iFixit's teardown video shows the internals of Apple's new 2021 MacBook Pro and confirms its improved repairability

The vast majority of buyers will probably welcome the fact that the redesigned 2021 Apple MacBook Pro (from US$1,949 on Amazon) is easier to repair than its predecessor. While iFixit has already praised the easier to replace battery in the 2021 MacBook Pro earlier this week, the popular repair website has now published its full teardown video on YouTube, in which all internal details of the new MacBook Pro are thoroughly discussed. The video further shows how to remove the trackpad, the logic board, the two fans, speakers and the mini LED display on the 2021 MacBook Pro.

The removal of these components is apparently not particularly easy, but certainly feasible. Like in many notebooks nowadays, vital hardware components like the SSD storage, the memory and the Apple M1 Pro and Apple M1 Max processors are soldered on the mainboard of the new MacBook Pro and therefore can't be replaced. iFixit further criticizes the pentalobe screws and the difficult to remove bottom plate of the laptop. Also annoying is the fact that a user replacement will cause the display to lose its True Tone functionality, while the Touch ID sensor also stops working when it is replaced by the user.

In conclusion, iFixit gave the new 2021 MacBook Pro a repairability score of four out of ten possible points, which already includes a penalty for the aforementioned soldered-on components. However, in comparison to its predecessor which scored a measly one out of ten points, the new MacBook Pro appears to be a clear improvement in terms of overall repairability. The full-length 2021 MacBook Pro teardown video by iFixit is embedded below.