MacBook Pro 2021 Teardown: Easier to Repair, Harder to Score…

Last year we got our first look at Apple’s M1 silicon, and as the reviews came in we could feel change on the horizon. The performance gains Apple made by integrating their custom silicon with ultra-fast memory were incredible. We held off on assigning them a repairability score at the time, but now with fully-redesigned M1 MacBook Pros on our table, we’re determined to pin these things down on the repairability scale.
Want to see more of the 2021 M1 MacBook Pros? Check out our deep dive blog starring the 14” version, including a Polishing Cloth teardown.
www.ifixit.com/News/54122/mac...
00:00 Intro
00:33 What’s new on the outside of the M1 MacBook Pro?
01:03 A microscope look at the new Mini LED display
01:26 X Rays from Creative Electron
01:46 M1 MacBook Pro Opening Procedure
02:02 M1 MacBook Pro Interior First Impressions
02:55 M1 MacBook Pro Battery Removal
04:09 M1 MacBook Pro Trackpad Removal
05:11 M1 MacBook Pro Logic Board Removal
06:11 M1 MacBook Pro New Display Cable Design
06:45 M1 MacBook Pro Fan Removal
07:19 M1 MacBook Pro Speaker Removal
07:33 M1 MacBook Pro Display Removal
08:46 M1 MacBook Pro Repairability
#M1MacBookPro, #M1MacBookProTeardown, #iFixitTeardown
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[@JerryRigEverything]

Awesome video! 👌

[@crazysax2004]

I was scrolling down looking for your comment! lol

[@dekobra3834]

@@crazysax2004 same

[@christophergaspar6520]

he finally saw it haha

[@faisiriandi7736]

When there is sentence "Scratches At Level x, Deeper Groov at Level x" I knew you here

[@kimchithatisnicelyfermente4627]

Will there be any durability test on this one? Just asking LOL

[@DrFarisArab]

Watching pro level tear down is so satisfying..i wish u dig deeper in the logic board though

[@janrynkevic377]

Keyboard as well

[@carusowa241]

and Display

[@mrrkrr]

That's what the written teardown is for

[@djplonghead5403]

I put a command strip on my wall and when I took it off it pulled the paint off my wall.

[@oldcountryman2795]

The logic board is a single piece and can’t be further torn down. If you want to know more about it there is plenty of info on-line.

[@randaranatunga7259]

That Pull Tab section was hilarious 😂

[@vgavilla]

Family Guy all the way

[@derek400004]

the angry owl eyes was funny too 🤣

[@akinoz]

😝

[@5432604]

good

[@Thewaterspirit57]

@@derek400004 I will never forget that “angry owl” comparison XD

[@kveiris]

Instant like for "scratches at level 1 with deeper grooves at level 2"!

[@Askar_Birmuhammedov]

Йо инглиш из пёфект

[@BikeHelmetMk2]

The compound likely had something hard in it, like microscopic diamonds, which he pressed into the IHS accidentally.

[@LordTechPro]

It scratched because of the thermal compound, plastic can't scratch metal

[@chris_rnj2163]

@@BikeHelmetMk2 that makes sense! ty

[@Bchan]

I like how the standards for "removable battery" went from a battery you could remove by pressing 2 tabs or one on the outside of the machine to... single use adhesive hidden behind a plethora of screws

[@TheSpotify95]

Thankfully my current/prior laptops have (or have had) remvable batteries, though again different definitions of removable: Acer Aspire 5742: locked in with 2 tabs, externally removable and upgradable (from 6 cell to 9 cell) HP 15-ac Series: locked in with 2 tabs, externally removable (capped at 4 cell) HP OMEN 15-dc Series: remove back cover (screwed in), then remove battery (screwed in). More of a pain, and being Li-Po (instead of 18650) it is more prone to expanding later on in life (potentially damaging other components) but hey, at least it's not glued.

[@kurttappe]

@@TheSpotify95 When a battery lasts 17 hours and has a 7-year life, I'm not sure why users would need it to be removable.

[@trym2121]

Because look comes first before functionality. We are at the era where showing off is easier and need wow factor every now and then to spice up the life.

[@zaphenath6756]

what the heck is a platera? were you trying to say plethora?

[@tcc5750]

@@kurttappe It is not 7 years. The battery is rated to 1000 cycles. That is typically 4-6 years for the average consumer, with most prosumers roughly 3-5 years typically. Heavy users 2-3 years easily.

