Introdução
The first of the long-awaited updates to Apple's pro-level laptops is on our teardown table, but what the heck is it? MacBook Pro Without Touch Bar? MacBook Pro With Function Keys? MacBook Pro With Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports? No one quite knows what to call it—but we know exactly what to do with it. Read on for our teardown of the MacBook Pro Late 2016 (Escape Edition).
Follow along on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for the latest news from the repair world.
O que você precisa
Vídeo de Apresentação
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We've waited many a full moon for an update to the MacBook Pro. What will we find? We know the basics:
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13.3” LED-backlit IPS “Retina” display with 2560 × 1600 resolution (227 dpi), P3 color gamut
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2.0 GHz "Skylake" dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.1 GHz) with integrated Intel Iris Graphics 540
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8 GB of 1866 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory (16 GB configuration available)
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256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB PCIe-based SSD
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Two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports supporting charging, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, USB 3.1 Gen 2
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Two Thunderbolt 3 ports populate the left side of this laptop... and that's all.
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On the right side, a lone 3.5 mm headphone jack.
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After all the hubbub about how the headphone jack is antiquated hardware that doesn't deserve a space on the iPhone 7, this seems... odd.
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But hey, who are we to judge? It's a widely used standard and we're 100% on board with that. Just know that you can't plug in your iPhone 7's Lightning EarPods, as the necessary dongle doesn't exist.
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Completing our inspection of the outer case, we note the new model number: A1708.
The reason they didn't want it in the iPhone is because it takes up too much space in such a thin, small device. A laptop, even a new, thin one, still has a bit more breathing room and a port like that has less of an impact. I feel like you guys know this, know that *we* know this, and just added that comment to rile people up. =P
It's not just a "headphone jack" it's also an optical audio port. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202730
are you sure? on that page the late 2016 is not listed...
diendi -
S/PDIF optical digital audio out is also not listed in the system information. Pretty sure it's just a headphone jack.
Something about A1708( If you want to see more electronic components product-data,this web is a good choic: http://www.hqew.net/product-data )
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Base chemistry: epoxy only, cationic polymerization
One component adhesive ready for use, solvent-free, UV and/or heat curing
PRODUCT USE:
Active alignment of components for optoelectronics and semiconductor packaging
High precision bonding Bonding of opaque substrates and optical parts
FEATURES:
Epoxy only, high adhesion, high Tg, long shelf and working life, room temperature stable, not sensitive to oxygen in cure process, excellent reliability performances, robust for solder reflow process
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:
1) Clean the substrates to remove contamination, dust, moisture, salt and/or oil
2) Dispense adhesive on substrates
3) Bond substrates (with active alignment – optional)
4) UV cure to fix alignment or to bond
5) Thermal cure: to cure adhesive in shadow area and to improve adhesion of bonded parts
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Although we're dying to send emojis with a tap of the Touch Bar, this 'Book is missing the headlining feature of the 2016 MacBook Pro series—it sports physical function keys instead.
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However, we do spy an XL (extra-long) escape key that sets this row of function keys apart.
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The Pro looks like a giant beside its pink sibling, sporting a significantly larger trackpad.
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Also, the speaker grilles have migrated down from the upper edge of the keyboard to flank it on the left and right sides, now possible due to the Pro's extra half-inch of depth.
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Here's one last X-ray preview of the internals. Time to get our hands dirty!
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Ferramenta utilizada neste passo:Mako Driver Kit - 64 Precision Bits$39.95
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After six years of removing proprietary pentalobe screws from MacBook laptops, we can remove the six of them from the back of this laptop with our eyes closed.
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We also happen to sell the prettiest pentalobe screwdriver you'll ever see, useful for all of your MacBook opening needs.
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Six screws! That's the fewest we've seen on a unibody MacBook of any vintage, with 8 on the 2015 MacBook and 10 on most MacBooks Pro.
Nope, there’s actually 3 different lengths on the bottom screws.
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Well, this is new. We're momentarily stumped by the new, extra-secure lower case, before we crack the code to remove it.
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A suction cup helps lift the lower edge enough to get an opening pick in, to pop hidden clips on each side. After that, you slide the entire lower case down and you're home free.
is this a some kind of metal glue in the corners and in few lines between em?
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Code cracked and panel removed, we move on to disconnect the battery and realize things are strange.
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This wide-headed T5 screw serves as a super-secure press connector for the battery.
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Folding the connector back reveals some copper pads. Two large ones for positive and ground from the battery, and several smaller points. Perhaps... Test Points?
