iFixit’s teardown of the new M4 iPad Pro reveals an easier-to-replace battery

The new 13-inch M4 iPad Pro is actually, actually skinny. That’s inevitably going to make sure points of repairing the system much more tough, which iFixit confirmed in a teardown revealed this weekend. Nevertheless it does shine in a single space — in terms of changing the battery, Apple made some significantly useful adjustments.

“For the primary time in an iPad Professional, we’re capable of take away the battery instantly after eradicating the display screen,” Teardown Tech Shahram Mokhtari wrote in a weblog submit. Mokhtari notes that “instantly is relative,” as there are nonetheless some screws and brackets to take away earlier than the battery may be taken out, and the video documenting the method reveals it takes a bit of labor to get to the pull tabs beneath the batteries, however the brand new setup nonetheless shaves hours off the method in comparison with earlier fashions.

“The truth that you’ll be able to take away the battery with out having to take away each main part inside this system continues to be an enormous win for repairability,” Mokhtari says within the video. “It’s a large enchancment over the earlier era.” Every thing else, however, goes to be fairly tough to restore with out inflicting injury. “From the daughterboard to the audio system and coax cables, we discovered an entire bunch of stuff that’s glued down as a result of there simply isn’t sufficient area for screws.”

And, the teardown reveals the brand new Apple Pencil Professional is a repairability nightmare. Mokhtari — who received lower by the Pencil whereas attempting to get to its insides — known as it “a disposable piece of crap as soon as the battery dies.”