iFixit Tears Down the New 12-inch MacBook [Photos]

iFixit has posted its teardown of the new 12-inch MacBook.

A year after release, Apple just announced its first update to the 12" MacBook with Retina Display. It's sort of a baby update, so we decided to match it with a baby teardown. Besides a faster processor and zippier flash memory, what changed? There's only one way to know: crack it open and spill its secrets.

Highlights:
● Same model number as the previous MacBook (A1534)
● Tri-wing screw we saw last year is now a repair-friendly Phillips
● Hinge screw Torx heads are filled with some sort of substance that disintegrates when you insert a screwdriver, perhaps acting as tamper-evident screws.
● USB-C cable is now perma-fixed to the USB board
● Silicon is moved from the USC-C cable itself to the USB board
● New 7.56 V, 41.41 Wh Li-ion power battery


Retina Macbook 2016 Repairability Score: 1 out of 10 (10 is the easiest to repair)
● Those pesky tri-wing screws are gone, replaced with lovely standard Phillips screws—but tamper-evident hinge screws make you feel like a hoodlum for repairing your own machine.
● The processor, RAM, and flash memory are still soldered to the logic board.
● The battery assembly remains entirely, and very solidly, glued into the lower case.
● The Retina display is still a fused unit with no separate, protective glass. If the display needs replacing, it'll cost a pretty penny.

Take a look at a few photos below and hit the the link for the full teardown.

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