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Following our intuition, we try for the trackpad next, and are pleasantly surprised at the ease of its removal.
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This represents a huge improvement over the previous 13" MacBook Pro, where the trackpad was trapped under the battery.
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STMicroelectronics STM32F103VB ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
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Broadcom BCM5976C1KUFBG Touch Controller
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Bosch Sensortec BMA282 accelerometer
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Texas Instruments TMP421 remote/local temperature sensor
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We also find the Taptic Engine, AKA the
magicelectromagnet behind Force Touch, to be simply secured with screws and spring contacts.
uitkijken voor de losse stukjes onderaan de touchpad (dunne spacers rond de schroefbusjes). Deze zijn flinterdun en moeilijk terug te vinden als ze op de grond vallen.
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Touchpad IC identifications, continued:
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Monolithic Power Systems MP24830 white LED driver
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Maxim Integrated MAX11291ENX 20 bit analog to digital converter (likely)
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Macronix MX25L2006EZUI-12G 2 Mb serial NOR flash
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Maxim Integrated MAX9026 comparator w/ internal reference
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Ferramenta utilizada neste passo:iOpener$12.99
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Emboldened by our trackpad success, we tackle the battery next.
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Our confidence is quickly crushed by tenacious adhesive. Bring on the frustration and flashbacks.
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Good thing we're armed to deal with tacky-battery warfare at iFixit. We charge into battle with heat and plastic cards.
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Also a good thing, with the trackpad out first we're finally able to pry at that super-annoying center cell, a common source of repair annoyance.
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Through perseverance we liberate the battery. Let us continue the good fight!
This guide is terribly below standard. Bit of heat? On the battery?! Why not use some Iso Alc and let it absorb into the adhesive? No? Warming up the battery with a heatgun isn’t exactly a bright move is it.
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At 54.5 Wh, this battery doles out ~27% less power between charges than last year's edition—although with just three cells instead of six, it might be a tad easier to remove.
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That said, this Pro actually packs more oomph than its Touch Bar-equipped sibling, whose battery clocks in at 49.2 Wh.
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Up top, we find this battery control board which — unlike the impeccably manicured components surrounding it — is coated in thick epoxy à la Apple's Lightning-to-headphone dongle.
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Turning our attention to the very well-shielded SSD, we start by peeling up this massive patch of protective tape.
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Per Apple, we know the SSD itself uses a high-speed PCIe-based interface—but this form factor and pin configuration look new.
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Time to pry those shields off and see exactly what Apple cooked up here...
Any chance the shield is meant to reduce the chirping/grinding sounds of the SSD? Does it differ from the Early 2015 in ways that would be likely to impact the amount of high frequency noise from the SSD?
Will you ever find a compatible SSD on alternative market? Is it an option to buy the 256GB model and upgrade it by yourself?
But it might indicate that Apple will offer an "upgrade"path in the future (Optane/XPoint when Intel figure out how to make it work? Yeah, I know, wishful thinking). Or could they stuff some other chip on that board? Instead of using 4 chips for the SSD, use two higher-density chips and put an M2 chip in the remaining space?
("Our latest baby - the second generation M2 motion co-processor. Packed with new and exciting features.. we're sure you're going to love it!" me writing Apple's press release for them..)
Does the 2017 model also feature removable SSD?
yes, it does. though i wish i could find one of the ssds
is there any other model that has this disk pcIe 1 tb? or is there some adapter to connect the disk via usb and retrieve the information?
I couldn’t find any external adapter but what for do you need it? I have just swapped to a 1tb SSD and you can load datas from the old through a backup in time machine
@francesco Time Machine is great until you want a bare metal OSX with your data added to it. In some cases you may want to upgrade a hard drive and put a brand new fresh copy of OSX on it only pull files and folders without pulling the whole directory from your old drive. This is something we in IT do all the time as it gets rid of a ton of background junk that gets backed up that takes up space.
Hi, im trying to clean my ssd, I’ve heard it is solded sooo can I?
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Let's take a look at what's powering this sideways storage slate:
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SanDisk SDRQKBDC4 064G 64 GB NAND flash memory (x4 for a total of 256 GB).
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Apple 338S00227 SSD power management
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Texas Instruments CSD58879D MOSFET
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F4432ACPE-GD-F likely Micron 512 MB DDR2 RAM
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Success! A reflow revealed: Apple 338S00199 SSD controller
Is this controller proprietary and required for use or will other companies (OWC) be able to provide replacement/larger SSDs for this MBP?
It is Apple proprietary NVMe SSD controller.