[@MandoMonge]

I nearly cried not to stop when you said “this is getting long” I wanted it to keep diving it’s so AWESOME these videos

[@brucemckay6615]

You Tubes bitching algorithm more or less forces video makers into short videos... else they get automatically down ranked...

[@austinricker]

5:57 That spudger you're using is a glass-fiber reinforced spudger, meaning it has glass that may be exposed along the scraping edge. So it should be more like scratches at a level 5 with deeper grooves at a level 6, right?

[@iFixitYourself]

Oh man, I think you might be right! I didn’t think about which spudger I picked up haha. It must have been that, or the thermal paste doing the scratching (which was my original thought). -TD

[@JorisKeijser]

I was like, what's that shield made of? Lead? Mercury?

[@austinricker]

@@iFixitYourself I remember when you guys announced the pro-tech toolkit that the spudger was featured in! You have always made some amazing products for repairs! Compared to other plastic spudgers, yours are hands-down the best. I have been using your tools for the past 10+ years! Thanks for providing a great, reliable resource for tools and guides!

[@austinricker]

@@JorisKeijser maybe Bismuth? Lol :)

[@AlexandreG]

Yeah it felt weird seeing because I've seen another guy do this without a single mark. You have a good eye!

[@jedics1]

Bringing awareness to repairability is admirable, hopefully it helps push companies back towards it.

[@thibaldus3]

I wish. But they'll come kicking and screaming.

[@colinsane]

This nuanced analysis and constructive criticism is delivered in such a cheerful, snark-less way. Love to see it! Great work

[@jaden4833]

My speaker is cracking sadly I found out it's a physical damage. However, I found it I need to take a lot of things out in order to change it. Can I remove it without taking the battery?

[@erickauffmann_official]

I’m really glad they made the battery removal process easier than before and that the display cables won’t be ripping like older models.

[@morfeyrun]

A 2 trillion $ company can't design proper display cables? What a joke

[@katzenjunge5869]

did you read the his comment or watch the video? they literally did exactly that. who cares about the old models which are not sold anymore and had a repair program too. they learned from their mistakes, thats all you can ask for.

[@erickauffmann_official]

Agreed 💯

[@zachv1942]

@@katzenjunge5869 it doesn't matter. Build your stuff for longevity. Spend the extra .005 cents on longer flex cables.

[@mini9503]

No point in making the battery replaceable when Apple doesn't sell any MacBook batteries to begin with though!

[@PhilfreezeCH]

The shared SoC RAM I understand. It does actually provide a sizable performance improvement that is hard to replicate with other options at the moment but there is no good reason to solder on a SSD, the M.2 socket is tiny anyway and if you are concerned with the thickness there are even versions that live in a PCB cutout on the same level as the PCB instead of sitting on top of it.

[@virtudesign]

I agree, it’s a shame not to make it more repairable. if you use your laptop heavily and keep it on 24 hrs a day (I used to do that on a few of my computers), you will need a new logic board just because the ssd went bad. My 2015 MacBook ssd died, not cost effective to replace the logic board since the part alone costs almost $500.

[@artbear5653]

Apple, business model is to sell you same model with more storage for 5 times price, NVMe SSD 8TB is 1.2k$ on average, but price jump for MacBook from 1tb version to 8tb is 3 times that. This is the reason to have SSD soldered there ;)

[@StephenOrion]

I love my removable ssd in the 2015 macbook pro, but i also understand if the engineers at apple are going for "lets make the fastest ssd in a laptop". With that mentality, plus trying to capitalize on the storage, they're going to solder it for sure. and that's a compromise I can take for a couple hundred bucks more while purchase. Sad, but it's not the worst thing to happen on a computer unlike the butterfly keyboard lol

[@Ebalosus]

Hear hear! While I would prefer user-serviceable RAM, I can understand why that’ll be a thing of the past in the near future, even if I grumble about how much I’m paying for the extra RAM. SSDs however, they wear out, and should be very much replaceable, even if only for security reasons.

[@ashliehiggins]

@@DC90X That's negligible, I've got dozens of 10+ year old SSDs which are still at over 90% health, and that's them being used as cache drives and swap drives.

[@slowgoins]

Fantastic explanation! And I really appreciate that the repairability score is dynamic as our understanding of the technology changes. Y’all are definitely a company I’m happy to keep supporting.

[@sardanus]

So this is a REAL teardown for a long time now, well done ifixit!

[@youssefsadek130]

I’ve been waiting for this!! 😁

[@redpillsatori3020]

The work put into making this video blow me mind. Thank you!

