Inside MacBook

New MacBook teardown reveals you shouldn’t bother trying to fix it solo

 
 


Earlier on Wednesday we had a look at the inside of the new MacBook, and now we’re back with an even better teardown. The folks at iFixit recently ripped open Apple’s beautiful new MacBook to discover what’s inside, and to figure out just how hard it will be for consumers to fix solo. Spoiler alert: just take it to Apple or a professional to get it repaired.
iFixit shows high quality images of the more unique aspects of the new MacBook, including the new Force Touch Trackpad and its taptic engine, which provides the feeling that you’re clicking something. The team also shows the numerous battery cells inside of the MacBook, though found that they’re glued down, making it complicated to ever replace them. “The level of precision works well for fitting the largest battery possible, but it doesn’t bode well for the ideas of battery replacement,” iFixit explained.
The battery glue isn’t the only issue, however. iFixit found that the proprietary pentalobe screws that Apple uses make taking the system apart pretty complicated. Also, the USB-C port is “secured by tri-wing screws and buried under the display brackets, complicating replacement.” Also, the Retina display “will cost a pretty penny” to replace since the screen is fused to the glass. Finally, iFixit said that important components such as the flash, RAM and processor are soldered in place. Ultimately, the MacBook got a 1/10 repairability score, so be sure to pick up Apple Care+ if you decide to buy one.