Just the other day, Apple refreshed its MacBook Pro lineup where they killed off the non-Touch Bar model and replaced the entire lineup with Touch Bar-only models. One of the new models that they introduced was an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, and it seems that Apple has given the laptop more than just a refresh in hardware.
According to the folks at iFixit who managed to get their hands on the device to conduct a teardown, it was revealed that Apple had made some changes to the design of the laptop’s internals. This includes a soldered-on SSD, which means that in the future if you wanted to swap it out, it would be a lot harder to do so. Prior to this, Apple’s MacBook laptops could still be somewhat upgraded post-purchase in the form of the removable SSD, but by soldering it to the laptop, that option has pretty much gone out the window.
It has also been discovered that Apple has given the laptop a larger battery, although how much more battery life this translates to remains to be seen, but as is the case with battery, your mileage may vary depending on how you use your laptop. iFixit has also found that to make room for the Touch ID sensor, Apple has trimmed off a little bit of mass off the heat pipe, which in theory could affect the cooling of the laptop.
Once again, whether or not this will have a detrimental effect on the laptop remains to be seen. The publication has since given the new MacBook Pro a 2 out of 10 in terms of repairability.
Filed in . Read more about Laptops and Macbook Pro. Source: ifixit