William Gallagher
While it's never been simple to upgrade a 13-inch MacBook Pro's SSD, it is now no longer possible, according to a teardown of the latest model.
Mac repair firm iFixit has taken the new 13-inch MacBook Pro apart and found that Apple has made only small, but also significant, changes to the previous model. The changes in design and engineering mean that certain key components are smaller in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and also the SSD can no longer be replaced or upgraded.
"Where the 2016 model's modular SSD used to live," notes iFixit, "we peel back a sticker — only to find a soldered-down shield."
"Unsurprising, perhaps," continues iFixit, "but still disappointing — one of the last upgradeable components on the MacBook Pro line is totally gone."
Amongst other changes since the last model, there is a slightly larger battery, and there are some that affect cooling on the machine.
"To make room for the Touch ID sensor alongside the Touch Bar," notes iFixit, "Apple appears to have trimmed a little mass off the heat pipe. Should we be worried? Cooling already seemed like it was getting short shrift on these ultra-thin Pro laptops."
The company also notes that one of the speakers "looks emaciated compared to its 2016 predecessor." However, in the case of the speakers, repair and replacement is actually straightforward and "almost couldn't be easier."
The addition of Touch ID also gets praised by the company, which says the 13-inch MacBook Pro contains a "modular masterpiece."
"It includes the headphone jack, microphone, and Touch ID connector, and can be easily replaced without dragging along an expensive logic board."
Overrall, iFixit again ranks the MacBook Pro with a score of 2 out of 10 for independent repairability. In regards to iFixit's concerns about the thermal condition, AppleInsider will be examining that in the days to come.
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
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Andrew O'Hara
54 Comments
The elitists over in Macrumors & other tech sites are hilarious. They never stop to amuse me. Only 1-3% of Mac owners in the mid 2000s ever touched the machines' insides. The data was collected by Appleinsider. Majority of people want machines to be more integrated, as this allows for machines to be less error prone & more robust.This goes for MacBooks as well. MacBook batteries last 3-4 times longer than 2009, their motherboards have gotten more efficient, and native SSD storage is much faster. I get it some elitist geeks want to touch the insides, and move things around, but that wont happen with Apple. Please make your own laptops or desktops or go to another brand.
"Unsurprising, perhaps," continues iFixit, "but still disappointing —one of the last upgradeable components on the MacBook Pro line is totally gone."
Don't get it. How can I upgrade my 13" MBP from 2016?
I always thought the components were soldered to the motherboard. TIA! Cheers, Jo
So: no option to ever replace or upgrade the memory or SSD and the battery is glued in place. Keyboard is still questionable for longevity.
Extending the useable life of these will not be what Macs were once known for. (Speaking as a Mac owner since 1992).
If one’s expectation is to replace your laptop every 3-4 years, I guess that is ok, but a distinctive of the Macs of the past was their usable life.