iFixit Tearing Down 16-Inch MacBook Pro Live

[code-m]

re: SSD, yes there was a removable module but in 2018 Apple started using soldered NAND chips with the T2 as controller, same as MBP. For likely the same reasons I mentioned for MBP: a combination of physical size, performance, security, cost, reliability and margin.

The 2017 MBA and prior has always been a battery life champ compared to other Apple laptops. I love that I can replan the SSD on those models, the 2 and 4GB of RAM that was offered was ridiculous to begin with, 8 GB was decent and aligned the device for years of usability for what the device was designed for. I am not sure that there are many people using a MBA for editing HD/4K video or batch photo files. I use mine for photo editing, some quick videos, word processing, the the usual productivity daily tasks. I find 8GB quite usable, would 16GB be nice sure but again for my use case 8GB is decent, on the other hand SSD storage grows with what I am doing and I like the opportunity to expand that internal storage without carrying around external drives or depending on cloud storage for my immediate needs. I may not have the budget to get a computer with the top storage option however with the work I do I set small amounts aside that grows with my needs.

What is the point of getting a 8TB SSD internal storage when I am only using 1TB and may or mayn't ever require that extra space in the next couple years. I am stuck paying a premium now in the off chance that I may use it and if I do need it I will have to replace my entire computer or depend on external storage or cloud storage something I do not like doing while I travel.

Some options for upgradability would be nice to grow with the users needs vice asking them to make an immediate choice. I am even fine with all base Apple laptops coming with 8/16GB base RAM non-user replaceable and the SSD being user replaceable. A compromise, yes.

The T2 chip encrypts the SSD, if it was user replaceable there are options to make a clone of it or use migration assistant when upgrading. Plus there is FileVault that has been available for years. What is the purpose of having T2 hardware encryption and FileVault software encryption, what type of Top Secret work are you doing, seriously these just seem like a method to restrict the users more due to paranoia.

 

[PickUrPoison]

The 2017 MBA and prior has always been a battery life champ compared to other Apple laptops. I love that I can replan the SSD on those models, the 2 and 4GB of RAM that was offered was ridiculous to begin with, 8 GB was decent and aligned the device for years of usability for what the device was designed for. I am not sure that there are many people using a MBA for editing HD/4K video or batch photo files. I use mine for photo editing, some quick videos, word processing, the the usual productivity daily tasks. I find 8GB quite usable, would 16GB be nice sure but again for my use case 8GB is decent, on the other hand SSD storage grows with what I am doing and I like the opportunity to expand that internal storage without carrying around external drives or depending on cloud storage for my immediate needs. I may not have the budget to get a computer with the top storage option however with the work I do I set small amounts aside that grows with my needs.

What is the point of getting a 8TB SSD internal storage when I am only using 1TB and may or mayn't ever require that extra space in the next couple years. I am stuck paying a premium now in the off chance that I may use it and if I do need it I will have to replace my entire computer or depend on external storage or cloud storage something I do not like doing while I travel.

Some options for upgradability would be nice to grow with the users needs vice asking them to make an immediate choice. I am even fine with all base Apple laptops coming with 8/16GB base RAM non-user replaceable and the SSD being user replaceable. A compromise, yes.

Sure upgradability would be nice, but Apple has gone to soldered NAND chips + the T2 controller, imo for all the reasons I mentioned above: a combination of physical size, performance, security, cost, reliability and margin.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

I am the dinosaur still using a 17” 2011 MBP. Last week the AMD GPU failed (those “reliable” solder joints lol) and I looked seriously at the new 16”. My decision was to keep the 17” (disabled the GPU in terminal) and wait until next year to see what they do with the iMacs.

That's me too; same situation.

But I'm actually waiting for this model to be tested out by the early adopters and/or any kinks to reveal themselves, even if at a first glance this machine is an excellent value.

I always bought MBPs for their flexibility( my first Mac was the first 17" PowerBook) and durability, but they've been losing that as the years have gone on once the 17" was discontinued.

That said, I've never been a power user; my Macs are and always have been primarily used for home-based iLife (those that recognize the term know what I mean), as a repository for a family's worth of video, music, and memories.

