M3 MacBook Air is easy to take apart, but parts pairing is still a pain

AppleInsider

A teardown of the M3 MacBook Air may as well be a teardown of the M2 model with some labels swapped.

M3 MacBook Air didn't change much from the M2

Apple's M3 MacBook Air is the second generation with the new case design. The 13-inch and 15-inch models are nearly identical in construction minus differences in speakers and other minor components.

A teardown video from iFixit shows the M3 MacBook Air, in either size, is simple enough to take apart with the right screwdriver. The lack of a lot of glue and tape is a nice change from Apple's Intel era, and modular components show that times are changing.

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If you watched the teardown video for the M2 MacBook Air, there won't be much new to see here. Apple's incredible attention to detail and numerous screws are still present.

The battery compartment is held in place by four stretch-release adhesive tabs. These are placed in a u-shaped formation to allow the repair person a chance to pull the tab twice if one side snaps.

The 13-inch MacBook Air is sporting a 52.6 Wh battery while the 15-inch MacBook Air has a 66.5 Wh battery. Both have the simple removal system with stretch-release tabs.

Users may be able to disassemble the M3 MacBook Air without much issue, but repairability is still a problem. Most of what a user would want to address, like RAM or storage, are not replaceable.

Parts pairing is also an issue. While Right to Repair bills have pushed Apple to supply manuals and select parts, other procedures like parts pairing are still illegal -- unless a bill in Oregon passes.

The M3 MacBook Air is available to purchase starting at $1,099 MSRP (every model is discounted in our Price Guide). It can be configured in a 13-inch or 15-inch size with up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.



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StrangeDays

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

Xed

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

macxpress

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

Xed

macxpress said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

Even if it only 1 in 10 million — as you state — that is apparently enough to keep iFixit and many other self-repair websites with plenty of business. However, your statement is clearly hyperbole even if we use the world's population of 8.1 billion. 

I happen to be a very long time customer of iFixit. I've seen them go through many, many changes. They offer their guides free of charge but then offer tools that you can buy through them or elsewhere to repair and upgrade your own equipment. This isn't just invaluable to people like me that wanted to make changes to their own equipment without going in blind in terms of tools and what to expect once inside, but ratings so I can gauge how difficult it would be do complete the desired task. The last one I did was a RAM upgrade in a Mac mini, but unfortunately I think that's the last that my aging eyes will allow me.

There are many countries and people who simply don't have the luxury of getting new tech when their old one breaks. Having how-to guides can be indispensable tools for the DIYers.

https://slate.com/technology/2014/04/agbogbloshie-jua-kali-how-entrepreneurs-turn-e-waste-into-usable-products.html

Reducing eWaste, saving money, or just having fun tinkering with used hardware should not be a threat to anyone who wants the latest iPhone so I'm always surprised by how much pushback iFixit gets on this website. 

VictorMortimer

Oregon has now passed a right to repair law that bans parts pairing. 

Apple's days of keeping us from being able to repair our own computers are coming to an end.  It only takes one state to make Apple's consumer hostility end in the US.

VictorMortimer

macxpress said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

It's more like 10% that don't care.  The rest of us are sick of the consumer hostility.

Even if you aren't going to fix it yourself, parts pairing makes repairs MUCH more expensive for everyone and causes millions of repairable devices to turn into landfill.

And yes, some of us absolutely DO want computers to be made like they were in the '90s and 2000s when everything was removable.  It's the right way to build a computer that has parts that fail.  It's ridiculous that storage chips, which WILL fail, are soldered.  Even LPDDR5 RAM is now available in LPCAMM removable modules.  There's no excuse for Apple's nonsense.

ctt_zh

VictorMortimer said:

macxpress said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

It's more like 10% that don't care.  The rest of us are sick of the consumer hostility.

Even if you aren't going to fix it yourself, parts pairing makes repairs MUCH more expensive for everyone and causes millions of repairable devices to turn into landfill.

And yes, some of us absolutely DO want computers to be made like they were in the '90s and 2000s when everything was removable.  It's the right way to build a computer that has parts that fail.  It's ridiculous that storage chips, which WILL fail, are soldered.  Even LPDDR5 RAM is now available in LPCAMM removable modules.  There's no excuse for Apple's nonsense.

Agreed. I replaced a speaker on my brother's obsolete 2014 MacBook Pro last month... a simple fix using a speaker from iFixit meant his computer is useful for a while longer. He uses it for very occasional browsing, YouTube and little else, pointless him buying a new laptop before he really has to... I'm sure many are in the same camp. 

macxpress

VictorMortimer said:

macxpress said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

It's more like 10% that don't care.  The rest of us are sick of the consumer hostility.

Even if you aren't going to fix it yourself, parts pairing makes repairs MUCH more expensive for everyone and causes millions of repairable devices to turn into landfill.

And yes, some of us absolutely DO want computers to be made like they were in the '90s and 2000s when everything was removable.  It's the right way to build a computer that has parts that fail.  It's ridiculous that storage chips, which WILL fail, are soldered.  Even LPDDR5 RAM is now available in LPCAMM removable modules.  There's no excuse for Apple's nonsense.

You prove my point well...the only people that give a shit about this are people here in these forums and parts resellers like iFixit. The vast majority of people don't give 2 shits whether or not they can take apart their Apple product. 

macxpress

Xed said:

macxpress said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

Even if it only 1 in 10 million — as you state — that is apparently enough to keep iFixit and many other self-repair websites with plenty of business. However, your statement is clearly hyperbole even if we use the world's population of 8.1 billion. 

