iFixit tears down the touchscreen MacBook Pro, revealing how the light-up Apple logo works
iFixit has torn down the new MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, revealing how the glowing Apple logo works, how the tandem OLED screen is built, and a repairability score of 5 out of 10.
- iFixit tore down the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display: the glowing Apple logo uses a strip of four LEDs, combined with a reflective layer and a diffuser.
- The laptop weighs 3 pounds (1.38 kg), down from 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) for the standard 14-inch model.
- Replacing the USB-C ports, fans, or headphone jack still requires removing the entire logic board. The HDMI port, SDXC slot, RAM, and storage remain soldered in place.
- The repairability score is 5 out of 10: one point higher than the M5 MacBook Pro, but one point lower than the MacBook Neo.
Table of Contents
Tandem OLED display and the glowing Apple logo
iFixit's teardown of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display is now live, focusing on two new features: the touch-enabled tandem OLED display and the glowing Apple logo on the lid. The team also explains how Apple brought the weight down to 3 pounds (1.38 kg), compared with 3.4 pounds (1.55 kg) for the standard 14-inch model.
Tandem OLED stacks two emissive layers, so it reaches higher brightness than conventional single-layer OLED. Under a microscope, iFixit found that the blue subpixels are larger than the red and green ones. According to the team, this design spreads the load on the materials and could extend the panel's lifespan.
The logo gave iFixit a hard time. The team damaged the OLED panel while trying to reach it, and even asked the community whether anyone had managed to remove it intact. Inside is a strip of four LEDs, working with a reflective layer and a diffuser to spread the light evenly. The logo surface is coated with a two-way mirror: it looks like polished glass when the light is off, and lets light through when it is on.
Repairability and weight
The disassembly process is largely familiar from previous generations. Even so, replacing the USB-C ports or the fans still means removing the whole logic board, even though both components can be swapped individually. The headphone jack is in the same situation. The HDMI port, SDXC slot, RAM, and storage remain soldered to the board.
iFixit also tried swapping logic boards between two machines. Last year, the M5 MacBook Pro failed to complete Touch ID calibration through Apple's Repair Assistant. This time, the laptop correctly recognized the battery, display, and Touch ID sensor after the board swap. True Tone, brightness control, and touch input all worked normally. The team was also able to enroll fingerprints after installing a board from another PROLED XDR Display machine.
On weight, the chassis is 92 grams lighter and the display assembly is 101 grams lighter, despite the added touch support and glowing logo. The battery is only 2 grams lighter, while a slightly smaller trackpad saves another 8 grams. In the end, iFixit gave the laptop a repairability score of 5 out of 10, one point higher than the M5 MacBook Pro but one point lower than the more affordable MacBook Neo.
A score of 5 out of 10 suggests Apple has improved repairability, but not convincingly enough. The smoother board swap this year compared with last year is a positive sign for professional repair shops. However, RAM and storage are still soldered, so the configuration you choose at purchase is effectively final. The fact that iFixit damaged the OLED panel while removing the logo also shows that the display assembly is hard to work on, so buyers should think carefully before purchasing.
Source: 9to5Mac
Reviewed by: Hero Association