So a smaller, weaker (and cheaper) Mac might work just fine nowadays, given TB3, fast and (relatively) ubiquitous internet access, and cloud storage allows for the external flexibility promised (but never delivered) with the 2013 Mac Pro.

Tech has finally caught up, so I no longer need the most powerful Mac, nor for it to have the legs they used to. So my setup will soon become:

Lowest-end MacBook or Mini
EGPU (for when I want to Windows-game)
TB3 Storage Array (if necessary...my kids are aging out so don't need as much space)
Dock (if not going with the mini)
Dual-monitor setup
iPad 12 for travel (if not going with the Macbook)

OR

Get this 16 in midrange form (with at least 2TB storage) and call it good.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[code-m]

Also consider that for business use, it doesn’t pencil out to buy less (16/32) than you’ll need (32/64), with the thought of upgrading in the future. It’s cheaper for them to buy what they need for the next 3-5 years and be done with it. That gives the user the advantage of the better config for all those years before an eventual upgrade would have happened.

Business care about the bottomline when purchasing computing equipment, what is the most affordable to get the job done. Having to purchase for the business requirements today and upgrading the storage and RAM later when prices for those components drop is more cost effective and profit inclined.

Why would I pay more for the higher end options for RAM and SSD today when the prices are more than likely to drop in 1-3 years when I may have the requirement to do so to prolong my business requirements while extending the hardware use and adding to my profit margin.

Saying that the engineering will take a little extra work, so what that is what Apple and other computer manufacturers do. They got into the business and know what is involved to make a computer, it is not like they are redesigning the motherboard every year, they do it with iOS devices annually to accommodate some new technology but on a laptop usually what get upgraded annually with Apple if we are lucky is the processor, RAM (capacity usually) and dGPU (depending but not usually), SSD (likely). Most of these are just drop in replacements the thermals may need to be adjusted depending on the processor requirements but other than that very little changes over the years with the exception of a redesign.

If most of these components were drop in options, we would actually get an update every 6 months or less and keep up with newer technology rather than sell months behind tech at top prices. Soldering every component may add complexity to the motherboard design and prolonging updates.

These are just excuses Apple is using for profits today and disregarding users requirements. If Apple wants to soldier everything then provide competitive pricing with the free market and not making it a monopoly.

I am surprised that EU does not have a lawsuit or review for Apple's hardware upgrade monopoly with absurd upgrade pricing that is counter to the free-market. RAM upgrade today XYZ surcharge, pries drop in 3-6 months, RAM upgrade pricing still stays the same. Who is benefiting in this situation Apple or the customer and the free-market.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Business care about the bottomline when purchasing computing equipment, what is the most affordable to get the job done. Having to purchase for the business requirements today and upgrading the storage and RAM later when prices for those components drop is more cost effective and profit inclined.

Why would I pay more for the higher end options for RAM and SSD today when the prices are more than likely to drop in 1-3 years when I may have the requirement to do so to prolong my business requirements while extending the hardware use and adding to my profit margin.

Saying that the engineering will take a little extra work, so what that is what Apple and other computer manufacturers do. They got into the business and know what is involved to make a computer, it is not like they are redesigning the motherboard every year, they do it with iOS devices annually to accommodate some new technology but on a laptop usually what get upgraded annually with Apple if we are lucky is the processor, RAM (capacity usually) and dGPU (depending but not usually), SSD (likely). Most of these are just drop in replacements the thermals may need to be adjusted depending on the processor requirements but other than that very little changes over the years with the exception of a redesign.

If most of these components were drop in options, we would actually get an update every 6 months or less and keep up with newer technology rather than sell months behind tech at top prices. Soldering every component may add complexity to the motherboard design and prolonging frequent updates.

These are just excuses Apple is using for profits today and disregarding users requirements. If Apple wants to soldier everything then provide competitive pricing with the free market and not making it a monopoly.

I am surprised that EU does not have a lawsuit or review for Apple's hardware upgrade monopoly with absurd upgrade pricing that is counter to the free-market. RAM upgrade today XYZ surcharge, pries drop in 3-6 months, RAM upgrade pricing still stays the same. Who is benefiting in this situation Apple or the customer and the free-market.

Consumers may want to upgrade but it’s not cost effective from a business standpoint. Most businesses never upgrade their computers, they buy the config they’ll need for the next 3-4 years and replace them on schedule.