[@jsparakov]

Thank you for a fine presentation, Brian Crecente.

[@willieetcheto5211]

Heck ya. Love these videos 🤘🏻

[@schmijo]

Can we just appreciate how beautiful the macbook looks from the inside

[@dukeseb]

Too be fair when was the last time you saw a MacBook that wasn’t beautiful on the inside

[@m-stat9]

@@dukeseb Pre 2012 non-retina models

[@dukeseb]

@@m-stat9 yea…. So a long time ;)

[@theEskalaator]

Looks like Johnny 5

[@Muhamad_Taufiq]

@@m-stat9 That's also beautiful if you compare to another laptops of the same era

[@arfurdaley6399]

Love watching this guy in the zone !!! Great vid 👍👍

[@JohnRowley]

Such a great concise and entertaining tear-down and explainer video. Thanks!

[@ichumak]

Awesome video as usual! Thanks!

[@user-bp8yg3ko1r]

Perfect teardown, I agree on every point! :)

[@matthewlewington2470]

amazing, thanks for the tear down

[@Jeffmorgan1991]

This was very good, thanks for the video!

[@trancenut81]

This thing is built BEAUTIFULLY!

[@ekapris7880]

What I would love in the future from apple is to make the battery even easier replaceable (screws), have removable ssd, make the keyboard more accessible. I understand with the integrated memory for the new processors so as long as you can get replacement logic boards that don cost an arm and a leg that ok.

[@EmilSanMusic]

Really informative Video, big ups guys!

[@user-fo6qn2uz1v]

thank YOU!! I had no idea about the macbook repair program so I left it lying around in my room but now I can get it fixed! Thanks!

[@jpdemer5]

The speed of the M1 really does depend on integrated memory - the speed of electricity is actually a limiting factor, and shorter paths are better. On the other hand, I'd like to see the SSD socketed, so it could be swapped out without desoldering. The performance hit, if any, would be worth the tradeoff IMO.

[@000jjjoni000]

or have a dual memory version, socketed and swapable memory

[@jpdemer5]

@@000jjjoni000 Well, they did in fact socket the SSDs in the Mac Studio, so I guess a small "yay" is in order. PITA to replace one, though ... and sadly, you can't upgrade to a larger one.

[@jaden4833]

My speaker is cracking sadly I found out it's a physical damage. However, I found it I need to take a lot of things out in order to change it. Can I remove it without taking the battery?

[@venkateshk3633]

i hoped that you will show the components under the notch. i just wondered why it needs to be that big (it doesn't even have face ID).

[@zero-zero-2755]

Been waiting 👌🏽 thanks!

[@daveshade6062]

Getting back into an old hobby is hard, watching these videos makes it easier. Thanks!

[@balthus9265]

At least changing the battery will be less challenging now. Still miss the easy access of the 2012’s MacBook Pro though.

[@keco185]

There should be separate "repair" and "upgrade" scores. Lack of removable memory would hurt the upgrade score but not the repair score since I've never seen an integrated memory module fail so it wouldn't hurt repair.

[@HiiixImpakt]

I've seen both integrated memory and graphics modules fail. It definitely happens.

[@thebuddercweeper]

Good point. I'm not quite sure how you'd "upgrade" the battery though, surely that would also be repairs as the only time I can think of replacing a battery is when it runs down and stops holding charge or fails completely?

[@verpejas]

that's a good idea, but in this particular case, this macbook is simply not upgradeable. You cannot upgrade the ssd, ram, battery, wifi card. There are zero upgrades for this laptop, only repairs. On x86 PC laptops, yeah, this kind of separation would be nice. Infact it already exists, as ifixit provides guides on ram upgrades, ssd upgrades etc, for some laptop models, along with a maching "difficulty meter"

[@alexsmedile]

I AGREEE, we need an entire new concept of score

[@keco185]

@@verpejas yeah this laptop would get a 0 for upgradability. But its repairability score would be higher

[@razvanyke]

Great video, man. Thank you !

[@yuriish7570]

Perfect. Just what I was looking for

[@alexdubois6585]

I love the notch. Extra pixels to put the menu and it's not visible while watching videos. Just a shame they did not put FaceID in this iteration.

[@karthiksathyanarayanan5271]

The battery on frame is actually an unecessary hassle. If an additional part count can be avoided by a pull tab without impacting functionality and repair, it's a go. The socketed memory, GPU would not achieve the same power vs performance gains as an integrated SoC. Trust me, the TDPs in SoCs in the same power envelope beat socketed parts any day.

