iFixit has already performed one of its traditional high-quality teardowns on the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, noting that while those looking to repair their machines face many of the same challenges seen with the 15-inch model, there are a few changes that improve accessibility somewhat.
One of the most interesting changes relative to the larger model is a battery layout that leaves the area underneath the trackpad free of battery cells. In place of battery cells in that location, Apple has elected to mount the 13-inch model's flash storage, a move that allows access to the trackpad for replacement if necessary.
Another one of iFixit's major criticisms of the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro design was the glued-in battery cells that were found to be extremely difficult and time-consuming to remove without puncturing the cells. In the new 13-inch model, two of the six battery cells are housed in a metal tray that includes no adhesive, while the remaining four cells still required roughly 15 minutes of work to pry loose from the case.
The teardown of the 13-inch model otherwise yields few surprises compared to the larger 15-inch model, and the similar challenges of soldered RAM, proprietary screws, integrated display, and glued-in battery have led iFixit to award the 13-inch model a repairability score of 2 out of 10, one point higher than the 15-inch model.
I still find amazing that you can not customize a 16GB RAM option on this thing ...
Even on the 15" rMBP i don't find any store selling a 16GB option (besides apple online store, of course).
That's because Apple has soldered the RAM on to make it impossible to upgrade yourself, they wan't you to throw away your Macbook and buy a new one when you need better performance.
Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:09 pm PST by Juli Clover
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Tuesday November 28, 2023 12:18 pm PST by Juli Clover
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Apple will likely release iOS 17.1.2 this week, based on mounting evidence of the software in our website's analytics logs in recent days. As a minor update, iOS 17.1.2 should be focused on bug fixes, but it's unclear exactly which issues might be addressed. Some users have continued to experience Wi-Fi issues on iOS 17.1.1, so perhaps iOS 17.1.2 will include the same fix for Wi-Fi...
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Apple is discontinuing in-house modem development after several unsuccessful attempts to perfect its own custom 5G modem chip, according to unconfirmed reports coming out of Asia. According to the operator of news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Naver blog, supply chain sources related to Apple's 5G modem departments claim that the company's attempts to develop its own modem have...
Monday November 27, 2023 7:03 am PST by Joe Rossignol
As the end of 2023 nears, now is a good opportunity to look back at some of the devices and accessories that Apple discontinued throughout the year. Apple products discontinued in 2023 include the iPhone 13 mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Duo Charger, and leather accessories. Also check out our lists of Apple products discontinued in 2022 and 2021. iPhone Mini ...
Tuesday November 28, 2023 3:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Google Drive users have been warned not to disconnect their account within the Google Drive for desktop app, after a spate of reports of files going missing from the cloud service. Alarm bells began ringing last week on Google's community support site when some users reported files mysteriously disappearing from Google Drive, with some posters claiming six or more months of data had...
Top Rated Comments
*Than the 15-Inch Retina MacBook Pro
Tear it down - check
Put it back together - pending
I still find amazing that you can not customize a 16GB RAM option on this thing ...
Even on the 15" rMBP i don't find any store selling a 16GB option (besides apple online store, of course).
That's because Apple has soldered the RAM on to make it impossible to upgrade yourself, they wan't you to throw away your Macbook and buy a new one when you need better performance.