M3 MacBook Air is easy to take apart, but parts pairing is still a pain
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.
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.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
I found the video interesting and I'm glad that these are easier to repair.
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....
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.
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.