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The 13-inch MacBook Pro wasn’t redesigned when it was powered by the M2 processor, and the latest iFixit disassembly shows that there were few changes.
At first glance, the outer casing is the same up to the model number printed at the bottom. However, the EMC number is different. This is the only way to distinguish the two machines from the outside world.
Once inside, iFixit was able to point out some differences between logic boards and heatsinks. In the M1 model, the corners of the heat sink are slightly rounded, but the corners of the M2 are square.
The M2 board fits in the M1 case, but it couldn’t boot properly because the device couldn’t detect the internal peripherals. This means you can’t do a logic board replacement on an older model just to get the M2, at least without bringing your own mouse and keyboard. Touch ID is also disabled on this Frankenstein machine.
The lack of upgradeability between generations seems to be limited by firmware locks, as the hardware itself appears to be replaceable. It’s not clear if this was a deliberate limitation on the part of Apple, but given the company’s previous actions, it seems likely.
The SSD read and write speeds that the reviewers commented on were also addressed by the iFixit teardown. As mentioned in the review, the M1 MacBook Pro has two 128GB flash chips for a 256GB capacity, while the M2 has one 256GB flash chip. The 256GB M1 MacBook Pro is more parallelized than the same capacity M2 MacBook Pro, which improves speed.
when AppleInsider When I compared the two machines, I had a hard time distinguishing them. The M1’s performance was still good and I couldn’t distinguish it because there was no physical difference.
A 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 is available for purchase, but it’s in a strange position in Apple’s lineup. The M2 MacBook Air will be available in July and is expected to be a much more exciting machine for consumers.