Apple’s repair program creates ‘excruciating gauntlet of hurdles,’ iFixit says

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops with M1 chips are now included in Apple's do-it-yourself repair program. It's possible in theory. The repairability experts at iFixit have taken a look at the new program and are mixed about it.

The new MacBook Pro guides threw us for a loop, according to iFixit. The documentation makes Macbook Pros seem less repairable than they have been in the past.

There is a repair manual for the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The first step is to read the whole manual. Replacing these batteries isn't just a matter of popping the battery out. The battery in the top case needs to be replaced. It's unusual for a laptop battery replacement to need a full computer teardown.

There is the matter of money. Sean Hollister found that the top case with battery for the 2020 and 2021 MacBook Pro models will set you back hundreds of dollars.

Apple is presenting repairers with a lot of hurdles: read a lot of documentation, pay a lot of money for an overkill replacement part, and do the repair anyways. We wonder if Apple wants better repairability.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Sean used the Self-service repair program to replace the battery in his Apple device, and iFixit has the same complaints. He put down a $1,200 deposit for the equipment after Apple gave him 78 pounds of tools and an industrial-grade heat station.

It is not unreasonable that an intricate device like the iPhone would require a fairly difficult and specialized process to repair. MacBook batteries have not historically been this complex to replace. A lot of modern laptops are easy to use. There is a case to be made that the repair kit was a step in the right direction. It is difficult to make a case for these MacBooks when the experts at iFixit are raising their eyebrows.

A replacement battery won't be attached to the case, but will be available in the future, according to an Apple spokesman.