I happen to be a very long time customer of iFixit. I've seen them go through many, many changes. They offer their guides free of charge but then offer tools that you can buy through them or elsewhere to repair and upgrade your own equipment. This isn't just invaluable to people like me that wanted to make changes to their own equipment without going in blind in terms of tools and what to expect once inside, but ratings so I can gauge how difficult it would be do complete the desired task. The last one I did was a RAM upgrade in a Mac mini, but unfortunately I think that's the last that my aging eyes will allow me.

There are many countries and people who simply don't have the luxury of getting new tech when their old one breaks. Having how-to guides can be indispensable tools for the DIYers.

https://slate.com/technology/2014/04/agbogbloshie-jua-kali-how-entrepreneurs-turn-e-waste-into-usable-products.html

Reducing eWaste, saving money, or just having fun tinkering with used hardware should not be a threat to anyone who wants the latest iPhone so I'm always surprised by how much pushback iFixit gets on this website. 

And you also prove my point very well....

Xed

macxpress said:

Xed said:

macxpress said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

While I agree the video is interesting, 99.999999% of Apple customers really don't give a shit one way or another if they can repair it. The vast majority will just take it somewhere to get fixed should something go wrong. It's really only some on these Mac forums that make a big stink about repairability because they think Apple should make a computer like they did back in the 90's where everything is removable. . 

Even if it only 1 in 10 million — as you state — that is apparently enough to keep iFixit and many other self-repair websites with plenty of business. However, your statement is clearly hyperbole even if we use the world's population of 8.1 billion. 

I happen to be a very long time customer of iFixit. I've seen them go through many, many changes. They offer their guides free of charge but then offer tools that you can buy through them or elsewhere to repair and upgrade your own equipment. This isn't just invaluable to people like me that wanted to make changes to their own equipment without going in blind in terms of tools and what to expect once inside, but ratings so I can gauge how difficult it would be do complete the desired task. The last one I did was a RAM upgrade in a Mac mini, but unfortunately I think that's the last that my aging eyes will allow me.

There are many countries and people who simply don't have the luxury of getting new tech when their old one breaks. Having how-to guides can be indispensable tools for the DIYers.

https://slate.com/technology/2014/04/agbogbloshie-jua-kali-how-entrepreneurs-turn-e-waste-into-usable-products.html

Reducing eWaste, saving money, or just having fun tinkering with used hardware should not be a threat to anyone who wants the latest iPhone so I'm always surprised by how much pushback iFixit gets on this website. 

And you also prove my point very well....

How exactly did I prove that only 800 people in the world will ever want to fix or upgrade their own devices?

danox

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

Why so that a market in stolen parts is made? The fantasy of a little mom and pop shop fixing high end electronic devices is coming to an end, future SOC'S and devices like the Apple Vision are getting smaller due publics demand smaller and more powerful equipment.

If my iPhone, Mac Studio Ultra or XDR monitor go down Apple will be the one's to fix them.

muthuk_vanalingam

danox said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

Why so that a market in stolen parts is made? The fantasy of a little mom and pop shop fixing high end electronic devices is coming to an end, future SOC'S and devices like the Apple Vision are getting smaller due publics demand smaller and more powerful equipment.

If my iPhone, Mac Studio Ultra or XDR monitor go down Apple will be the one's to fix them.

Yet another short-sighted post on this topic. This is NOT about people who would engage Apple's repair services whenever required. Nobody is taking that option away from you. It is about people who needs to get their devices repaired outside warranty or people who do not have access to Apple stores within a reasonable distance. And @Xed's point is about extending the useful lifespan of those devices by repairing them instead of abandoning them just because Apple would not repair or the cost to repair is prohibitively expensive. The real world needs are much bigger than your narrow minds could imagine.

Xed

danox said:

Xed said:

StrangeDays said:

Good thing I don’t know anybody who gives a shirt about that, let alone any normals. 

You know you can like Apple products -and- want them to be easier for DIYers to repair and upgrade.

I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair. 

Why so that a market in stolen parts is made? The fantasy of a little mom and pop shop fixing high end electronic devices is coming to an end, future SOC'S and devices like the Apple Vision are getting smaller due publics demand smaller and more powerful equipment.

If my iPhone, Mac Studio Ultra or XDR monitor go down Apple will be the one's to fix them.

Mom and pop shop? What does that have to do with anything? I only mentioned DIYers. Why is it wrong to be interested in how these are built and how to repair them?

Since you bring up AVP, I'll address that as an excellent example. That is clearly Apple's most advanced product yet. You suggest that not a single person would ever want or need to repair that device, and yet I see a very real market for people that have an AVP that have a cracked cover glass. It probably still functions fine in this scenario but maybe they don't like it or they're looking to sell it in pristine condition before the next model comes out. If they have AC+ then the repair is $300 but if they don't then it's $800. I would imagine that the cover glass would cost less than the repair process from Apple, so why are you against an owner wanting a walk through down to every screw, a list of tools needed, and a rating of difficulty to do it themselves? Why are you against iFixit for giving these guides away? As I said, I've probably done my last intricate repair as my eyes age and the tech become more complex, but there are people with better eyes, more skill, and more imagination that will do things that you have yet to consider.