Apples prices are high because their expenses are high. They’ve got 500+ retail stores, 130,000+ employees and spend $1.5 billion per month on R&D.

 

[yAak]

Where's teh FKN iFixit link in this article?

HERE! https://www.ifixit.com/News/16-inch-macbook-pro-magic-keyboard-throwback

 

[code-m]

Sure upgradability would be nice, but Apple has gone to soldered NAND chips + the T2 controller, imo for all the reasons I mentioned above: a combination of physical size, performance, security, cost, reliability and margin.

Physical size, adding even 4mm to a laptop design would not make it bulkier, look at the MBA wedge shape. Any computer manufacturer and engineer can be creative and make it work. Engineers love a challenge and love to find creative solutions to a problem. This sounds more like the bean counters placing restrictions on them tbh.

Performance, subjective but if true it is a very very minor hit to the overall user experience that will not be noticed. Going from a rotating HDD to a SSD is very noticeable, when I had upgraded my iMac that had a HDD with a slot and replaced it with a SSD also with a slot, the increase in speed was very noticeable due to the solid start nature. I am sceptical that soldiering would render any noticeable difference to the end-user experience.

Security, even if the SSD was user replaceable no one is removing the back cover of a laptop to take the SSD out and leave the computer behind. A potential thief would steal the entire laptop. With the T2 hardware encryption and SSD soldiered a potential thief would steal the entire laptop similar to the prior scenario so the user is still at a loss regardless. But you say my data is protected, many thieves do not care about your data they care about the hardware to be sold, if they wanted your data there are other easier methods to obtain it. However you say the data is encrypted, but the thief does not care to sell the laptop as a complete device, they will strip it for parts and make more money and that is the original intent. I don't know which thief looks at a users laptop and says this is my only method of stealing that persons data, they want the hardware either to sell for parts or in full. This is just Apple trying to sell the T2 security and playing on peoples paranoias, forget about the other multitude ways of stealing data digitally like hacking, cracking, spoofing, etc ,etc.

Cost, for a large multi-billion dollar corporation that cost is very very minor and the bulk deals they receive from component manufacturers offsets any potential negative. The big deal here is that Apple know that if the RAM and SSD is user replaceable they can no longer charge absurd prices for the duration that the product stays for sale in the market. Rather than stay competitive and reduce RAM and SSD prices along with the free-market they monopolizing ones position by profiting by receiving bulk pricing for those component weeks in advance.

Reliability, I have had slotted RAM and HDD/SSD for years on my Apple computers and I travel quite a bit, even dropped a few on the ground, other than cosmetic damage the SSD and RAM were never an issue. Plus my SSD is secured into place by a single screw so this is physically impossible to move. If the soldering connection for the slot is defective then that would also apply to components soldiered so I do not see the concern with a slotted option. RAM slots have two clips to keep it in-place, and the back cover would keep the DIMMs from moving so not sure why this is a concern. All these are just FUD set out by Apple and its cheerleader team on MR to justify Apple's profiteering from a lack of user upgradable options post-purchase. The problems that Apple has had like the butterfly mech KB, display hinges, GPU, motherboard, etc are all Apple's quality control issues and only a few customers have had actual problems related to their own fault.

I feel there are some Apple lobbyist's posing as MR forum members.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

There are people here that can't understand that the vast majority doesn't upgrade their laptops.

Good point. Add to that that, the folks that would want the feature still wouldn’t buy the MBP for a number of OTHER reasons beyond soldered motherboard components OR wouldn’t buy it because their needs are being QUITE well met by 4 (or more) year old hardware.

the machine but he still prefers a 2012 MacBook Pro... ridiculous...

“Buy one of the 2012s used, then come buy parts from us!“

Most businesses never upgrade their computers, they buy the config they’ll need for the next 3-4 years and replace them on schedule.

This is true, and when there’s an issue the support, for the Mac, the parts inventory is MUCH simplified.

 

[code-m]

Consumers may want to upgrade but it’s not cost effective from a business standpoint. Most businesses never upgrade their computers, they buy the config they’ll need for the next 3-4 years and replace them on schedule.

