Have you ever imagined that Apple's budget MacBook could boast storage capacity that even the company itself never dreamed of for this model? Well, it seems the ingenuity of developers knows no bounds. Thanks to the shared architecture between Macs and iPhones, the renowned modder dosdude1 has achieved a remarkable feat, successfully upgrading the soldered storage capacity of the new MacBook Neo from 256GB to a full 1TB. The secret lies within the heart of the iPhone 16 Pro.
The secret of the shared architecture between Mac and iPhone
This incredible upgrade wouldn't have been possible without Apple's smart (or perhaps cost-saving) decision to use the A18 Pro chip in the MacBook Neo, the same chip powering the iPhone 16 Pro family. To achieve this massive capacity, the developer used a 1TB NAND flash storage chip (model K8A5) sourced directly from the iPhone 16 Pro supply chain.
Although Apple officially supports a storage capacity of only 512GB for this device, the system was able to recognize the larger storage unit coming from the world of smartphones with complete ease, proving that the restrictions are sometimes more software-related and marketing-related than technical.
A precise surgical procedure to upgrade storage
Do not attempt this at home unless you are a highly skilled electronic surgeon! The process requires extreme precision because the storage in modern Macs is soldered directly to the motherboard. The task began by carefully removing the insulating material surrounding the original chip, then unsoldering the 256GB module and replacing it with a blank, unprogrammed 1TB iPhone chip.
After installing the new drive, the device doesn't work instantly like magic; it requires a full DFU restore to format the new storage and install the operating system. It's a complex process, but it unlocks incredible possibilities that push the boundaries of Apple's budget devices.
Performance that exceeds expectations: Higher speeds and greater capacity
The surprise wasn't just in the capacity, but also in the performance. Benchmark tests showed a slight improvement in speed after the upgrade. While the original device recorded read and write speeds of around 1500 MB/s, the numbers jumped after installing the iPhone chip to around 1700 MB/s for reading and 1600 MB/s for writing.
This improvement, though slight, brings the budget device closer to the performance of the more expensive models, and makes the MacBook Neo a small monster in data processing, especially with the availability of a huge amount of space that Apple did not intend to provide you with in this model.
Why does Apple recycle iPhone chips in Macs?
This modification highlights Apple's hardware standardization strategy; using A-series silicon in Macs makes it easier for developers and modders to understand how the system works. By leveraging components from the massive iPhone supply chain, modders have effectively circumvented the storage limitations Apple imposes on its cheaper devices, pushing users to purchase more expensive models.
This unique overlap between the iPhone 16 Pro and the MacBook Neo proves that the true strength of Apple's chips lies in their flexibility, even if the company tries to hide that behind its closed walls.
Here's the full video of the amazing upgrade process showing how this tiny Mac was transformed into a giant data storage unit using parts from a smartphone:
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