iFixit Tears Down the New 15-Inch MacBook Pro, Finds Few Major Changes

095043 2010 mbp exploded
Exploded view of new 15" Core i5 MacBook Pro

iFixit yesterday announced that it had completed a teardown of Apple's new 15" Core i5 MacBook Pro released earlier this week. Unsurprisingly, the teardown reveals few significant changes to Apple's well-refined notebook computer, although it does show a number of minor tweaks that point to Apple's continuing evolution of its designs.

094808 2010 mbp apbt antenna
AirPort/Bluetooth card with antenna routed along optical drive opening

Among the changes are a redesign and repositioning of the AirPort/Bluetooth card to more closely match that of the MacBook, with the company also placing an antenna for the card along the frame of the optical drive slot to allow for better reception in the metal casing. The report notes that while the card design and placement is similar to that of the MacBook, the MacBook lacks the antenna placement found in the MacBook Pro, likely due to the plastic construction of its shell reducing the need for such an antenna.

Otherwise, iFixit notes a slight redesign to the speaker casing and the lack of heat sink contact for the chipset hub, as well as the slightly increased capacity of the battery, but otherwise finds the internals extremely similar to that of the previous-generation MacBook Pro.

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...