Apple’s MacBook Neo modded to a 1 TB SSD, breaking the firm’s 512 GB barrier — base 256 GB model gets modded in expert NAND swap surgery

By repurposing a mobile chip and fitting it inside an aluminum chassis, Apple showed just how low the bar really is for the often-overlooked budget laptop segment. The MacBook Neo is a great machine for the price, but clearly, some corners had to be cut in order to minimize costs, like limited RAM and storage. Thankfully, one modder from China is showing how at least one of those things can be solved.

[ASMR] World Premiere: MacBook Neo Immersive Teardown & 1TB Storage Upgrade Test – YouTube

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DirectorFeng is an expert repairer and technician who’s worked on a number of Apple devices, including iPhones and previous MacBook models. His latest stint involves the MacBook Neo, specifically the base 256 GB model that includes barely enough storage for modern-day usage. Since Apple doesn’t allow you to upgrade storage on your own, DirectorFeng will swap the very NAND chip itself with a higher-capacity one, then reflash MacOS so it recognizes the new SSD.

That sounds simple, but it’s a job meant only for professionals, which you can tell by watching the video. After the unboxing, DirectorFeng began with disassembling the device; a few screws and a couple of picks later, the back cover was off. He neatly showed off all the parts and described what each of them does, eventually getting to the logic board up top that houses the SSD.

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Several undone connectors later, the board comes out. He removed the shielding tape to expose the dense componentry, which includes the SSD. He started heating up the NAND chip, slowly removing the BGA glue around it until it eventually came off. Then, after cleaning the solder pads with some flux, he simply plopped the new 1 TB module on there and warmed up the area again to fix it in place.