we note the presence of a UWB (Ultra-Wideband) chip, which is probably a first on a Mac. The UWB chip allows the use of features like Find My to find lost devices, but it also has a lot of potential with AirDrop sharing technology. Apple has never mentioned the presence of this technology aboard its new Air.