[@zaphenath6756]

what if the whole soc is socketed though as a single piece just like the soldered on one?

[@jackwilson7082]

@@zaphenath6756 well that would add another mm at least, heatpipe size is non negotiable so the thickness of the socket would be in addition. As well as that, this new chip would need to be pin compatible. 53 billion transistors communicating over 2000 or so pins, that need to behave exactly the same. I assume you’re not an engineer, but we can all appreciate that it a bit complicated

[@BB-tm7gx]

I used this to get a new battery into my 12' macbook retina which i never thought i could but but it was great. took me 2 hours but it was like painting with numbers. thanks so much

[@sevagtankabalian91]

All the batteries in Macbook air models have been put in a frame and screwed down to the top case assembly, but still some adhesive is used to maintain the lower portion of the battery to the top case, i admit it is easier to remove, thank you for taking time and tearing down this device.🙏

[@SteelSkin667]

The use of on-package LPDDR5 has some fairly large implications on performance and battery life so I definitely think they can be given a pass for that, unlike some of their previous designs that used bog standard DDR memory. On the storage side it is a little bit more dubious, but there is no SSD controller on the mainboard so it does look like it's integrated to the SoC as well. I too am a little bit less salty about the lack of modularity inside the machine this time around. Now if only they were selling parts and publishing schematics.

[@piotrd.4850]

People who can use parts, can figure out schematics. Can't "figure out" parts.

[@lifeisbetterwhenyourelax]

AFAIK, Apple has begun selling parts and repair manuals, as of 1-2 years ago, so that people can repair their machines themselves. This is unprecedented for Apple. I'm glad they've seen the light.

[@SteelSkin667]

​@@lifeisbetterwhenyourelax Not for Macs unfortunately, and only for an extremely limited set of parts and repairs - ie screen and batteries of recent-ish iPhones. A move in the right direction to be sure, but one that feels a lot like a token gesture to preventively evade right-to-repair legislation.

[@pluto762]

Keyboard still riveted into place? Hope that changes too. Otherwise, huge upgrade in the repairability department. Well done, Apple!

[@brunoais]

Yeah! Framework has about the same size of keyboard but uses screws! Or better... It only uses magnets and screws and it's only 2mm thicker than the MAC pro of 2020! They got top score.

[@israelmedina3482]

Got a chuckle out of me man 👍🏼

[@ben53933]

Perfect teardown iFixit

[@aroberts3213]

I love this laptop so far. The screen, keyboard, IO and the speakers really make the upgrade worth it.. Oh and the much faster SOC.

[@stachowi]

yeah, totally living up to the hype. I'm just blown away by the screen blacks and the speakers. hopefully this MBP lasts as long as the one it's replacing.

[@TechDove]

I'm gonna go ahead and stick with my M1 MacBook pro, I have no need for the extra power of the M1 pro or max as I only edit In 4k60 and I am really offput by a notch on a laptop, since it only houses a camera and not a face ID system, to me there's zero reason for it to be there and it would have been much more apple like to not include a webcam and sell one separately. That being said I have no issues with larger bezels if it helps me avoid having a notch, I'd rather have a laptop with far less ports than to have a notch since I've already gotten used to the dongle life, I don't love it but I can deal with it, and Im so very happy with my 13 inch MacBook pro 😃

[@onemanshow4116]

@@TechDove why do you care, though? The notch cuts into the menu bar only. Content is ALWAYS below… so it’s not that the notch cuts into the screen, it’s the screen that cuts into the bezel.

[@TechDove]

@@onemanshow4116 why do I care? Because I don't want a notch cutting into my display, it's unsightly and not a good design for a device that has so much room, that isn't necessary to have 3mm bezels. Why don't you care? I always see these notch defenders and that's exactly why we keep seeing them. Would you be defending the notch if it was on the f'n apple watch?! It's like apple can do no wrong to people like you

[@TechDove]

@@onemanshow4116 I wouldn't care if it was a teardrop style notch, but it's oversized for no reason, and believe it or not but it is possible to view full screen content on that laptop, where the notch DOES cut into it. So it's not "just the menu bar"

[@iamseanb17]

Are the 6 speaker system the same on both models? In the keynote they kinda said that only the 16” model has true 6 speaker system

[@ThinkCleverAndSmart]

Just a few seconds later then also said that the 14" has it too

[@jtveg]

Neat teardown. Thanks for sharing.

[@angelalfaro77]

Very good video. I like that the presentation is clean and straightforward.