JJ Wu -
Micron has a part number which is similar to F4432ACPE-GD-F.
http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en...
https://octopart.com/edf4432acpe-gd-f-es...
F4432ACPE-GD-F could be Micron's 4Gb LPDDR3.
JJ Wu -
SSD controller inside Apple Macbook 2016. It is AP0256J.
http://www.macotakara.jp/blog/archives/0...
SSD controller in the Apple MacBook Pro 2016. It is also AP0256J.
http://www.macotakara.jp/blog/macintosh/...
The difference is PCIe lane numbers. In the MacBook 2016, it is 2-lanes PCIe 3.0 and it is 4-lanes PCIe 3.0 in the MacBook Pro 2016.
> first time we've seen Apple's … controller in a removable
Did you not see late 2015 iMac and MacBook Air? Both contain Apple NVMe blades.
http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/new-...
Recall that Apple purchased Anobit, an Israeli SSD controller company back in 2011.
I haven’t been able to source an enclosure for this type of SSD. Any suggestions on data recovery?
Any luck finding an enclosure?
Did you find anything for this? still looking for that…
Hossein -
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We stumble upon another familiarity in this MacBook as we begin speaker extraction: vibration dampening screw gaskets, similar to those found in the iMac.
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These speakers supposedly deliver more oomph than previous gens', and clearly need a more robust mounting system to keep from shaking your laptop off your lap.
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One speaker, two speaker, black speaker, black speaker. This teardown is starting to have a nice rhyme to it.
https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/ig... - Is the black thing on the left side of the screen just an empty place holder? Thinking of the "Pro" Pro (not this "Air" Pro) models with a dedicated graphic card have two fans, this model should have more space inside.
If I'm seeing what you're seeing, I think you're talking about the rectangular space where the SSD was connected?
Uhh, y’all? A strange feeling, like the boy in a “25 years later” special edition re-visit to the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” which hasn’t yet happened… I don’t see an audio-producing device there. Also, Mactracker lists three audio-in sources, which stretches credibility.
iFixIt tear-down guide makers: please make plain how the “stereo audio” works. It’s not ~1996 anno domini anymore, and hooking my Labtec-brand microphone to my compact disc-supporting, stereo AM/FM radio’s headphones jack (and having the mic faintly emit the audio) is not as cool as such once may have been. In actuality, not a reason to be confused regarding “sound senses” of life.
—Christopher Gautam Hota
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Given our excitement surrounding the logic board removal (and the amount of ornaments and wrapping paper just unleashed in stores everywhere), you might think Christmas came 54 days early.
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We begin to look for the "advanced thermal architecture" Apple boasted in its press release the way a child might rifle through her stocking on Christmas morning.
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...We're a little disappointed that advanced architecture really meant "relocation of the heat sink screws to the backside of the logic board."
If you check apple website, the touchbar version has 2 fans instead of one, and th 15 inch has "twice as many blades"
Thermal architecture has a lot more than heatsink path area and location to it. It has to do with where the sources are postioned, conductivity and length of the path from sources to sinks, etc. unless you build up thermal models for comparison, I do not think you can claim that this system is not susbstantially different.
Just wondering why is the thermal paste applied just on a portion of the surface. That doesn't bode well for the thermal conductivity between the chip and the heatsink.
Only those are the chips. The non covered part is the PCB substrate
A lot of people have complained about Apple obsession with overly-thin computers, and would prefer more battery over a 6 mm reduction in thickness any day (myself included). The simplest way would seem to add more battery under the palm rests, and just left the rest to be "wasted space". Would that that necessarily make the thermal properties of the machine as a whole better? Or would it just create air turbulence inside or make things worse - overheating some other component rather than venting the heat to the air that's blown out the hinge slots? Does the MBP 2016 have *any* other air vents other than the slots under the screen hinge and the keyboard? And does the keyboard really do anything in that regard?
Can someone tell me where the Power Pins are?
Does anyone have the exact size/data of it? I would like to render it…
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We tackle the front side of the logic board:
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Intel Core i5-6360U processor with Intel Iris Graphics 540
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SKhynix H9CCNNNBJTML LPDDR3 high-speed synchronous DRAM
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Universal Scientific Industrial 339S0251 Wi-Fi Module
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Intel JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controller
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Texas Instruments CSD87350Q5D Synchronous Buck NexFET Power Block MOSFET Pair (and some other MOSFETs are found on this PCB)
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Broadcom BCM15700A2 camera processor
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Micron MT41K256M16TW-107 512 MB DDR3L SDRAM
It is not Intel DSL6510 Thunderbolt 3 controller. It it not DSL6540 either.
