The video: While not technically user-replaceable, in a surprising move, Mac Studio’s solid-state drive (SSD) is not soldered, according to YouTube channel Max Tech.
- Taking apart the Mac Studio is a dangerous ordeal with an exposed power supply…but there is a removable SSD…a first for Apple Silicon
- It was assumed that the SSD would be soldered, but instead it is a simple connection covered with tape (there is also an extra slot on the opposite side for future upgrades)
- Apple says that the Mac Studio features non user-accessible storage, but it is very possible that authorized providers could offer upgrades in the future
Ian’s Take: While Apple didn’t go as far as making the SSD user-replaceable, this is a step in the right direction. When Apple first unveiled its plans for Apple silicon, many assumed that nothing would be user-replaceable and everything would be soldered. While that has been true for all Apple silicon Macs so far, even the Mac mini, the Mac Studio changes this. While this removable SSD does not tell us much about the Mac Studio, it could give us a peek at the upgradable future of a more modular Apple Silicon Mac.