[@lasarith2]

A few videos of the 16”.MBP have 5 SSD chips for the 512 GB , where your teardown one only has 4SSD chips on the board 🤔🤷🏼‍♂️

[@rynomuncher]

More chips means more capacity. The other videos might have the 2TB+ options.

[@utubekullanicisi]

I REALLY appreciate you guys trying to expand your knowledge on whether the performance that is on the table with these new systems with integrated, "unified" memories is possible without soldering down everything to the motherboard. Thank you for being as objective as possible! And as we know by now, Right to Repair isn't all about making everything socketed or in general easier to repair by design, it's also about the company not making conscious efforts to get in the way of the end user having access to cost friendly, 'non-impossible' repairs, with non performance, efficiency, or space, but rather evil and greedy reasons.

[@nickwallette6201]

Exactly. Having removable components, where it makes sense and without compromising performance and reasonable space concerns, is perfectly adequate. If people are educated about the real advantages and legit disadvantages, it's up to us to make our own decisions about what's most important.

[@TiagoEduardoNovaes]

Wow!!! This video was spectacular.

[@CarthagoMike]

Great content as always

[@Heretechnocrat]

Is replacing the keyboard still the same ordeal as before? Is it still fastened with rivets or has there been a change?

[@iFixitYourself]

It is unfortunately still the same ordeal as before. :(

[@dukeseb]

I really do wish they made the MagSafe modular like the old one. I always get grease and has contact issues over time with filings…. However since you can still charge with usb c as well you do have a backup so not bad

[@iFixitYourself]

the MagSafe port is modular like the old one! But you're right, thankfully there is always usb-c

[@dukeseb]

@@iFixitYourself thanks I must have missed that in the video

[@mbvglider]

They did make MagSafe modular, though?

[@pikachu5647]

@@dukeseb yes, he mentioned that usb c, magsafe and headphone jack is modular, while sd card slot and hdmi isnt.

[@dukeseb]

@@pikachu5647 I was watching the video at work with the sounds turned off ;) I missed it

[@A2_mgr56]

Thank you for your efforts 🥰😍

[@Joel-Monterra]

I think you are doing a great job in terms of sustainability and saving the environment with your scores having these things in mind.

[@lenshibo]

This is a massive step in the right direction! im glad apple finally admitted to there mistakes. its so rare nowadays

[@jaden4833]

My speaker is cracking sadly I found out it's a physical damage. However, I found it I need to take a lot of things out in order to change it. Can I remove it without taking the battery?

[@lenshibo]

@@jaden4833 I believe most models let you but i could be wrong

[@MusicMoleOfficial]

2:02 is it me or are there empty storage slots on the left just above the battery? would that make upgrading storage a bit easier?

[@MrLazini]

Nice observation !

[@zombiegun71]

Just a guess, but they didnt mention which SKU they bought, i would assume they got a cheaper one to tear apart. Likely those slots would be filled with a topped out SKU.

[@rushilkisoon]

I doubt it would be easier… or worth the risk of trying to solder on NAND chips. And then to get them initialised and formatted so that they’d be recognised is another issue.

[@MrLazini]

@@rushilkisoon REWA Technologies can do it, why cant we

[@TheJosiahTurner]

youd prolly have to solder the new storage on

[@gilbertcheng3862]

LOL'd at the adhesive bit. Great vid.

[@alexlomez]

Great Video ! Well Timed. Thank You

[@maybedonn]

I love everything you guys do but, I feel like the Pentalobe screw penalty makes me groan these days. I got a cheap screwdriver set for five bucks and it had a pentalobe bit, and pretty much every kit you've ever sold has a pentalobe bit. I get that it's non-standard, but if you're opening up $1000+ machines the tiny commitment it takes to spend a dollar or two on a pentalobe bit really should really have no impact on the device's repairability score. If Apple were changing it every year I'd get it, but it's one bit for every one of their devices since like, the iPhone 4S.

[@theEskalaator]

I really think that when you design a $1000+ laptop, you can afford to use standart screws

[@thebuddercweeper]

Agreed, it's probably about as easy to get hold of a pentalobe compatible screwdriver as it is to get hold of any other small screw driver tip.

[@maybedonn]

@@theEskalaator or you can use the same screws that have been in your supply chain for a decade and a half now and expect people who care enough to open them to buy a 2 dollar bit?

[@neolordie]

@@maybedonn they shouldn't have been introduced in the fist place

[@RandomUser2401]

@@neolordie relax Karen, now they are here.

