The iFixit Verdict: Apple’s New MacBook Pro Is Very Difficult to Upgrade and Repair

The new MacBook Pro has been given a proper screening by the folks at iFixit, and to no surprise, they found that the laptop is a very tightly regulated machine.

The new laptop from Apple is priced at $1,499 and the new model uses function keys instead of a traditional Touch Bar. Customers will have a difficult time in replacing components as iFixit found that most of the hardware is literally glued to the main body of the MacBook Pro.

The system that MacBook users can replace is the solid-state drive (SSD). But it is an exclusive module that's very different from the previous MacBook Pros and Airs. A licensed Apple retailer is definitely a must if a customer wants to modify or upgrade the new laptop.

The MacBook Pro is considered to be the best-performing laptop system out in the market. Apple is considered to be a company that has directed the PC industry with its implementation of PCIe solid-state drives.

Upgrades for the new MacBook are currently available for a Radeon Pro 460 and a faster Core i7. Customers will get a standard 2.6GHz or 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, a Radeon Pro 450/455 with a 2GB of GDDR5 memory, and 8MB shared L3 cache. The new MacBook Pro models have SSD capacities that contain 2TB, 1TB, 512GB, and 256GB.

The tech wizards at iFixit have a habit of tearing down new gadgets and computers every time they are introduced into the market. What they discovered about the new Apple MacBook Pro is similar to what is common in the tech industry today, which is thinner laptops that make them nearly impossible to service even with the help of a manufacturer.

Here's all of what we found inside the new "Escape Edition" of the MacBook Pro: (the one without the Touch Bar.) https://t.co/Az4OO6EZ1H pic.twitter.com/aiOSFrLnHK

— iFixit (@iFixit) November 1, 2016

In the end, iFixit gave the MacBook Pro a score of 2/10 that guarantees that the laptop will definitely not be fixed by anybody except Apple. The low score is also a reminder that Apple's use of pentalobe screws on the chassis will give people a headache if they want their MacBook repaired.