From the chip marking, it should be Intel JHL6540 Thunderbolt 3 controller.
What is the 512MB SDRAM by the Thunderbolt controller for?
That is for Broadcom BCM15700A2
JJ Wu -
can you replace or switch out the CPU or is it soldered onto the logic board?
This just a shame. W u line i5 in a 1700$ notebook.
This model was $1499.
Hi, I had a situation with this MacBook Pro. I’m trying to replace the screen. However I sent my MBP (this MBP) to a bad technical services and they removed the protective tape from the LPDDR3 DRAM area. It’s ok if I leave this part without this protective tape???? I appreciate your help!!!
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We flip the logic board over to the reverse side and keep scouring:
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Making a second appearance, SK Hynix H9CCNNNBJTMLAR-NUD LPDDR3 high-speed synchronous DRAM
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Texas Instruments SN650839 (as seen in the 2016 Retina MacBook) Skylake CPU power management
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2x Texas Instruments CD3215B03 USB type-C controller
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Winbond W25Q64FV 64 Mb serial NOR flash memory
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Texas Instruments TM4EA231 system management controller
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Cirrus Logic CS42L63A Audio Codec
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Intersil ISL95828HRTZ Intel CPU PWM controller
Looks like the USB-C jacks have a separate daughter board, which plugs into the system board, or is it soldered? Would be a major repairability feature IMHO
Looks like it is soldered, this is going to end up ugly if you manage to break the ports.
Tom Chai -
Can anyone please link a (free) datasheet from the Audio Codec chip? I'm curious to sound quality. How the Macbook Pro Retina mid 2015 (13", 15") sound quality is compared to this new (?) one. Thanks.
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IC identification, pt. 2:
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Texas Instruments TPS51980A 2-phase step-down controller
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Renesas (formerly Intersil) ISL9239 battery charger
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Texas Instruments TPS51916 DDR memory power management
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Vishay SiC635 power stage
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Vishay SiC532 30 A power stage
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Analog Devices SSM3515B 31 W Class-D audio amplifier
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Texas Instruments (formerly National Semiconductor) LP8548B1 backlight driver
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IC identification, pt. 3:
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Texas Instruments TMP513A triple remote/local temperature sensor
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Winbond W25Q80DVUXIE 8 Mb serial NOR flash memory
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Winbond W25X20CLUXIG 2 Mb serial NOR flash memory
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Microchip (formerly Atmel) AT93C66B 4 Kb serial EEPROM memory
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Maxim Integrated MAX77596 300 mA buck converter
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Texas Instruments TPS22966 6 A load switch
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Likely hall sensor
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Given Apple's renowned port-removing courage, it wasn't unreasonable to think the headphone jack would find itself getting voted off the island prior to this round of MacBook Pros.
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Miraculously, the headphone jack survived... but given that it's a single modular unit (with two attached microphones) taped to the bottom of the fan, it could easily be dropped in favor of a Lightning or USB-C connector at the next
Tribal CouncilMacBook release. -
Next, we take a closer look at the speaker grilles: Most of the holes are actually just dents posing as holes. The only through-holes are dedicated to the four speaker drivers and the two microphones.
Taping the two microphones to the only moving component of the entire system doesn't seem a brilliant solution.
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Before we hit Retina, we scrape out a fancy fan. These blades are supposedly super quiet due to their asymmetrically spaced blades.
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There's also a significant amount of space not taken up by blades—that's probably another sick thermal system feature. Plus it looks nice in the video.
So... correct me if I'm wrong but does this mean if one of these fancy fans breaks I have to remove my logic board to replace it? -_-
The space not occupied by blades is called spiral housing and is to increase the pressure recovery and the fan is therefore able to increase the flow. Pretty much standard in normal fans, pumps and turbines.
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Time to mosey on down to display town, we decap some shields and take a peek at the hardware powering those pixels:
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Parade Technologies DP805 DisplayPort timing controller (likely)
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Texas Instruments (formerly National Semiconductor) LP8549B1 backlight driver
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Texas Instruments TPS65157 display power management
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NXP Semiconductor LPC812 ARM Cortex M0+ 32-bit MCU
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Texas Instruments TPS65158 High Resolution LCD Bias IC for TV
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Texas Instruments TCA9406YZPR 2-bit SMBus voltage-level translator
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At MacBook's edge we come across a shiny bar (held in by 12 P2 Pentalobe screws) that also serves as an antenna.