[@ProMoe_]

To disconnect the battery you would first disconnect the battery detection flex cable (to the left of trackpad flex cable) to disable and stop powering from battery going into the MacBook then you disconnect the trackpad flex cable. It’s a small detail you’ve missed.. Good teardown nevertheless.

[@fredericoluisfigueira9053]

Awesome video, just one question left, can we repair the keyboard?

[@wammo12345]

Great tear down! I think with Johnny Ive mostly gone we will see a further mm or two increase here and there as function triumphs over form. My bet is that the performance gains of shared memory won’t be matched with sockets and data traveling all around by 20th century bus, but you never know until it happens.

[@Marngel]

Playing devil’s advocate, the tight integration between the SoC, ram, and SSD is not just to increase performance; it’s also to increase efficiency. Right now, there are laptops that are just as powerful, if not more powerful than these new MacBook Pros that maintain modular components for the ram and SSD. However, none of them have the power efficiency which is what makes these M1 MacBooks such incredible feats of engineering, even if it does come at a cost of irreplaceable memory and storage. That said, Apple definitely has a lot room for improvements in terms of battery replacements, screen replacement, or even just opening up the machines themselves. They definitely made improvements and they should get credit for it, but they still need to go further.

[@sanjay_swain]

I agree with RAM but not with SSD. It's almost impossible to make modular RAM for a SoC like M1 but current gen NVMe are more than enough for almost any even workstation loads.

[@stoinks224]

@@sanjay_swain yeah

[@EugWanker]

@@sanjay_swain Yeah, integrated RAM is a key performance advantage in this design. In fact, integrated RAM is integral to the design. However, for the SSD, likely not so much. The good news though is Apple includes some of the best SSDs available.

[@khoifoto]

Totally agree with the unified memory module. Can't get to such high level of efficiency and performance with traditional memory setup. Just wish those SSDs are replaceable.

[@edo9104]

i disagree with RAM, the actual DDR4 has a trnsfer rate about 50GB/s, these macs have it at 200 or 400 depending on the config, only GPUs that have baked VRAM can reach those speeds

[@UItEnthusiast]

That M1 Pro package is quite interesting. Usually, the heatspreader covers any on-package RAM chips as well or has them off to one side. I've never seen a package that has holes cut in the heatspreader for the RAM.

[@UniversalKutub]

I didnt expect to have so much fun watching this

[@rick5078]

nice they finally opted for removable adhesive for the batteries, but one very big question.... how did they install the keyboard? bunch of rivets again or back to screws? Still can improve a lot on the repairability of the lcd screens, still having that layered bullcr*p is a mayor pain for repairing the screen without having to spend a ton of money on an entire monitor assembly. At least good to know certain small things were improved to be repairableish.

[@chrometape]

Great to see apple actually showing some advancement in the repairability of these new macbooks, I was surprised by how modular this laptop is compared to earlier models. I'm really hoping they don't start pairing components on macbooks like they do on iphones, and hopefully some day they might even stop pairing those because there is literally no benefit to it at all.

[@user-yn6ii7ys3u]

> literally no benefit bruh, they will, it helps them sell more

[@chrometape]

Yeah good point, all we can hope is that they maybe show a little bit of mercy to 3rd party repair

[@thegoodsmaster]

serialized parts.

[@Liqweed1337]

who removes thermal paste with a spuger?! \o/

[@erickpina2771]

Ordering one right now, love it!

[@waynestuart2755]

Did you manage to get them both back together and working again?

[@MK73DS]

It is hilarious how the Intel MBP has almost non existent cooling but for their own, more power efficient chips, they put adequate cooling. Sounds like they didn't want their Intel MBP to be powerful so they can say "performance increased by X00%"...

[@mbvglider]

While I'm with you that they could have made the Intel MBPs better by adopting this thiccboi design and outfitting them with bigger batteries and more cooling, I don't think it would have significantly increased the performance of Intel chips. It would have, however, made them better computers overall. When I switched from a 16" Intel MBP to an M1 Air, with no fan, I noticed how much faster the computer was overall, but I also noticed how it didn't heat up and how it was so quiet and the battery lasted longer. I don't think the 16" MBP could have been faster, but it could have been quieter, and that would have made it a more useful computer for music production.

[@TheTornadoWind]

gosh, it‘s so beautiful on the inside

[@tpf4292]

this year’s Mac is so worth upgrading, I traded in my 2019 16’’ MBP and get the M1 Max version right after the launch, $3900 is not cheap but the performance is just way too attractive

[@Sirhc7000]

Maybe I missed it but did you guys talk about the keyboard? What's the deal with the all-black assembly? I imagine it doesn't but it come out in one piece/is it modular? just curious.

