Apple iPad Pro 13 design and reparability praised while Pencil Pro panned as potential e-waste

Apple's well-hyped iPad Pro upgrades extend to its internals as well as things such as its new tandem OLED display; however, they have now been proven not to make the new slate any less fragile than its predecessors.

That might be disappointing for its buyers, especially those of the new top-end 13-inch model that now starts at $1,289.99 on Amazon. Now, however, it's time for the better news: the new ultra-thin iPad Pro 13 is reasonably reparable.

Like its iPhone 15-series counterparts, it can be opened from the front - although this might require a heating pad or similar equipment. The new iPad Pro's battery is split into 2 cells on either side of the new 'spine' made of its own M4 chip and logic board; nevertheless, they eventually proved removable (despite the old-fashioned pull-tabs).

This approval was echoed on YouTube by Phone Repair Guru, who also appreciated the tablet's "genius" modular USB-C port and dual display connectors. Even Apple's slightly odd claims, such as that the iPad Pro 13's logo is now a heatsink (it does indeed have some copper on the inside, albeit not much), were verified.

Its new companion the Apple Pencil Pro was not so lucky, however. The new stylus is packed with innovative technology such as a new pressure-sensitive ribbon and its own Taptic Engine - all of which must be ripped apart to get at its battery, with the added risk of shedding blood, swears and patience to do so, as demonstrated by iFixit contributor Shahram Mokhtari.

All in all, the new $129 stylus was ultimately decried as a "consumable" in this new video, whereas it seems the 13-inch iPad Pro need not be. Then again, neither new teardown video included a check for other potential reparability obstacles such as those iPhone-esque software locks.