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Behind the antenna bracket, we spy some fancy tech along the Pro's spine.
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A spring mechanism rolls a flat cable up when the display is closed, and unravels when the display opens. This seems to make it a bit easier to close the lid.
This step may reveal the most significant change in the new MacBook Pro models, and one that I was hoping for as it showed up in the most recently released MacBook Air series. I believe we are looking at a flat molded ribbon cable which is carrying the display signal. And why is that so significant?
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The nasty bundle-of-wires these machines have suffered with for the previous 15 years almost universally wear out after about three years. I have a stack of them, and have replaced this cable in dozens. Once Apple changed to hermetically joining the cable to the display unit, it was very very difficult to replace the cable without mangling the display. So a failed cable would necessitated replacing an otherwise operation display.
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As far as I know, the Pismo was the last pro level Apple laptop to sport the hinge-ribbon-cable arrangement and mine still works great after all this time. Perhaps in spite of the ram being soldered down, Apple has at last produced a worthy laptop?
I see the base model has now a 2x2 wifi module, whereas the model year before had 3x3, if I remember correctly.
the Pismo was the last pro level Apple laptop to sport the hinge-ribbon-cable arrangement
So Apple used a better ribbon cable arrangement with the Pismo, and then moved *back* to the budle-of-wires-that-always-breaks?! (And it seems like a ribbon cable would also be easier to make)
Bad news. I have one of these, and after 18 months the display has failed due to the ribbon cable/flexible PCB going open circuit. The bend radius on the flex-PCB is about 2.5 mm, which is pretty small for long term durability, even if the thickness and materials of the PCB are optimal. (Dynamic flex-PCB designs typically use a radius of 5-15 mm for long life.) In contrast, my old Apple laptops (10+ years old) haven’t suffered from this sort of problem, so it’s not clear to me that this change is actually an improvement and not another step backwards in the pursuit of thinness.
The spring mechanism to tension the flat cable is probably to stop it kinking as it slides in and out of the slot in the base. This makes it a “pull” when moving in both directions, rather than a “pull” on open and “push” on close. A kink might stop the display closing, and would probably ruin the cable.
What screws are these really? People keep saying they are 1.1mm P2s, but I cant find a driver for that anywhere.
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We'll skip tearing down the display itself—we've been down that road before—so how about a lovely X-ray instead? Here you can see the camera board with its long data cable, the solid metal Apple logo, and even the little magnets embedded in the lid for sleep/wake functionality.
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We gently detach the gutted shell of the keyboard/upper case from the display, and take a closer look at the fancy new hinge system.
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Sometimes seemingly standard hardware deserves an Ooh and an Ahh: These small, precision hinges are likely injection molded, allowing for thinner and more precise parts.
Hopefully LiquidMetal!
Having had hinge problems once with a Gateway laptop, these in the new MacBook look durable.
The Apple logo plate seems (in the x-ray picture) to have a horizontal divide about a quarter of the way down, passing between the fruit and the stem.
What's that about?
> horizontal divide, between the fruit
Maybe a sign that Apple is "cutting the stem"? Not sure if that's good or bad though.. Or maybe Apple does (is planning) to use the same "stem" piece of the inlay in other products with a bigger "apple" part, and this allows for the one piece of the metal inlay to be reused or is easier to make?
jimwitte -
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The Butterfly 2.0 keys are indeed updated! Check this sweet MacBook/MacBook Pro (with function keys) rollover!
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The Pro's keycaps (first image) are a little taller at the edges, making keys easier to find with your fingers.
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The dome switch under the butterfly mechanism also appears to be heftier and better mated to the keycap than the ones in the MacBook (second image).
Does iFixit have the resources/equipment to determine a metal alloy's composition? I'm asking here because of Apple's patents on "Liquidmetal" things like dome switches, hinges, and springs inside Taptic engines. Some LM fans swear that the patents mean that Apple actually uses them in products, but we never see that disclosed in teardowns.
Yes, good question. I need to see a return on my massive LQMT investment!
Apple has definitely used liquid metal in products. In particular on the release tool for the iPhone / iPad SIM trays.
alex -
> I need to see a return on my massive LQMT investmen
Yes! Since early August to now, because of the MBP, Liquidmetal gained a whole *2 cents*! From 0.15 to 0.17!
jimwitte -
Are each keys individually LED backlit like MacBook or some other lighting mechanism ?
Can you share how the key can be displaced? (I need to change the location of some keys.)
I tried gently prying one with a guitar pick and it cracked. Had to send it in for a repair a mere week after purchasing it :(
Do function keys ("f" row) have the same locking method as the one on the photo?