Apples prices are high because their expenses are high. They’ve got 500+ retail stores, 130,000+ employees and spend $1.5 billion per month on R&D.

Apple also benefits from tax-shelter countries and builds its computers in low income nations. If the user and third-party manufacturers are able to do simple upgrades and repairs the lineup and cost for the Genius Bar would not be so high, Apple treats its users as technically incompetent. Reality is Apple wants to control and monopolize its hardware business. They tried this in the early-mid 90's by having custom RAM DIMMs, etc which got them into trouble as the cost was very high to do any post-purchase upgrades which the industry standard for those components was significantly lower. People moved to the industrial standard and Apple started to loose out on sales. I seems history is repeating itself and Apple learned nothing. Soldering components onto a motherboard is not the industrial standard practise.

What portion of the $1.5 billion per month on R&D is for Mac hardware, Mac software, iOS hardware, iOS software, services, future unreleased products and services, etc?

I have worked for many companies and the key factor is upfront cost for what is the bare requirement to do the job for the immediate future. What does it cost to obtain COTS upgrades vice having it purchased as is today. As the IT department is already on salary there is no additional cost to do the physical upgrades as this is conducted in phases. Why would I purchase a computer with 64GB RAM and 8TB SSD today for $2500 more when I can have it for a fraction of that price 2 years from now via COTS upgrade, the money I save today can be redirected to other areas of the business to make a profit and the later cheaper upgrades will provide a great tax incentive for the business.

Remember that there is no downtime as our company does these hardware upgrades along with software updates after the workday concludes and it is EASIER and CHEAPER for our IT department to do it in-house and save TIME then to send it to Apple for repairs, off-load data and wait till we get the machine back which is out of our control. We do have it in our contract that we receive a computer on loan until we get the one sent out for repairs or it just gets replaced, however that still leaves the problem to off load the data vice just removing the slotted HDD/SSD and insert into the replacement machine and we are up and running in 5-10 mins.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I feel there are some Apple lobbyist's posing as MR forum members.

Well, as lobbying is NOT a poor man’s game, of COURSE there are well paid lobbyists, like myself, frequenting forums like this. It’s good work and basically consists of reminding folks that they are not Apple’s target market, iterating that Apple’s not going to EVER make that kind of computer they want to buy again, and suggesting that folks might likely be better of buying OTHER companies computers.

Hmm, now that I think of it, quite UNLIKE lobbyist activities at all. But, hey, it DOES pay well.

And, for those that need it...
/s

 

[farmboy]

Apple releases yet another throwable device.
As in throw it in your trashcan in a few years.
No chance to upgrade anything or replace the battery once it stops holding a charge unless you're ready to pay close to the price of a new one anyway.
Nice going Apple.

Well, since Apple's price for replacing a battery in, say, a 2015 Macbook Pro is $299...share with us where you're buying your new Macs fro something near that price, because that's a pretty good deal.

 

[code-m]

It’s good work and basically consists of reminding folks that they are not Apple’s target market, iterating that Apple’s not going to EVER make that kind of computer they want to buy again, and suggesting that folks might likely be better of buying OTHER companies computers.

Yep the same cheerleader and lobbyist team that stated that people on MR should get over they grievances relating to the butterfly mech KB and just deal with it or go someplace else because you know Apple is not going to reverse course on their decision.

Here is looking at you 2019 16" MBP with Magic Scissor KB.

But please the butterfly mech KB is still available for those diehard fans who like typing on concrete and comes with a complimentary 4 years warranty, forget about the potential for causing finger and joint injuries down the road, Apple is correct in their poorly implemented and tested design relating to this issue.

 

[stevefeinstein]

I agree with all who say sockets would be less reliable. But the utility of being able to upgrade would outweigh the need to reseat the board once in a while. As for security, that's a non-argument. There's no reason the data on an SSD shouldn't be encrypted. So it will be useless (the data, and possibly the drive if it's paired with the computer) to anyone you might steal it.
Now do I mind if it's all soldered?, no, not really. I haven't really wanted to upgrade my past few machines, by the time I needed more memory there were other features that new machines had that I wanted (better screen, faster wifi [ok that could be made upgradable], faster I/O ), and it does reduce the assembly and parts cost so at Apple's scale it would save them a bit of money.

