14 DAY TRIAL // A teardown made by the experts at iFixit reveals that repairing Apple’s new Retina MacBook Air isn’t as difficult as it is in the case of Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 6.
And the reason is as simple as it could be: many components are modular and the device is offering easy access should you need to replace them. The ports, the fan, and the speakers are all easy to reach, iFixit says.
In the case of the Surface Pro 6, all repairs require the removal of the screen, and of course, Microsoft used a ton of glue to keep it in place. In other words, there’s a good chance you may break it when trying to remove the screen, so you better not do it.
The same thing for the battery, which is glued to the case as well, and its connector is pinned under the motherboard. iFixit said you may need to disassemble the entire device just for the battery.
RAM and storage can’t be upgraded
The teardown experts say Apple’s MacBook “opens about as easily as any [laptop]” and note that the battery is kept in place by screws and adhesive which can be removed with little effort.
Obviously, it’s not all as good as it sounds, as the keyboard is integrated into the top case, which means you’ll have to disassemble the device for repairs. Plus, storage and RAM cannot be upgraded because it’s soldered to the case.
“Unfortunately, you'll still have to work around pentalobes, and neither storage nor RAM is upgradable. Though this update seems to favor experienced technicians more than the average DIYer, we're hoping it's the first step back toward repairable MacBooks,” iFixit says.
While Apple’s new MacBook received a 3 repairability score, Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 6 is much harder to repair with a score of just 1 out of 10.