Something is stuck underneath one of the keys on my Mac =(
I resolved my issue with a stuck key. I used compressed air can to blow everything from underneath the button and now it works perfectly!
phoganov -
Did you remove any of the keys or just blow air towards the key from the side? Think i have the same problem with my spacebar... :(
I unfortunately sloshed some coffee onto my keyboard, first time in twenty years I have screwed up like this. Apple wants $620 for the "repair". Would greatly appreciate a little more information on safely removing and replacing keys.
... for example, though it is clear that pressure needs to be applied from all four corners, it would be useful to know if the prying should happen from the sides, or the top and bottoms of the keys.
Follow a guide like this one. iFixit teardowns are not meant to be used as instructions.
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And for the grand finale: All those beautiful bits all in one place!
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Don't forget: Apple had some slick computer-generated imagery of their new machines' internals, but we got the real thing! Today's hi-res X-ray images were brought to you by the amazing team at Creative Electron.
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- The trackpad can be removed without first removing the battery.
- Proprietary pentalobe screws continue to make opening the device unnecessarily difficult.
- The battery assembly is entirely, and very solidly, glued into the case, thus complicating replacement.
- The RAM is soldered to the logic board. Pay for the upgrade now, or be stuck with 8 GB forever. There is no chance of upgrade.
- The proprietary PCIe SSD still isn't a standard drive. Cross your fingers for future compatible drives; for now, you're stuck with what you've got.
Considerações finais
Índice de reparabilidade
(10 é o mais fácil de reparar)
67 comentários
This version (non touchbar) is also using TDP 15W CPUs. The 13" one with touchbar is using TDP 28W CPUs (and has probably two fans).
@chenyu apple's press renders and product site show the 13 inch mb pro with 2 fans
Dual fan is found on the 13" MacBook pro with a touch bar becuase the TDP on the CPU is much higher. (28W). It's also in the 15" MacBook Pro with an 80W TDP, and bigger heat pipes.
Finally, It's a bit sad that you guys didn't compare this year's heat sinks to last years. Do some flow rate testing on the fans, and give us dimensions and weight of the heat sinks from last year to this year. Without making any proper measurements, you cannot make *any* claims about the thermal system being "advanced" or not.
It seems, like the version with the Touchbar will have redesigned speakers and up to 2.5x louder bass. This version without Touchbar has definitely no subwoofers shown on the MacBook Pro web page at apple.com.
Urgh. When Apple first moved to PCI-E SSDs, the proprietary connector was understandable because the SATA consortium had fallen behind where Apple wanted to go.
But now, you can carry as much PCI-E bandwidth as Apple wants over a standardized m.2 slot.
Having yet another proprietary Apple pinout is quite annoying, considering. The cost of upgrading my mid 2014 rMBP 15's SSD is still absurdly high owing to that.
It is absurd. The M.2 standard is just fine for everyone. I have no idea why Apple's priority is on skinny.
I don't mean to sound snide, but if you buy an Apple device, you can hardly complain, because you know that Apple purposely designs planned obsolescence in their hardware. Apple introduced almost every bad practice, which the rest of the ICT industry is now copying:
1. Proprietary connectors for SSD (first Mac Air)
2. Soldered RAM (first Mac Air)
3. Soldered CPU (first Mac Air)
4. Non-removable battery which is glued to case (and sometimes soldered connection) (first iPod, first Mac Air, first iPhone)
5. Metal unibody case
6. Sealed case with custom screws
7. No expandable memory in high-end phones and media players (first iPod, first iPhone)
8. All glass front cover which is prone to cracking (first iPhone)
9. Thinnest edge bezel which decreases protection from drops (iPhone 4)
10. Glass back (iPhone 4)
11. All thin as possible
Once Apple does it, the rest of the industry copies it, because Apple has the highest profits and receives the best reviews. For this reason, I boycott Apple products.
amosbatto:
I don't think planned obsolesce is planned for most of Apple's devices. E.g., the iPad 2 was still supported as of this moment through iOS 9.3.5. I do not know of any other tablets from 2011 that are actively updated by their makers today. The iPhones and iPods are the same. Soldered CPUs were introduced by Intel, who phased out PGA-type of CPU interconnects beginning with transition to BGA. Soldered RAM is a double edged sword - while you can't upgrade, you can max out to 16GB of RAM (which is default for a few years now on the 15" MBP), as well, Intel supports faster memory clocks on LPDDR3, which is not available as SODIMMs. As DDR3 SODIMMS are limited to 8GB/DIMM, this isn't an issue. You were never going to be able to upgrade beyond 16GB in the first place as higher density DIMMS are only for DDR4+. The batteries have been a common trend in portable devices since MP3 players. I support Gorilla Glass-types of screen covers as they withstand usage better than polycarbonate.
