New MacBook Pro owners better get used to backing up their data frequently. A new report suggests if the logic boards in the 2018 MacBook Pro laptops fail, data kept on local storage may be irrecoverable.
This news comes from MacRumors, which reports that the lack of a data recovery connector on the logic board -- discovered by iFixit -- means that Apple's latest laptops are incompatible with its internal Customer Data Migration Tool, a black box that sends your data to a new system.
MacRumors claims that "multiple reliable sources at Apple Authorized Service Providers" have confirmed this suspicion. The port was a necessity for Apple techs looking to save data on failing MacBook Pros, as the current 2016 — 2018 MacBook Pro design features non-removable SSD storage that's soldered onto the logic board.
Sources speaking to MacRumors posit that the the data recovery port likely went the way of the headphone jack because of Apple's new T2 chip, a custom-made part that brings hardware-level encryption to the laptop's SSD storage.
The site also got its hands on Apple's internal 2018 MacBook Pro Service Readiness Guide, which tells technicians to advise customers to frequently backup with Apple's Time Machine utility. Apple discontinued its Time Machine-based Time Capsule router/storage device this past April.
MORE: How to Backup Your Mac: Why I Use 3 Different Solutions
Of course, if your MacBook Pro's in trouble for any reason other than its logic board, such as a display issue, Target Disk Mode can still save your data.
We've reached out to Apple for comment, and will update this story if we receive a response.
