What form factor, connector needed to replace SSD in 2015 Macbook Air?

Question

I want to upgrade a macbook air from 2015. I have done lots of drive replacements (and watched the videos for macbook air) but I'm not sure what form factor and connection specs to search for on amazon or newegg. I think that these computers use a PCI-E 3.1x4, but am unsure what form factor drives will fit in the tiny case. I'm also concerned about what connectors the computer uses. I'd hate to get one that needed an adapter. It's my understanding that NVME drives would need some kind of adapter.

Can anyone provide the specific connector and form factor details?

Answer 1

I recently went through something similar myself. Apple uses a proprietary 28 pin connecter which means that industry standard M.2 will not work directly unless used with an adapter. I have a Macbook Pro Mid 2015 and chose to go with the OWC Aura Pro X2. You essentially have 3 options:

1. Get an SSD from OWC. The Aura Pro X2 provides double the speed of your current SSD. You can find a compatible SSD here.
2. Buy any standard M.2 SSD from Amazon and get a Sintech M.2 to Apple 28 Pin SSD adapter (Make sure you buy one appropriate to your year). There have been reports of this method causing issues with wake and sleep, battery drain, etc.
3. Transcend used to make SSDs for Macbooks called JetDrives. Look it up on their website.

Personally speaking, the OWC Aura Pro X2 might be your best option. The only drive that will fit in your Macbook are ones that conform to Apple's proprietary 28 Pin Connectors. This too has changes with every year. So make sure you get the year right while getting the SSD.

Answer 2

This webpage provides very informative reading about Apple's SSD types and connectors, including your model of MBA.

https://beetstech.com/blog/apple-proprietary-ssd-ultimate-guide-to-specs-and-upgrades

Your Mac falls into the 'Generation 4' range of Apple SSD types, with a 12+16 pin proprietary connector.

You can buy unused or secondhand Apple OEM parts for these Macs on eBay. (I recently bought an unused Gen.4 1TB Apple SSD for my 2014 MBP.)

There are third-party blades that are compatible, but I have seen lots of posts about overheating or higher power consumption in OWC SSDs: I don't know if this has been fixed in later models, but you may want to satisfy yourself about this.