OWC debuts replacement SSD for non-Touch Bar 13-inch MacBook Pro

By Mike Peterson

OWC has announced a new high-performance solid-state drive for older 13-inch MacBook Pro models lacking the Touch Bar, delivering capacity up to 16 times greater and speeds up to 2,720 megabytes per second.

Credit: OWC

The Aura Pro NT High-Performance NVMe SSD is an aftermarket drive upgrade for non-Touch Bar 13-inch MacBook Pro devices made between 2016 and 2017. Since that model is up to five years old now, the SSD upgrade can allow users to keep up with increasing files sizes and performance requirements.

According to OWC, the Aura Pro NT can hold up to 200,000 photos, 250,000 songs, 1,330 minutes of 4K GoPro footage, or 4.3 million Microsoft Office documents for every 1TB of capacity.

It also provides better performance than the drive that came with the non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro. OWC rates the Aura Pro NT as providing speeds up to 2,720MB/s, which should bump up the performance of workflows, backups, or overall system responsiveness.

"With up to 16x more space over factory drive options, this high-performance SSD will keep your Mac running optimally for years at a fraction of the cost of buying a new model while keeping all your settings just the way you like them," OWC says, regarding the offering.

As mentioned, the drive is only compatible for 13-inch MacBook Pro models made between 2016 and 2017 that lack a Touch Bar.

The OWC Aura Pro NT is available in 240GB, 480GB, 1TB, and 2TB options, and starts at $89. Each SSD also comes with tools for easier user installation.