Tech
Apple's new MacBook has a potentially fatal flaw – Creative Bloq
Looking to buy a 13-inch MacBook Pro? Well, with Apple, we’ve all got used to the idea that the latest model is the best. And so the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 (2022), which launched on 17 June, is surely a slam-dunk?
After all, it’s got the latest M2 processor, which Apple says a 40% performance increase over the M1 chip in its predecessor, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020). As well as the promised speed boost, it means better battery life, at up to 20 hours. And best of all, the new version has launched at the same price as the earlier model, so you’re not even paying extra (if that’s still too much for you, keep an eye on our Prime Day Apple deals hubs for any bargains).
Admittedly, nobody has really got too excited by this new MacBook Pro, because ultimately, not that much has changed: it still has the same overall design, the same Touch Bar, the same 720p webcam. But at the same time, the consensus was that this was a marked improvement over the old model. Until, that is, a couple of YouTubers spotted something Apple had been keeping to themselves.
Slower SSD
The problem is that, while the M2 processor is indeed faster than the older M1 chip, there’s something else inside the laptop that’s slowing things down: the SSD (solid state drive), which stores persistent data on solid-state flash memory.
Well, it turns out that in the base (256GB) model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2, the SSD only has a single NAND flash storage chip, while the older model had two. This wasn’t publicised by Apple, and nobody noticed until recently because reviewers are not in the habit of taking the backs off laptops (the PR companies that loan them tend to want them back in one piece!)
The SSD issue came to light, though, after YouTuber Max Yuryev tested the base version (256GB) using Blackmagic’s Disk Speed Test app (opens in new tab). He found that the SSD’s read speeds are around 50% slower, and the write speeds are around 30% slower, when compared with the previous model. (Watch the video below).
Yuryev’s results were as follows:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1/256GB) Read Speed: 2,900
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2/256GB) Read Speed: 1,446
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1/256GB) Write Speed: 2,215
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2/256GB) Write Speed: 1,463
Another YouTube channel, Created Tech, came to similar conclusions:
A slower SSD is obviously an issue for anyone regularly transferring large files, such as graphic designers, motion designers, animators, VFX artists and other creative professionals. With 4K now the norm, and increasingly giving way to 8K and even higher resolutions, the amount of time it takes to move a file is really going to make an impact on your productivity.
But that’s not all. SSDs aren’t just used for file storage, but also double up as virtual RAM when your existing RAM is maxed out. And that tends to happen when you’re running resource-intensive software, which is something many creative professionals do on a regular basis.
Should you buy it?
So what does this all mean for consumers? Well, to put it simply, if you buy the base model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 (2022), and use it to run Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, 3DS Max, Maya or similar tools, you may well find the performance is actually slower than the 2020 M1 model.
The same problem doesn’t appear to occur on the 512GB model, but that’s a lot more expensive. So overall, if you deal with a lot of large files and use resource-intensive creative software, we’d recommend giving the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 a swerve, and stick with one of the existing models. (Our guides to the best MacBooks in general, and the best MacBooks for video editing can make you help that choice.)
Either that, or wait for the new MacBook Air 2022, which sounds like it’ll be a lot more interesting.
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and a lower price. Since Motorola said its 2022 foldable will also be released globally, the two clamshell phones to get this year are primed for a specs fight to help you decide.
Motorola Razr 2022 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 design and display quality
When comparing the design of the Moto Razr 2022 with the other clamshell king with bendable screen that was announced in concurrence – the Z Flip 4 – we can’t help but notice the more utilitarian, business-like look of the Razr, against the fashionable Flip with its 75 Bespoke color combos. Heck, even the camera island is sticking out on the Motorola phone like on most of them “rigid” phones these days, indicating larger sensors may be in play here.
The front screen of the Moto Razr 2022 is much larger, too, at 2.7 inches against the 1.9-incher of the Galaxy, so you’d be able to see notifications and messages more clearly. At first brush, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 sports the same, and the same 1.9-inch 260 x 512 pixels external panel like its predecessor.