 

[code-m]

Well, since Apple's price for replacing a battery in, say, a 2015 Macbook Pro is $299...share with us where you're buying your new Macs fro something near that price, because that's a pretty good deal.

That may seem like a good deal to you and I, however without having open competition from 3rd party repair shops or users replaceable components, we just don't know if we can have a better deal.

Most of a repair cost is not the components/parts but the labor and I suspect this is where Apple is profiting by not permitting 3r party or users to conduct it themselves while providing Apple Authenticate Parts for sale.

 

[Dovydas]

I agree with all who say sockets would be less reliable. But the utility of being able to upgrade would outweigh the need to reseat the board once in a while. As for security, that's a non-argument. There's no reason the data on an SSD shouldn't be encrypted. So it will be useless (the data, and possibly the drive if it's paired with the computer) to anyone you might steal it.
Now do I mind if it's all soldered?, no, not really. I haven't really wanted to upgrade my past few machines, by the time I needed more memory there were other features that new machines had that I wanted (better screen, faster wifi [ok that could be made upgradable], faster I/O ), and it does reduce the assembly and parts cost so at Apple's scale it would save them a bit of money.

I don’t mind if everything is soldered as long as reasonable BTO options are provided. 4400 SEK for additional 16 GB of ram is anything but reasonable.

 

[Peperino]

There are no excuses for soldering ram and ssd.

maybe I should be more clear. There are no good excuses for soldering everything. Reliability is the biggest bs excuse I have ever heard.

Soldering only helps the reliability of Apple making more money out of repairs and people buying new computers because they cannot be repaired.
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Sure upgradability would be nice, but Apple has gone to soldered NAND chips + the T2 controller, imo for all the reasons I mentioned above: a combination of physical size, performance, security, cost, reliability and margin.

If as you excuse Apple that it improves cost, and margin, why Apple is not actually putting the new Macbooks Pro at $1800?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I do not think people were actually happy with any of the designs 2016+

Mac sales were actually UP in the most recent report. The new keyboard will not have a material impact on Mac Sales because most not buying because people holding off their purchase due to the keyboard are likely still holding off due to other Apple decisions about how they build the MBP.

Sales of Macs are likely being impacted more by iOS devices. Many things that an everyday user wanted to do used to require a Mac. Now, those same things can be done with an iPhone or an iPad with the added benefit that the products are lighter and, if you so desire, can be online wherever you are and (not just were wired or WiFI internet is available.)
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It must be soldered to the logic board. There is no possibility to use modules with LP memory.

Thanks for the info. I had looked into the benefits of LP memory but didn’t know it was required to be soldered.

 

[Peperino]

Mac sales were actually UP in the most recent report. The new keyboard will not have a material impact on Mac Sales because most not buying because people holding off their purchase due to the keyboard are likely still holding off due to other Apple decisions about how they build the MBP.

Sales of Macs are likely being impacted more by iOS devices. Many things that an everyday user wanted to do used to require a Mac. Now, those same things can be done with an iPhone or an iPad with the added benefit that the products are lighter and, if you so desire, can be online wherever you are and (not just were wired or WiFI internet is available.)

MAc sales up??? LOL
MAc Sales have been stalled and down for the past 3 years.
And although iOS devices have become better, you cannot do things you can do in an iMac, Macbook Pro, etc..
The reason is both quality and design in the entire computer line have become a joke.
Look at the upgrade cycles. Mac Pro 6 years, Mac Mini 4 years, iMac same exterior design than 8 years ago.
Macbook Pro2016+ (is a lame duck).
The reason users an NOT upgrading iMacs, Macbook pros and Mac Pros are because of the current machines are badly designed. We do not want due to a simple component failure to lose our data because all components are soldered.
i.e. In the past users used to upgrade every 3 years. Now, due to there are not much improvements, they are waiting 5-7 years. Many users that had the all Mac Pro (cheese grater), and that have been waiting forever to upgrade, they already upgrade the old machines or many built a hackintosh. Many users that have old Macbooks, they did not upgrade from 2016-2019 due to the bad Macbook design. They might upgrade now, but that would be supporting the current all soldered components disposable appliance.

