Repair experts iFixit have published their in-depth teardown of the new M5 equipped 14″ MacBook Pro. While the new laptop offers a modest performance bump and a new architecture that increases maximum storage, the real story is Apple’s (admittedly small) step towards repairability. iFixit reveals that, as long as Apple’s official procedure is not followed, replacing the battery in the newest MacBook Pro has become markedly easier.
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“We’ve shown that it’s totally possible to remove and replace [the battery] without touching the rest of the machine,” writes iFixit. “Add in some fancy electrically debonding adhesives, and a battery swap could become downright easy. Here’s hoping Apple eventually agrees.”
Other design features that almost make things easier, but not quite, include modular fans and ports. Unfortunately, some of these are buried beneath the logic board, meaning a plethora of screws and cables that must be navigated before accessing them. Over all, iFixit gives the new M5 MacBook Pro a repairability score of 4 out of 10. Some very small steps in the right direction, but not enough to make things markedly easier for device owners to self-repair.
