iFixit has completed its teardown of the new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, confirming the notebook is equipped with a non-removable SSD just like the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Only the entry-level 13-inch model with a standard row of function keys has a removable SSD in Apple's new MacBook Pro lineup.
15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
The teardown confirms the processor, RAM, and flash memory are soldered to the logic board, meaning the SSD in particular cannot be removed or upgraded after the fact. If you opt for Apple's standard 256GB or 512GB configurations, for example, you will be unable to upgrade to a larger Apple or third-party SSD at a later time.
Interestingly, however, the teardown finds the new MacBook Pro has a connector that leads to "nowhere," which iFixit speculates could be for Apple to access the soldered-in SSD for data recovery. iFixit suggests there might at least be a chance of recovering data with Apple's help should the logic board experience hardware failure.
Apple's notebooks have become increasingly hard to repair and upgrade as their designs have become thinner and lighter. iFixit gave the new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar its lowest "repairability" score of 1 out of 10, noting the Touch Bar is difficult to replace while the entire battery assembly is strongly glued into the case.
The rest of the teardown reveals the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is very similar to the 13-inch model, beyond having a different six-cell battery layout.
The teardown confirms the processor, RAM, and flash memory are soldered to the logic board, meaning the SSD in particular cannot be removed or upgraded after the fact. If you opt for Apple's standard 256GB or 512GB configurations, for example, you will be unable to upgrade to a larger Apple or third-party SSD at a later time.
Interestingly, however, the teardown finds the new MacBook Pro has a connector that leads to "nowhere," which iFixit speculates could be for Apple to access the soldered-in SSD for data recovery. iFixit suggests there might at least be a chance of recovering data with Apple's help should the logic board experience hardware failure.
Apple's notebooks have become increasingly hard to repair and upgrade as their designs have become thinner and lighter. iFixit gave the new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar its lowest "repairability" score of 1 out of 10, noting the Touch Bar is difficult to replace while the entire battery assembly is strongly glued into the case.
The rest of the teardown reveals the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is very similar to the 13-inch model, beyond having a different six-cell battery layout.
Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
132 comments
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of Mickey Mouse, Apple has introduced special edition Mickey-themed Beats Solo 3 Wireless Headphones.
Priced at $329.95, the headphones are a gray color...
Apple this morning added a new "Skyline" collection of Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones to its online Apple Store, with a selection of new color options.
The Skyline Studio 3...
Apple has formally apologized to users in China over the hacking of some Chinese accounts in a series of phishing scams that hit the country last week. The successful phishing attacks used stolen...
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen passed away today at age 65 following complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Allen earlier this month announced that he was again undergoing treatment for the...
Google's newest flagship smartphones, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, are officially launching later this week. With their high-quality cameras, fast processors, and other improvements, the new...
Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller today made a surprise appearance at Adobe's MAX conference, which saw Adobe previewing a full version of Photoshop on the iPad, set to be released in 2019.
...
Apple design chief Jony Ive sat down with Vogue's Anna Wintour this morning for an interview at WIRED's 25th anniversary event, where he talked about secrecy at Apple, his future with the...
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often accurately predicts Apple's future device plans, believes the company will continue to offer three iPhones in 2019 with the same general lineup seen in...