[@bsvenss2]

Great teardown, but to be honest... I miss Gwendolyn. _(tears)_

[@petrov8086]

Why tears? Is something happened?

[@TheStanHill]

Can’t believe that Apple actually made something more repairable. Even if just a tiny bit.

[@r3dp1ll]

the EU laws have probably something to do with that

[@sevbait]

Serialized parts makes sure to throw a wet blanket on that sentiment.

[@dodo19923]

In all fairness the average joe who buys this laptop won't have an idea of how to replace certain things if it breaks. Right to repair is great for small shops to fix them but lets be real, dave who bought it for college isn't stripping it down and cleaning everything then putting it back together with the same tolerances.

[@r3dp1ll]

@@dodo19923 I agree but changing a simple battery should be accessible to everyone. And easy to implement by Apple. On my Macbook Air 2012, you just need to remove a few screws and unplug a cable. It could made the same now

[@user-yn6ii7ys3u]

@@dodo19923 thats because you assume laptop teardowns have to be this complicated in the first place, when they can be much simpler.

[@pldaniels]

As a person responsible for getting the boardviews / schematics out and about for the people repairing the mainboards, I am anxious to see how long before we can get our hands on those diagrams. In years past it was entirely normal / expected not to see anything for a couple of years, but in the last couple of years there's a very strong expectation to get access to them within 3~6 months... so here's hoping some "leaking" happens soon and that we ( repair people ;) ) can get them sooner rather than later. I have to say though, I'm a bit disappointed with the component sprawl on the 16", I was rather hoping instead we'd see more development along the lines of the 820-020xx series rather than what seems to be now another 820-01700 remake :(

[@MzLearning]

Great video nice explanation 😊 keep it up along with me

[@aa15032261]

I think the soldered memory is justified for the M1 chip. The wiring and placement of the memory chip are the key to achieve high bandwidth, similar to those dedicated GPUs which also have soldered memory.

[@TimCortesi]

The memory is not 'soldered', and there are no 'wires' (at least not in a conventional sense). The CPUs, GPUs, memory, etc are all part of the single SiP (system in a package) which makes up the M1.

[@manaspradhan8041]

@@TimCortesi I was about to make the same reply lol

[@aa15032261]

@@TimCortesi by wiring I mean tracing in the package

[@aa15032261]

@@TimCortesi and the memory is indeed soldered to the package if you care to do some research

[@t1merickson]

Yep, I really think the repair score needs to move on from this requirement. However, I'd still detriment the soldered on storage. Anecdotally, storage is more likely to fail, or the user finds a later need for more storage. I don't know if Apple would use the m2 format, but something, anything would be better than soldered on. Their proximity to the SoC is not a factor.

[@khoifoto]

Honestly it's impossible to get to that level of performance without the Unified Memory sitting next to the CPU. I'm all for removable RAM, but for this case, I'm actually very satisfied with the 400GB/s memory bandwidth of the M1 Max.

[@thedausthed]

Completely wrong, it is very much possible, it would just take up too much room in a laptop.

[@khoifoto]

@@thedausthed so now we are playing grammar nazi? We are talking in context of mobile devices, so are you agree it’s impossible to achieve such high performance without the unified memory using our current technology within the context of mobile devices?

[@PaddleMonkey]

Your main board looks like it is missing some components on the left side. Is it for the SSD storage? If true, does this mean that I can possibly salvage broken M1 Macs and combine them for more storage?

[@r5cpt]

Is the keyboard riveted onto the case, in this model?

[@funposting8912]

10:58 What’s your idea for repairing a raspberry pi? Throwing it out and buying a new one? I certainly love the device, but I would argue it is vastly less repairable than something like the Apple Mac mini. I mean, at least it has some… Parts? Rather than just being considered a single part.

[@zachv1942]

Or just learn on how to troubleshoot.

[@dansanger5340]

The soldered on HDMI and SD card ports are a fail. But, it's nice that the rest weren't soldered on.

[@svenmeier651]

Great teardown. But I would have loved to hear about the hinge and whether it can be tightened over time.

