2019 256GB MacBook Air has a slower SSD than 2018 model

According to a new speed test of the newest MacBook Air, which Apple launched earlier this month, the SSD under the hood is actually slower than last year’s model in one variant.

Consomac tested the SSD in the 256 2019 MacBook Air, showcasing the results in a recent published story. The publication’s results were based on data gathered from the Blackmagic Disk Speed benchmarking app, showcasing an overall drop in read speeds when compared to the 2018 MacBook Air.

According to the tests, the SSD installed in the 2019 MacBook Air has read speeds of 1.3GB/s, while the write speeds are set at 1GB/s. Compare that to the 2018 MacBook Air, which saw read speeds of 2GB/s and write speeds of 920MB/s, and you can see where the drop in speed comes in. Though, it’s certainly worth noting that write speeds are about the same between models.

That drop in read speed is a 35 percent decrease, which is definitely noticeable.

If you’re curious about the 128GB MacBook Air, it looks like the SSD in that model is actually not so different in read and write speeds compared to the 2018 model. The original report shows that write speeds are set at 500MB/s and read speeds are at 1.3GB/s.

Is this the kind of thing that might make someone who was once considering buying a 2019 MacBook Air with 256GB of built-in storage change their mind? Maybe! Then again, the read and write speeds are still plenty fast, and this is not a MacBook Pro. So maybe it’s not that big of a deal in the broad scheme of things.

How do you feel about this?