While the entry-level MacBook Pro may include a removable SSD, possibly offering cheaper storage upgrades down the line from companies like OWC, the outlook isn’t so rosy for owners of the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models that feature the Touch Bar. The models are the first in the MacBook Pro lineup to ship with non-removable SSDs.
MacRumors reader Jesse D. unscrewed the bottom lid on his new 15-inch MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar and discovered, unlike the 13-inch model sans Touch Bar, there is no cutout in the logic board for removable flash storage. Another reader said the 13-inch model with a Touch Bar also has a non-removable SSD.
As seen in the photos above, the SSD appears to be soldered directly to the logic board in the Touch Bar-equipped MacBook Pro models. That means owners of the new notebooks won’t be able to upgrade the computer’s flash storage beyond the 512GB to 2TB of storage they pay for up front.
MacRumors also notes there are “pretty large, nearly index finger width gaps” around the battery cells, which the publication muses may be to keep the laptop’s weight footprint down, and to encourage better airflow. The internal layout of the touch bar model looks to be significantly different than the entry-level model, with its standard function keys.
Speaking of OWC, we should see the usual teardowns form both that third-party storage dealer, as well as iFixit, in the near future.