The 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate of the 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X internal Infinity Flex Display with 2640 x 1080 resolution and 22:9 aspect ratio is still no match for the 144Hz refresh of the Motorola Razr 2022, the highest on a foldable phone.
The fact that Motorola put one of the fastest displays on a phone out there in its clamshell foldable phone is pretty breathtaking, and the slightly lower vertical resolution means that the faster refresh shouldn’t take a much higher toll on the battery compared to the 120Hz rate of the Z Flip 4.
Samsung’s 2022 clamshell foldable has a Bespoke edition, too, which introduces a number of new color combos for the front and back in Yellow, White, Navy, Khaki, Red, as well as for the frame which can be either Silver, or painted in Black or Gold hues.
Motorola Razr 2022 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 performance
Coming with the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, both the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Motorola Razr 2022 carry the fastest processor for Android phones at the moment, and the slightly lower pixel density of the Motorola phone means its performance would surpass that of Samsung’s phone. Provided the display is not running at its maximum 144Hz refresh rate, that is.
The 8GB RAM that come in all Galaxy Z Flip 4 versions, including the top 512GB storage one, is augmented by 50% more RAM in the Moto Razr 2022 for its 12GB/512GB model, making it the most powerful foldable phone ever created when we count the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and the 1080p display resolution it has to render.
Motorola Razr 2022 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 specs comparison
| Specs | Galaxy Z Flip 4 | Motorola Razr 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Folded: 6.50 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches (165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm) Unfolded: 84.9 x 71.9 x 17.1 mm |
166.99mm x 79.79mm x 7.62mm |
| Weight | 6.59 oz (187g) | 200g |
| Screen | Main: 6.7 inches, 120Hz, (2640 x 1080, 22:9), 120Hz Secondary: 1.9-inch, 60Hz |
6.7 inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 144Hz Secondary: 2.7-inch, 800 x 753, 60Hz |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
| RAM and storage | 8GB RAM 128/256/512GB internal memory |
8GB/12GB RAM 128/256/512GB |
| Rear Cameras | Dual system 12MP main camera with 1.8 micron pixels 12MP ultrawide camera |
Dual system 50MP main camera with F/1.8 aperture 13 MP Ultrawide |
| Front Camera | 10MP Selfie Camera F2.4, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 80˚ |
32MP |
| Battery Size | 3,700 mAh | 3,500mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 25W wired/10W wireless | 33W wired/10W wireless |
| Price at launch | $999.99 (128GB) | $965 (128GB) |
Motorola Razr 2022 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 camera
Besides the most processing and memory power on a foldable phone, Motorola equipped the Razr 2022 with a 50MP main camera sensor and a 13MP ultrawide/macro camera, which is again the most powerful camera set you’d find on a clamshell with a bendy screen.
At a 12MP main wide-angle camera with Samsung’s Dual Pixel autofocus technology and optical image stabilization, as well as an aging 12MP ultrawide cam, the Z Flip 4 is no match, save for the large 1.8 micron pixel size that helps in low-light situations. The 10MP selfie snapper does a good jon as you can see in the camera samples below, but the 32MP front camera of the Razr could churn out more details.
The Motorola Razr 2022 doesn’t carry the new Camcorder mode of the Z Flip 4 that lets you use the phone as, well, a camcorder of yesteryear by bending it 90 degrees and holding the lower part in your palm, while recording and previewing with the upper. Something tells us that you can do just as good on the Razr by holding it in a similar fashion yet using the whole display as a viewfinder instead of its half only.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4’s Camcorder mode
Motorola Razr 2022 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 battery life and charging speed
The most important upgrade of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 over the Z Flip 3 is its larger 3700 mAh battery, but the Razr 2022 is not far behind with a 3500 mAh unit. Moreover, Motorola offers faster, 33W charging speeds for the pack, against the 25W charging of the Z Flip 4.
