Teardown Reveals New MacBook Pro Without Touch Bar Has Removable SSD

The new entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar has only been available for a day and just made its way into Apple retail stores, but OWC has already managed to take apart one of the machines to get a glimpse inside.

The teardown is still underway, but OWC can confirm that the new MacBook Pro has a removable SSD, meaning it is replaceable and can potentially be upgraded after purchase. Previous MacBook Pro models have also featured a removable SSD, but the MacBook SSD is soldered to the logic board, so it was unclear if the new MacBook Pro would continue to offer a removable SSD due to its thinner body.

2016macbookproteardown
OWC has noted a number of other observations about the new MacBook Pro:

- Solid State Drive module is removable
- Bottom was more difficult to remove than previous generations, but it was not glued
- Speaker module needs to be removed to pull SSD back
- SSD had very strong tape covering the interface port
- Laptop automatically turns on when you open it regardless of pressing power button

OWC's discoveries only apply to the 13-inch MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar. It's likely models with a Touch Bar have a similar build, but the internal hardware is different because it incorporates a new component. We'll need to wait a few more weeks to see what's inside the higher-end 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro machines, as they won't be available until mid-November.

Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Top Rated Comments

Max Portakabin Avatar
113 months ago
SHOCKING! something not glued or screwed or welded on!
It's only because they sniffed all the glue before deciding on prices.
Score: 109 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macneck Avatar
113 months ago
Removable, but a master in neurosurgery is advised
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kagio Avatar
113 months ago
We can say all we want but I think we have to agree: THAT. LOOKS. GORGEOUS.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blacktape242 Avatar
113 months ago
SHOCKING! something not glued or screwed or welded on!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobdobalina Avatar
113 months ago
edit
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kobayagi Avatar
113 months ago
After reading lots of these comments since that lame keynote: guys, make me CEO of Apple and I promise, within 1 year, everyone will be happy! :p

We will all have thicker (yes, you read that right) MacBooks with useful ports, magsafe and sd-card slots. They'll have powerful gpus and 64gb ram for those who need it. And hey, we'll throw in a extension cable and make the Apple logo glow again.

We'll make a new Thunderbolt display and new Mac Pros and iMacs for you to connect them with. iPhones will lose the lightning port, because who needs that when there's usb-c and we'll include 2 of those on every Mac, just in case if you ever need one next to usb-a. Most importantly, we'll keep the prices lower so people can actually buy them. Less money but more volume is I believe better than less volume with more money.

But seriously, how freaking hard can it be to just give your customers what they'll actually want. Just for once don't be so extremely cheap. It's not like you're close to bankruptcy.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)