iFixit Teardown: $599 MacBook Neo Is Apple's Most Repairable Laptop in 14 Years [Video]

iFixit has completed its teardown of the MacBook Neo, awarding the $599 laptop a repairability score of 6 out of 10. The teardown confirms that Apple's new entry-level machine is its most repairable notebook in over a decade, ditching heavy adhesives in favor of a modular, screw-based design.



Digging into the aluminum chassis, iFixit noted a remarkably straightforward disassembly process. The most significant structural change is the battery assembly. Instead of relying on the notorious stretch-release adhesive strips used in older MacBooks, Apple secured the 36.48 Wh dual-cell battery tray with 18 screws. This drastically simplifies battery replacements and eliminates the risk of puncturing cells during removal. To make the process even smoother, Apple printed the exact Torx Plus screwdriver sizes required for disassembly directly onto the internal hardware.


Further inspection revealed a highly modular layout that avoids tying smaller components to the main logic board. Both USB-C ports and the color-matched 3.5mm headphone jack can be swapped out individually if they fail. Accessing the keyboard is still a tedious job that requires removing 41 screws, but it is no longer riveted to the top case or blocked by a glued-in battery. These internal changes align with Apple's recent push to lower manufacturing costs through a new aluminum extrusion process used for the outer shell.

Apple also made notable changes to the input hardware. The MacBook Neo drops the haptic Force Touch trackpad that has been standard across the lineup since 2015. It relies instead on a simpler mechanical mechanism built with two flexures and a central tension screw. Interestingly, while the Neo is physically smaller than the MacBook Air, the two devices weigh roughly the same. iFixit found that the Neo's screen and solid metal trackpad assembly are heavier, offsetting the slightly lighter chassis.

On the logic board, the A18 Pro chip is clearly visible and shares an identical footprint to the silicon found inside the iPhone 16 Pro. As expected, the RAM and storage remain strictly soldered to the board, limiting long-term upgradeability for buyers who outgrow the base configuration.

A major win for independent repair comes on the software side. iFixit successfully swapped displays, batteries, and Touch ID sensors between two different units without encountering restrictive parts pairing warnings. Calibration was handled seamlessly through the native Repair Assistant tool built into macOS Tahoe.


You can order the MacBook Neo on Amazon now.

Take a look at the full iFixit teardown video below.