Steven Zhang
"It is absurd. The M.2 standard is just fine for everyone."
It clearly isn't fine for everyone, or Apple would be using it.
Why is a hard call, but given Apple's use of a custom SSD controller, they could be doing things that other interface architectures simply don't support.
Owning the whole chain, end to end, opens up all sorts of possibilities, for example for speeding up virtual memory paging related I/O. If that were the case, then I doubt that Apple would tell you anything other than that it's much faster in some situations, as indeed they did.
alex -
Is the Wifi indeed 2x2 now ? It was 3x3 before.
Hi iwas thinking about buy a new macbook pro, Which recommend me, new macbookpro 13" 256gb no touch bar or macbook pro retina 256gb 13"? because it looks like the new version is worst than new one isn`t it?
javierdelkas:
The graphics, the monitor and the touchpad are much nicer in the new Macbook Pro 13". If you treasure any of those, go for the new one.
People asking about graphics decisions in Apple's laptop line just need to think about 1 piece of information - TDP 15/28W for the Intel processors. The Radeon Pro 400 series in the 15" MBP has a TDP "less than 35W". People clamoring (like me initially) for dreams of a Pascal based nVidia 1060/1080 realize the GTX1060 mobile has a TDP of 75W....I would venture that is near or exceeds the TDP for the entire system. This is in line with the 900M series, but provides desktop GPU performance, but still......hot.
Apple did use the 750M at a TDP of 50W in the 2014 Retina 15" MBP, the the machines have gotten thinner since that time.
I also would like to know if the audio jack is capable of optical out! Previous MacBook Pro stated that in the Tech Specs but the latest version does not mention optical out. Thanks!
@diendi and @Superkloton: Regarding digital audio, here's a screenshot of the system report from my early 2011 MacBook Pro, which clearly shows the S/PDIF hardware—alongside the system report from the new MacBook Pro Escape, which... doesn't. Based on this, I'd say Apple dropped the digital audio out and wants you to run everything through Thunderbolt/USB-C.
Does the new Universal Scientific Industrial 339S025 wifi support MU-MIMO?
is it possible to change the physical keyboard layout from the us to the german version?
Is the machine completely sealed, or where air gets out of the chassis? If it has some cavities where air gets out of the chassis, can air (and dust) also get in? How the chassis is similar to, or different from the previous design in this regard?
Based on the tear down, I would say that the cooling system is similar to the pre-2013 MBPs in the way it moves air. It sucks air in from the hinge area and exhausts it via a different portion of the hinge area. This system is less dust-prone compared to the 2013+ models where there are additional slats near the sides to aid cooling. Those slats point downwards and from typical usage (laptop on laps, laptop on bed, laptop on table, etc), the downward pointing nature of the intake picks up a lot of fine fibers and dust from whatever surface is beneath the laptop. I noticed this exact behavior on my 2013 MBP as compared to the earlier 2011 MBP (without slats and hinge-only intake and exhaust).
Apple fanboy defending the scam tech. Its funny how they react despite a doomed technology.
While most of us learn, research, evaluate and value the innovation such as Microsoft and enjoy our life as a mortal being.
Why become a sheep when your life is short and they "apple" don't even bother about your existence?
In the end, It doesn't matter at all.
I have no idea what you are trying to say. What is "scam tech" ? What makes it "doomed" ? Microsoft innovative ? Your post is full of hyperbole. It sounds like you became a sheep with a different ranch.
Strange then that Microsoft has been remodelling their whole business to be more like Apple, e.g. producing complete systems that they control from end to end, and largely failing, e.g. effectively writing off their Nokia acquisition.
alex -
You sound like the opposite of me... I have a high IQ, that means you probibly don't ;)
Why do you want to know?
Do you mean the Winbond SpiFlash ?
Well, Apple is so fed fat with its 'iDevices', that there is no need to build decent computers anymore, as they used to! I guess, its just a matter of time until they sell out the computer section to Lenovo / Dell! ( That would be a real win! )
Me, myself, I call these 'new' model the ultimate 'iCrap' ! Before spending that amount of bucks, i'd rather get a Dell Core i 5/7 Laptop & build myself a Hackintosh
You're so right. Still using my 2012 15 inch non retina MBP with 2,6 GHz i7, expanded with 1 TB SSD and 2 TB HDD + 16 GB RAM. And until they make an actual laptop again and not tablet which happens to have a keyboard attached I'm not buying anything else. Sadly that probably won't ever happen again, so I hope it works another 4-5 years from now.
