Sometimes, in the tech world and in general life, progress means giving up things we actually quite liked about products. For example, user-replaceable batteries in Apple’s laptops. Remember those?
Thanks to internal reengineering that has allowed the company to create slimmer-and-lighter designs, we now have to go to visit the Apple Store every time we need a new battery. In the case of Apple’s new MacBook Air, that process was tricky even for the company’s Geniuses, requiring them to remove and replace the entire top of the keyboard.
However, Apple has now developed a new solution that enables authorised service providers to remove the glue from inside the frame, making it possible to install a new battery without wasting the keyboard topper. The word comes from MacRumors who noted the change within Apple’s internal service guide for the new MacBook Air.
Related: Best MacBook 2018
Given how Apple has been talking up how environmentally friendly the MacBook Air is, these is a necessary step, and cuts down on a whole lot of potential waste.
The chassis for the device is now made with 100% recycled aluminium, while there’s 35% more recycled plastic in components like the speakers, and all of the tin in the motherboard is recycled too. Whether Apple has made the battery move with environmental friendliness in mind remains to be seen, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the company’s claims that this is the greenest Mac ever.
Unfortunately, it still isn’t as easy as turning a little lever with a coin and whipping out that battery whenever it ran out of juice. Those days are unlikely ever to return.
Have you pondered a purchase of the new MacBook Air with Touch ID and a Retina display? Or have you seen enough potential in the new iPad Pro to drop the trusty laptop altogether? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
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.