 

[PickUrPoison]

Physical size, adding even 4mm to a laptop design would not make it bulkier, look at the MBA wedge shape. Any computer manufacturer and engineer can be creative and make it work. Engineers love a challenge and love to find creative solutions to a problem. This sounds more like the bean counters placing restrictions on them tbh.

Performance, subjective but if true it is a very very minor hit to the overall user experience that will not be noticed. Going from a rotating HDD to a SSD is very noticeable, when I had upgraded my iMac that had a HDD with a slot and replaced it with a SSD also with a slot, the increase in speed was very noticeable due to the solid start nature. I am sceptical that soldiering would render any noticeable difference to the end-user experience.

Security, even if the SSD was user replaceable no one is removing the back cover of a laptop to take the SSD out and leave the computer behind. A potential thief would steal the entire laptop. With the T2 hardware encryption and SSD soldiered a potential thief would steal the entire laptop similar to the prior scenario so the user is still at a loss regardless. But you say my data is protected, many thieves do not care about your data they care about the hardware to be sold, if they wanted your data there are other easier methods to obtain it. However you say the data is encrypted, but the thief does not care to sell the laptop as a complete device, they will strip it for parts and make more money and that is the original intent. I don't know which thief looks at a users laptop and says this is my only method of stealing that persons data, they want the hardware either to sell for parts or in full. This is just Apple trying to sell the T2 security and playing on peoples paranoias, forget about the other multitude ways of stealing data digitally like hacking, cracking, spoofing, etc ,etc.

Cost, for a large multi-billion dollar corporation that cost is very very minor and the bulk deals they receive from component manufacturers offsets any potential negative. The big deal here is that Apple know that if the RAM and SSD is user replaceable they can no longer charge absurd prices for the duration that the product stays for sale in the market. Rather than stay competitive and reduce RAM and SSD prices along with the free-market they monopolizing ones position by profiting by receiving bulk pricing for those component weeks in advance.

Reliability, I have had slotted RAM and HDD/SSD for years on my Apple computers and I travel quite a bit, even dropped a few on the ground, other than cosmetic damage the SSD and RAM were never an issue. Plus my SSD is secured into place by a single screw so this is physically impossible to move. If the soldering connection for the slot is defective then that would also apply to components soldiered so I do not see the concern with a slotted option. RAM slots have two clips to keep it in-place, and the back cover would keep the DIMMs from moving so not sure why this is a concern. All these are just FUD set out by Apple and its cheerleader team on MR to justify Apple's profiteering from a lack of user upgradable options post-purchase. The problems that Apple has had like the butterfly mech KB, display hinges, GPU, motherboard, etc are all Apple's quality control issues and only a few customers have had actual problems related to their own fault.

I feel there are some Apple lobbyist's posing as MR forum members.

Apple has soldered RAM in MacBook Pro since 2012, MacBook Air since 2009, iPhone since 2007 and iPad since 2010. The devices can be made smaller and more reliable.

You do realize that the LPDDR3 memory Apple has used for many years cannot be socketed, right? It must be soldered. There’s no choice.

The 2018/2019 15” and the 16” are exceptions but next year with Comet Lake Apple is likely to go back to LP memory since it will support LPDDR4X at 64GB for the 15”. So we’ll be back to the situation of no possibility of socketed RAM.

You’re not the only one who wants what they want, but Apple doesn’t make it. Unfortunately, there just aren’t that many users who place the same importance on the ability to upgrade as you.

Apple’s not going to change what they’re doing just to satisfy 5 or 10 or even 20% of users. The tail doesn’t wag the dog. That’s not FUD, it’s the opposite: fact. Not one you like, but fact nonetheless.

 

[code-m]

Apple has soldered RAM in MacBook Pro since 2012, MacBook Air since 2009, iPhone since 2007 and iPad since 2010. The devices can be made smaller and more reliable.

You do realize that the LPDDR3 memory Apple has used for many years cannot be socketed, right? It must be soldered. There’s no choice.

The 2018/2019 15” and the 16” are exceptions but next year with Comet Lake Apple is likely to go back to LP memory since it will support LPDDR4X at 64GB for the 15”. So we’ll be back to the situation of no possibility of socketed RAM.

You’re not the only one who wants what they want, but Apple doesn’t make it. Unfortunately, there just aren’t that many users who place the same importance on the ability to upgrade as you.