Andy -
me I am already feeling the need to replace my '08 Alu and I am already considering going the Linux way all the way and be done with this new ultra thin and shiny Dark Empire with the rest of iStuff to get out of the picture along my core Alu machine
MiKa -
Very detailed and humorous teardown; thanks!
Hi,
thanks for the nice teardown. One question, the fan, can it be replaced without removing the logic board? With my past laptops I always had to replace moving parts, but I really don't like to touch too many flat cable or the logic board. So I wonder how complicated it will be to replace the fan once will it be completely covered with dust...
Cheers
Duc
You must remove the logic board, because the screws for the fan are on the opposite side. However, Apple's modern fans are very long lasting and the hinge-intake airflow design is much less prone to dust build up than laptops with air intakes at the bottom. You should be able to just remove the back panel and blow compressed air into the heatsink from the outside to release all the dust and fiber buildup.
OMG! What futurist crap! New ssd patern, from sandisk! And what is this crazy USB-c thing? Maybe next decade I buy a only USB-c computer
I bet that future third party SSD will appear like those forecmacbook air.
The MacBook Pro with touch bar can't have any chance for ssd upgrade.
However all chips can be replaced with a little experience and proper tools.
however, the basic reason to buy an Apple machine is to NOT have to mess with its hardware/software that much particularly when you have to pay north of 1,857.87€
MiKa -
Apple has ALWAYS created things that were different, always did things that were different than the rest of the industry. Back then Apple was considered a niche market and most of the industry pundits wrote Apple off as oddballs with a cult-like following. Back then Apple bucked the industry standards. Back then Apple was still the "little guy"... Back before the release of the iPod and the iPhone. Apple wasn't really considered to be much competition to the market which left a huge share for all the other players.
Microsoft was the guys to beat and everyone hated on every thing they did and you were a drone if you used that OS. Amazing how things have changed... but actually, how much they've stayed the same. People love to hate on the guy at the top of the heap.
I've had this problem with the 12" macbook. A speck of dust broke the shift key within 3 weeks, so I got a full refund since it was covered under the Australian Consumer Laws 30 day return policy, since Apple won't admit the structural fault in their new butterfly style keyboards.
I then got the 13" macbook pro 2016 with a "new and improved" butterfly keyboard to have the same thing happen 2 weeks after purchase. Returned it again, got another one.
I'm just going to repeat this process every 30 days until the next model is released, hopefully then the newer model won't be so susceptible to flecks of household dust.
Or I start using my macbooks in a hermetically sealed room with a cryovac suit on.
Here is a conversation with Applecare about the problem that Apple refuses to identify when you go in store with stuck keys:
How simple is it to clean logic board corrosion on this model? What are the minimum components to remove before you have access to the logic board?
2017 model have removable SSD?
2017 non touch bar with removable SSD?
No, but you do have to remove the airport/bluetooth antenna, which is held in with 0.8mm pentalobe screws.
So, disable auto boot on logic board (through terminal command)
Then remove bottom case
Then disconnect battery
Then remove antenna
Then remove display.
Make sure the display cables fold the correct way, as they are extremely delicate. I’ve seen people break them by twisting or pulling too hard
I’m rebuilding one of these with a new logic board, but the keyboard isn’t working. Can someone point me to where the keyboard is connected?
Did you ever find where it’s connected? I have the exact same problem?
I love these black PCB’s. That looks so expensive and dope!
Why would you publish a tear down, and for not go through the steps to actually do this properly? You just leave certain steps that are crucial to the tear down our but not mention it???? As well as only give a partial tool list??? What a joke you guys are!!! A &&^&^$^ joke!!! I won’t ever come to these “teardown” and “how-to” guides by ifixit.com again!! More like imabitchtit.cum on my face &&^& you guys.
Actualmente hay un adaptador disponible en Amazon para aumentar la capacidad del SSD, junto con un SSD Sabrent M.2 2242!
Is there a guide to replacing the Fan on this model somewhere?
I updated my SSD to a 2TB NVMe. Works like a dream and is blazing-fast!
Il y a pas de tuto pour retirer le clavier ?
I get that the new touch bar will replace the Function keys, but what if you use Function keys in Excel etc ..... how will you perform these functions with the new macbook pro ?
gregnrichardson - Responder