https://www.ifixit.com/News/54122/macbook-pro-2021-teardown Skip to main content Fix Your Stuff Community Store Teardowns Teardown Teaser: Is the 2021 MacBook Pro Repairable? [IySJXP1d] Article by: Craig Lloyd @craiglloyd * October 26, 2021 * Filed under: Teardowns * 21 Comments Copy Article URL [https://ifix.gd/2ZpH] Share Stay tuned! We'll be updating this post with more info as we dive in, and we've got a video for you, too! It's fall, and time for our favorite Apples: 2021 MacBook Pro teardowns! We're excited to tuck into these items from a branching 2016 timeline--the MacBooks that could have been. While more ports, a durable and usable keyboard, MagSafe, and swapping the Touch Bar for good ol' function keys seem like nostalgia, there's also futuristic Apple silicon and super-retro case stylings. These MacBooks are so cool they blew right past "Plus" on their way to Pro and Max. Opening up the 2021 MacBook Pro for a first peek Normally we get to the battery last because, well, they suck to remove. But as we peer into the guts, we notice something we haven't seen in a long time in a MacBook Pro, three words that make our hair stand on end: battery pull tabs. Even better, it appears the battery isn't trapped under the logic board. That could mean battery swaps without removing all the brains first--a procedure we've been dreaming about for a while. Inside the 2021 MacBook Pro The four outer battery cells have easily-noticeable pull tabs, which are the typical thin white strips we know and love from the iPhone and MacBook Air. But wait, we don't see any pull tabs on the middle cells. Are we screwed--or, worse, glued? Not entirely! We removed the trackpad and, lo and behold, there are cut-outs to access the pull tabs that hold the middle battery cells in place. Pull tabs under the trackpad on the 2021 MacBook Pro. We've still got a long way to go with disassembly, but this new MacBook Pro has, at the very least, the first reasonably DIY-friendly battery replacement procedure since 2012. We're just getting started, so we'll have more MacBook Pro teardown goodness coming your way real soon, including a full video and more analysis in this post. In the meantime, comment below and tell us what you're excited to see or ask any questions you may have! Related Stories Teardowns MacBook Pro 16'' 2019 Teardown Teardowns AirPods Pro Teardown Teardowns MacBook Pro Retina 15'' Teardown 21 Comments Add Comment Please get to the bottom of the 16" M1 Pro / Max weight difference. Bigger heat sink than on the 14"? Rounding anomalies? Brian B - 10 hours agoOctober 27, 2021 Reply How does the Display cable compare to the previous Macbooks, especially concerning the cracking of said cable and display issues associated with it. The new display technology must have brought changes cable wise too, right? Perko M. - 10 hours agoOctober 27, 2021 Reply Any chance of a teardown of the new Apple Polishing Cloth? Richard Murray - 7 hours agoOctober 27, 2021 Reply Find out where those $20 fit! Ezequiel Rocha - 7 hours agoOctober 27, 2021 What a ridiculous suggestion. As if we have time for such silliness. We're definitely not doing this right this very instant. Definitely not. Jeff Suovanen - 5 hours agoOctober 27, 2021 Load more comments Add Comment Cancel 1024 Post comment 77,480 Free Manuals 179,800 Solutions 34,957 Devices iFixit * About Us * Newsletter * Customer Support * Manufacturer Services * Careers * Feedback * Blog * Press * Share Your Knowledge * API Stores * United States * Canada * Australia * Europe * Germany * France * UK * Pro Wholesale * Retail Repairability * Repairable Products * E-waste * Recycling * Manufacturing Advocacy * Our Mission * Right To Repair * Pledge * Reports * Repair.org Subscribe to our newsletter Learn something new every week: [ ] * * * * * Help Translate iFixit (c) 2021 iFixit -- Licensed under Creative Commons -- Privacy -- Terms -- Accessibility *