Apple’s not going to change what they’re doing just to satisfy 5 or 10 or even 20% of users. The tail doesn’t wag the dog. That’s not FUD, it’s the opposite: fact. Not one you like, but fact nonetheless.

LPDDR3 DIMM for laptops.

 

[curmudgeonette]

LPDDR3 DIMM for laptops.

Your search may return hits, but there is no such thing as an LPDDR3 DIMM. The modules returned by the search are DDR3L, not LPDDR3.

DDR3L is just DDR3 that runs at a lower voltage. LPDDR3 is something different.

LPDDR3 (and LPDDR4 !) is essentially phone memory. LPDDR3 has an electrical interface similar to DDR3 but not exactly. The similarity means that many desktop/laptop CPUs support it. On the other hand, LPDDR4 has a totally different interface.

 

[code-m]

Your search may return hits, but there is no such thing as an LPDDR3 DIMM. The modules returned by the search are DDR3L, not LPDDR3.

DDR3L is just DDR3 that runs at a lower voltage. LPDDR3 is something different.

LPDDR3 (and LPDDR4 !) is essentially phone memory. LPDDR3 has an electrical interface similar to DDR3 but not exactly. The similarity means that many desktop/laptop CPUs support it. On the other hand, LPDDR4 has a totally different interface.

Seems LPDDR3 would be available however many laptop manufacturers basically opted for DDR3L SO-DIMM, rendering LPDDR3 to be soldiered since there were very little demand to be used in a laptop and more to be used in mobile devices such as phones and tablets. Unfortunately it is difficult to say if there was a demand for it to be used in a SO-DIMM form it may be available, or if some manufacturers did it for other reasons. Interesting that the 2017 MBA did not offer a 16GB RAM option, I wonder if this was a technical limitation as the battery life is superb on those models.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Interesting thought. Lateral thinking, and I wouldn't put it past them.
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Without trying to sound like the 1980's (640kb ought to be enough for anyone), you prove the point. Your 2012 MBP works for your needs and all subsequent MBP's have increased specs, the latest by a long margin. I reckon RAM is not the issue anymore, nor is HDD space. Cloud storage and fast ports make a lot of these problems irrelevant.

Upgradeability for me now means the hope of a future where distributed computing becomes easy, cheap and transparent at OS level. I want to plug my laptop into the desktop machine when I am at home and harness the extra CPU's and RAM if I want, for example.

it means simply, Apple is denying us the right to truly own our machines.. unless you are good with soldering, I suppose the SSD and memory can be upgraded on the 16 inch, but there is the danger of destroying the notebook. Thats not good business.. Sure, buy the 16gb and 1TB 16 inch now.. but wait, u are stuck with what you pay for. That means, just spend 2500-3000 on a paperweight later on that I can't upgrade the memory and SSD.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

MAc Sales have been stalled and down for the past 3 years.

From 2014, sales have been over 18 million with a high in 2015 of 20 million. 2019 will likely also be over 18 million, but if it’s greater than 2018, it will only be by a few thousand. It’s absolutely true, though, that no one should be under any assumptions that the Mac will EVER see 20 million in sales again. I predict a fairly steady decline.

The reason users an NOT upgrading iMacs, Macbook pros and Mac Pros are because of the current machines are badly designed.

No. It wouldn’t matter if they were wonderfully designed and signed personally by Peperino. For most peoples usage, 6 year or older Macs or current iPads far outstrip their needs. Why buy a new machine if the one you have suits you? Why buy a Mac when all you do could be done on an iPad (and be with you, and online, all the time)?

As someone else posted, sure, clicking a button on a current day Mac may make something happen in 6 ms instead of 800 ms, but, to your average person, the difference just isn’t large enough to warrant the purchase of a new computer. As a result, the number of people who NEED a Mac will continue to decrease.

 

[Macbookprodude]

replaceable / up-gradable Memory and SSD would be fantastic - but not likely

As mentioned on my blog and other sites, the days are over where one could upgrade at will. The Apple of today is a toy company and gadget company. Also, they are cutting corners with their stuff. This 16 Inch hunk of junk is what it will be in 5 years - non upgradable.. want 64 GB of memory but bought the 16GB model ? Forget it.