Apple's touchscreen MacBook Pro does not like to be taken apart
Easy lid swaps earn praise from iFixit, but panel removal ends in cracks and USB-C repairs require logic board surgery
Apple's first touchscreen MacBook Pro received a mixed review from iFixit's teardown specialists. While they praised the easily replaceable lid, they found the fans and USB-C ports hidden beneath the logic board. The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display, unveiled at the end of October, features a dual-layer OLED screen with touch capability, marking the first time the MacBook line has had this feature.
Despite recent improvements in repairability, this machine indicates Apple still has room for growth. The good news is that the entire lid comes off easily, similar to the M6 14-inch MacBook Pro. The streamlined display cable brackets also ease removal. Apple's Repair Assistant tool managed a full system board swap effectively. However, there are significant drawbacks.
Replacing the panel alone is not feasible, as the glass delaminates and damages the OLED and touch-sensitive layers when separated. The USB-C ports cannot be extracted without removing the logic board, and the headphone jack, fans, HDMI port, SDXC card reader, and storage and memory are soldered to the board, making them difficult to access.
The battery pack is challenging to remove, although it is still removable compared to many thin-and-light laptops. The MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR display scores a 5 out of 10 for repairability, a one-point improvement from the M5 MacBook Pro. Despite its innovative features, the repairability of this device remains a concern.
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- Apple's touchscreen MacBook Pro does not like to be taken apart theregister.com
