OWC Announces Aura SSDs for Mid-2013 and Later MacBooks

OWC Digital, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, today announced the all-new Aura SSD for Mid 2013 and Later Mac laptops, the most anticipated SSD upgrade release in OWC’s history. In an era of ever-expanding storage needs, this long-awaited upgrade allows users, for the first time ever, to expand the stock storage that came with their Mac laptops and reuse their original factory drive to transfer data and as a high-performance external storage solution.

Available in 480GB and 1TB capacities, Aura SSD upgrade kits are the first and only PCIe-based flash storage upgrades available for MacBook Pro with Retina display (Late 2013 and newer) and MacBook Air (Mid 2013 and newer) models.

Aura SSD Features

• The first and only PCIe-based flash storage upgrades for mid 2013 and later MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air
• 480GB and 1.0TB capacity options
• Up to 8x the capacity of the Apple factory SSD
• Tier 1 flash with 7% over-provisioning
• Upgrade kits include all tools and an OWC Envoy Pro drive enclosure to repurpose the factory-installed flash drive
• Free install videos and award-winning support make it easy for users to do the upgrade themselves
• Three Year OWC SSD Limited Warranty

The Ultimate Storage Upgrade Made Easy
With up to eight times the original capacity offered by Apple, Aura SSD upgrade kits make replacing the drive in your MacBook Pro with Retina display or MacBook Air as simple as removing a few screws with the included set of tools. Free, comprehensive install videos and award-winning customer support mean an OWC expert is with you every step of the way.

No Hassles or Hacks
OWC Aura PCIe-based flash storage upgrades are precisely engineered for your Mac, so you’ll never need to compromise your data by relying on complicated software hacks or TRIM enablers to get the most from your upgrade. Just install, migrate your data, and enjoy your MacBook Pro with Retina display or MacBook Air with the great performance of PCIe-based flash storage and up to eight times the original factory-installed capacity.

Your Mac’s Stock Drive, Reimagined.
Upgrading should be a seamless experience. That’s why Aura SSD upgrade kits come with Envoy Pro, the award-winning, high-performance enclosure designed to reimagine your Mac’s original flash drive. When the factory-installed flash drive is removed during the upgrade process, it fits perfectly into the Envoy Pro enclosure so you can transfer all of your data to the new Aura inside your Mac. Once the file transfer is complete, enjoy using your Mac’s original flash drive as a fast external USB drive with transfer speeds up to 355 MB/s.

Quality in Every Bit
OWC Aura PCIe-based flash storage is designed from the ground up for reliable performance and complete compatibility with your Mac. It begins with choosing only the highest-quality components, and then engineering a perfect-fit solution that simply works with your Mac.

• Tier-1 Flash – Aura SSDs use only top-rated flash for amazing performance and dependability.
• Superior Error Correction – Three-level error correction with low-density parity checks provides significantly improved reliability, and RAID-like protection for your data.
• Cell-Level Data Refresh – Aura’s powerful embedded processor monitors and re-writes data blocks as needed to maintain correct charge at the cell level, improving the integrity of your data and extending the life of your drive.
• Global Wear-Leveling – A global wear-leveling algorithm helps evenly distribute data across your SSD cells, extending the life of your drive by preventing any section of flash from getting worn out prematurely.

“We are excited and proud to be the first manufacturer to bring to market a PCIe-based flash storage upgrade for mid 2013 and later Macs,” said Larry O’Connor, Founder and CEO, OWC. “With nearly two years in development, the new Aura SSD represents a significant engineering accomplishment. Users that may have had to closely manage their storage space on a small 128GB factory SSD will now have more room than ever before for their documents, photos, videos and music. Content creators such as photographers and musicians will also experience new-found flexibility and workflow options thanks to the greater storage capacity, especially with the 1.0TB Aura model.”

Availability and Pricing
The new OWC Aura SSD for Mid 2013 and Later MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air is available for order with introductory pricing at select authorized OWC resellers and is expected to begin shipping in late March.