[@hawkarmohammed]

Great work, I appreciate it 👍

[@leokimvideo]

It's VERY similar to the previous 'touch bar' models. I just hope all the bugs with the logic boards are sorted but the whole soldered design is in my mind a huge issue. I had a 2017 MacBook Pro and the logic board failed within a year, the screen failed within 3 years, Yet my old 'classic' 2014 MacBook Pro continues on in 2021 without EVER a problem. Sort of says to me Apple made some very poor decisions in the redesign with the touch bar models. I wouldn't touch these new models until at least a year of others finding design faults and failures. It's just too much money to blow being the test pilot for this Apple bling.

[@MyLastSong719]

Lol my 2014 had to have the logic board replaced 2 months after the warranty expired. Apple generously fixed it for free thankfully. Been great ever since though until I replaced it a few weeks ago

[@cristibaluta]

I am the reverse, beside the famous doubled space key my 2016mbp is the only one that didn't break. Can't say that about my older macs, mbp2012 graphics breaking 2 times, one row of keys not working, and camera; my white mb with inflating battery; macmini g4 broke too.

[@esoel]

@@MyLastSong719 Oh, I remember when they had good customer service 😢

[@murtadha96]

Lol that's such an anecdotal point you're making here. I don't see how your individual experience is representative of anything. Many people had more issues with older models, so it's the exact opposite. It's not a measure of anything.

[@rohithmekala2608]

Well this is a whole new architecture than the 2016-2019 Macbook Pro. The whole logic board would need a complete redesign when compared to the touchbar models.

[@qwertimus]

10:06 > Apple adds millimetre to this model > People freak out... Seriously, the pull-tabs are a good compromise to adding additional thickness and weight

[@tenhundredkills]

I have to agree with the video. Having to remove the trackpad to access the final battery pull-tabs is a little ridiculous. The additional weight and thickness of a few extra screws only matters on paper. In the real world, no one is going to tell the difference.

[@joroshiba]

Nuanced good takes. Gotta love it.

[@omkar182]

Is it possible to upgrade the base model later? SSD or Ram.

[@andrescarrasco1248]

to be fair, the fact that the ssd is soldered or integrated aio makes it really bad for many true professionals, imagine one ram modele goes bad, or even a single little thing on the MB you are screwed, you may loose all your data, while there are some ways to recover it, it would had been just so great to just have a pci4 ssd

[@RunForPeace-hk1cu]

RAM modules don't go bad ... it's a myth. Like SDDs dying left and right. It doesn't. Unless you run your laptop like a data center server. But if you do that, you shouldn't be buying consumer grade H/W. I have never heard of anyone had they SDD die and them and unable to recover data from it. It's just fear mongering.

[@sanjay_swain]

According to current technology it's almost impossible to have a modular RAM for the Apple device but SSD is not the same. Current NVMe SSDs are plenty fast for even workstation loads.

[@mbvglider]

"True professionals" back up their data, though. Heck, most pros I know back up their backups multiple ways. And considering how much faster the soldered RAM and storage are compared to what's currently available out there, until user-replaceable options catch up in performance, I think it's hard to say that professionals would be willing to give up a percentage of performance to be able to open up their computer themselves and replace a component, which most pros I know don't have time to be opening up their own computers. Given that Apple is willing to service your computer if the RAM and storage go sideways, and there's an Apple Store in every major city, I don't know that this problem actually affects "true professionals."

[@excore1322]

@@mbvglider RAM is faster yes, storage is not though. It's standard PCIe gen 4 x4 speeds.

[@stoinks224]

3/10 repairable due to keyboard and unavailability of parts

[@bulcub]

can you upgrade the hard drive and the memory on the M1 14" Pro?

[@RoHiT89594]

Men you r channel is amazing thanks for all this video

[@alistairblaire6001]

As it was being disassembled, I could see where a lot of the money went. Inside, it really is impressive looking. But for me personally, I can't justify spending that much money on something that I can't upgrade at all.

[@m-stat9]

Get a Dell XPS then. Also nice, but Intel... 🔥

[@tcc5750]

Sadly even Thinkpads are soldering components down. It's just the way things are headed for now. Hopefully Right to Repair and other movements help bring us back to the light from darkness.

[@nazarottto]

Regardless of how powerful and efficient they are, the new MacBooks look like a real pain to maintain or repair when something goes wrong.

[@sanjay_swain]

Agree but a new M2 chip with easier access to battery and other peripheral would be the perfect laptop for most. (Yes I know apple is never going to do that but I can dream).

[@danthomas623]

Great video. Very objective. Lets hope this is the step in the right direction for Apple and a few years down the line we'll see even more repairability.

[@azstmpr]

Very cool to see the new MBP taken apart. Just received my iFixit kit to take apart my 2018 Mac Mini.