Samsung promises “up to 50% charge in around 30 mins with 25W adapter” but you could expect even shorter charging times with the Motorola Moto Razr 2022. Since its battery has to power and chipset to render less pixels than on the Z Flip 4, any battery life advantages of the Samsung phone stemming from the slightly larger battery capacity would become moot.
Motorola Razr 2022 or Galaxy Z Flip 4, which one to buy?
Barring any unforeseen hardware performance challenges, you’d be better off buying Motorola’s clamshell, rather than the Z Flip 4. It offers more for the same $999.99 base price of the Z Flip 4. Well, now the Razr 2022 price is slightly lower than that of the Z Flip 4, but when it gets released globally, it might get an upward adjustment.
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2. Yep, that’s thin.
Xiaomi
The front and back.
Xiaomi
The specs say the device doesn’t fold flat, but it’s close.
Xiaomi
The back.
Xiaomi
Finally, a shot with the front screen properly lit up.
Why does everyone make this X shape with their foldables?
Xiaomi
If you’re disappointed by Samsung’s relatively slow progress on foldables, say hello to the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, which looks significantly more advanced than what we saw in this week’s announcement from Samsung. But it’s for China only, of course. Sorry.
The Mix Fold 2 closely follows the layout of the Galaxy Z Fold 4—it’s a book-style foldable that has a phone-like front screen and a tablet-like flexible inner screen. The kicker is that the device is 40 percent thinner when folded up. We’re usually not on board with the smartphone thinness craze, but the thickness of foldables is a major concern. The 16-mm-thick Galaxy Z Fold really fills out your pocket compared to a normal smartphone, so Xiaomi is making progress here.
The Mix Fold 2 is just 11.2 mm thick when folded up, with each half measuring only 5.4 mm. Xiaomi’s phone is dramatically thinner than Samsung’s, and Xiaomi also manages to fit in a slightly bigger 4500 mAh battery (Samsung’s is 4400 mAh). The trick here—aside from Samsung not changing the Fold’s thickness or battery capacity for four years now—is that the Xiaomi foldable is a bit bigger than Samsung’s. When folded up, the Z Fold 4 is 155.1 mm x 67.1 mm x 15.8 mm, while Xiaomi’s device is at 161.6 mm x 73.9 mm x 11.2 mm. That 161.6 mm x 73.9 mm measurement is still smaller than a top-end smartphone, with an S22 Ultra measuring 163.3 mm x 77.9 mm x 8.9 mm.
On the front, you get a 120 Hz, 6.56-inch, 2520×1080 OLED display, while the inner foldable display is a 120 Hz, 8.02-inch, 2160×1914 OLED. Both screens are direct from Samsung Display, and the flexible display is made of the “Flexible Ultra Thin Glass” that Samsung pioneered. Flexible glass provides some rigidity to the otherwise squishy plastic display. The outer layer should still be plastic that you can dent with a fingernail, though.
For specs, you’ve got a pretty normal high-end loadout: a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, 12GB of RAM, and generous tiers of storage at 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The cameras start with a 1/1.56-inch 50 MP Sony IMX 766, then there’s a 13 MP ultrawide, an 8 MP 2x telephoto, and a 20 MP front camera. The 4500 mAh battery supports 67 W charging.
Starting at RMB 8,999, or about $1,335, Xiaomi’s bigger, better foldable is also cheaper than Samsung’s. The phone goes on sale in China on August 16.
Listing image by Xiaomi
Samsung’s latest folding smartphones have finally arrived.
We’ve started our review process, but to tide you over until they’re published, here’s a closer look at the Galaxy Z Flip 4. For more on Samsung’s latest clamshell foldable, check out our hands-on with the smartphone here.
If you want to see what Galaxy Z Fold 4 looks like instead, you can find our unboxing of the smartphone here.
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