April 29, 2024

iFixit Tears Down the New MacBook Air [Photos]

Posted November 8, 2018 at 3:44pm by iClarified · 8073 views
iFixit has posted its teardown of the new 13-inch MacBook Air.

After years of neglect, Apple has finally updated the widely-beloved MacBook Air. Does this new lightweight have what it takes to keep up with ultraportables of 2018? Or is it just full of hot air? Let’s open it up and find out.

Highlights:
● Model A1932 and EMC 3184
● Ports sit on their own boards and are easily replaceable
● Small logic board, one lonely fan, a pair of large elongated speakers, and an interesting radiator-esque heat sink
● Trackpad shares a cable with the keyboard, which is pinned under the logic board
● Four screws and six friendly pull-to-remove adhesive strips securing the 49.9 Wh battery

Repairability Score: 3 out of 10
● Many components are modular and straightforward to access—including the ports, fan, and speakers.
● Apart from the pesky pentalobe screws, this laptop opens about as easily as any.
● 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.
● The keyboard is integrated into the top case, requiring a full teardown for service.
● Soldered, non-serviceable, non-upgradeable storage and RAM is a serious bummer on a $1,200+ laptop.

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

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