Good news: The iPad Pro 13 is a bit more repairable
- Reference: 1716294608
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/05/21/good_news_the_ipad_pro/
- Source link:
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iPad Pro 13 Internals ( pic: iFixit ) - click to enlarge
It has often been said that Apple's genius was in persuading customers that it was OK to have a device that needed daily recharging. Similarly, the company also persuaded customers that making a consumable like the battery very difficult to get at was OK if it meant the hardware could become ever-thinner.
With the [2]iPad Pro 13 , it appears that the trend might be reversing, be it due to repairability pressure from regulators or creativity from Apple's engineers. We're not back to the point where changing a battery could be achieved with a mere fingernail, but [3]according to iFixit , we are heading in the right direction.
Apple's newest shiny iThing was torn apart by iFixit over the weekend. "This repair is not going to be for the faint of heart," iFixit's Shahram Mokhtari noted as the delicate Ultra Retina panel was carefully removed to reveal the device's internals.
The good news is that after levering off the screen, getting at the power source of the device is a simple matter of removing a few screws and brackets rather than a wholesale dismantling. Considering how thin the iPad Pro 13 is, kudos has to go to Apple's engineers for coming up with a design that made the battery relatively (compared to previous iterations) simple to change.
[4]
Mokhtari noted: "This is a huge win for the simple reason that we can see legislation and public opinion finally affecting change in our consumer products.
[5]
[6]
"Remember, this is a 'size zero' device that's the thinnest thing Apple has ever produced and yet they still prioritized the replacement of the battery in their designs. If that isn't a win, I don't know what is."
Sadly, however, that pursuit of thinness has meant plenty of other internal components have been glued down since there is no space for screws. Try to remove the speakers? They probably won't survive the experience. Yank out the daughterboard? It could easily bend. And so on.
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Apple giveth and Apple taketh away. And goodness, the Apple Pencil Pro is a prime example of something that is most definitely not repairable, at least not with the tools that iFixit has in its toolbox. Mokhtari said, "It's a disposable piece of crap once the battery dies."
"That is a huge shame because it's an amazing little tool that unfortunately favors smooth lineless aesthetics over longevity."
While iFixit has yet to assign a repairability score, things are looking up for the iPad Pro 13, thanks to a battery that is not a nightmare to replace for someone with the correct skills and tools.
[8]So you've built the best tablet, Apple. Show us why it matters
[9]You OK, Apple? Seriously, your silicon lineup is … a mess
[10]Vivaldi composes Split View sonata for browser on iPadOS
[11]India’s homebrew RISC-V CPU goes on sale in new development board
[12]Rice isn't nice for drying your iPhone, according to Apple
The shine of that ease of repair is dulled somewhat by the compromises required to squeeze in other components in pursuit of an ever-thinner device, whether that is something consumers care about or not.
This writer would prefer a slightly bulkier device with a battery that can be changed without special tools or talent for dismantling. But that's not really what the iPad Pro 13 is all about. ®
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[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2024/05/21/ipad_pro_13_open.jpg
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/20/opinion_column_apple_ad/
[3] https://www.ifixit.com/News/96021/ipad-pro-13s-hide-a-repairability-win-still-hard-to-fix
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZkzFKI6HzKoFdNEa13EYnAAAAIs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZkzFKI6HzKoFdNEa13EYnAAAAIs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZkzFKI6HzKoFdNEa13EYnAAAAIs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZkzFKI6HzKoFdNEa13EYnAAAAIs&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/20/opinion_column_apple_ad/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/13/apple_silicon_roadmap/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/02/vivaldi_multiple_windows_ipad/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/26/asia_tech_news_roundup/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/21/dont_dry_iphone_rice/
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"It has often been said that Apple's genius was in persuading customers that it was OK to have a device that needed daily recharging."
You mean, like every laptop since the dawn of time? I don't think Apple had much to do with that. They did have quite a lot to do with making devices that ONLY needed to be charged once a day.
My Lenovo IdeaPad 5 allegedly has a battery good for 5-6 hours. At hour 3 there is usually 15-20% of the charge left. That ain't 5-6 hours of battery. My McBook Pro typically has 15-20% of the charge left at hour 8. The Lenovo WILL need to be recharged at least once, probably twice, a day. The MacBook lives through a day.
My Latitude D830 thas 25-30% left after a couple of days. Granted, it's powered down, but still...
That's probably more in reference to the iPhone. When it first came out, most mobile phones would typically last 4 days or more between charges; a week from a single charge wasn't uncommon. All of a sudden, your iPhone wouldn't last an entire day of regular usage. It was a bit of a backwards step, my first mobile in about '97 needed daily charging as well, so going back to that felt wrong. However, we've mostly gotten used to needing daily charges on our mobile devices. That then meant a daily charge on a tablet was broadly accepted.
Ah yes that's fair.
I do remember there being a VAST difference between the theoretical standby time of my Nokia N95 and the 'actual' standby time - from memory it was something like a week's standby quoted, in reality that was a charge-daily device as well. At least if you planned to actually use it.
And nobody cared...
Either you buy an iPad and suck up repair costs, or you would steer well clear of them.