Apple’s new MacBook Neo is not only the cheapest MacBook to date, it’s also the easiest MacBook to repair in “about 14 years,” according to a deep dive by how-to website iFixit.
The “big story” from iFixit’s perspective is the battery. While older MacBook batteries are supposedly glued in place, the Neo’s battery is held in a tray held in place by 18 screws. That’s a lot of screws, but iFixit declared that “screws are always better than glue.” In fact, this new arrangement, which will make MacBook battery replacement much easier, “saw applause throughout the iFixit office.”
Other changes said to make the MacBook Neo more repairable include a flatter disassembly tree, the fact that repair assistants appear to accept replacement parts without complaint, and easier-to-replace displays and keyboards.
Ultimately, iFixit had enough concerns, such as soldered-in RAM and storage, to give the Neo a repairability score of 6 out of 10. But for the MacBook, “it’s a very high score,” he said.
