Apple’s latest M4 MacBook Pro offers no improvements in repairability. This is unlike other devices that Apple launched this year, which focused on making repairs easier.
iFixit’s teardown of the M4 MacBook Pro also reveals that there are no internal design changes at all.
MacBook Pro with M4 Pro gets a bigger heatsink
The M4 MacBook Pro lineup retains the same design as previous M-series MacBooks. The only difference is the addition of an extra USB-C port on the base M4 MacBook Pro.
Otherwise, Apple focused on making meaningful specs improvements, like a brighter display, a faster and more efficient M4 chip, and longer battery life.
Internally, Apple did not reinvent the wheel. Instead, it stuck to the formula that worked in previous MacBooks, though there are a few smaller tweaks.
iFixit’s teardown of the M4 Pro MacBook Pro reveals a “slightly” redesigned logic board and rearranged components to make space for a larger heatsink. This M4 Pro chip likely necessitated the beefier cooling solution for quickly dissipating heat away from the processor.
The team also found that Apple is now making more ports individually replaceable than ever before. However, this does not make the M4 MacBook Pro more repairable than its predecessors.
No major repairability improvements
Many of the issues that plagued previous versions remain. This includes the MagSafe port and card reader being soldered to the logic board. Apple secures the battery using stretch-release adhesive, making battery replacement harder. It does not use ionic liquid battery adhesive to hold the battery in place, as seen on iPhone 16.
Overall, the M4 MacBook Pro does not bring a massive leap in repairability like the iPhone 16, which iFixit called Apple’s most repairable iPhone yet, and other Apple devices launched this year.
