Apple’s new MacBook Air 2018 is a little easier to repair than the previous model, according to the curious, destructive-minded folks at iFixit.
The teardown revealed a slight uptick in repairability or, as the site coined it, ‘slightly less nightmarish’ to fix than the 2015 MacBook Air – the last major update.
iFixit says this is largely down to the more modular design, which gives the two Thunderbolt ports, single fan and speakers there own logic board. They’re all easily replaceable.
It’s also a little easier to remove the battery, when compared to the current 12-inch MacBook. That’s largely down to a stretch release adhesive, iFixit says.
In its teardown report, the site writes (via Inquirer): “The battery is secured with a combination of screws and repair-friendly stretch-release adhesive—but you’ll have to remove the logic board and speakers for access.”
However, these repairability improvements are where the good news ends and the nightmare begins. Trackpad and keyboard repairs require a full teardown, requiring the logic board to be removed. Storage and RAM is not upgradable, of course.
Overall, iFixit gave the 2018 MacBook Air a 3/10 repairability score. While that might sound awful for users, it sure beats the previous score of 1/10.
Related: Best MacBook 2018
“Featuring modular ports and pull-to-release adhesive, the new MacBook Air stands out against a trend of declining repairability in Apple’s laptops,” the site wrote. “Though this update seems to favour experienced technicians more than the average DIYer. We’re hoping it’s the first step back toward repairable MacBooks.”
The new MacBook Air is the first to offer a Retina display and the Touch ID sensor for added security and authentication of Apple Pay payments. It’s also has a smaller physical footprint, a force touch trackpad, dual-Thunderbolt ports and a 100% recycled aluminium construction.
Are you eyeing a new MacBook Air purchase? Or did the newcomer fail to light your fire? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
