MacBook Pro scores 5 out of 10 for repairability in a November 10 teardown by iFixit, gaining one point over the M5 model.
The new laptop features a touchscreen and uses a Tandem OLED display built with two light-emitting layers. It runs at a 120 hertz refresh rate and hits a peak brightness of 2000 nits. The machine packs an M5 Pro or M5 Max processor.
Microscopic inspection shows the blue subpixels are much larger than the red and green ones. This setup generates equal light while reducing stress on the blue material, which typically degrades faster. The two luminescent layers help achieve high brightness while reducing the current required from each layer.
The OLED screen delivers true blacks and higher contrast because each pixel emits its own light independently, unlike LCD and Mini-LED screens that rely on separate backlighting.
Apple instead placed a strip of four LEDs behind the logo alongside a mirror-like coating and light diffusers to distribute the lighting evenly behind the logo, while the mirror-like finish gives the logo a shiny appearance even when the lighting is turned off.
Accessing these LEDs proved destructive during testing. The OLED and capacitive touch layers cracked when the iFixit team attempted to separate the display panel from the lid, and replacing this unit remains practically difficult due to its location behind the screen.
Replacing the display assembly as a single unit remains straightforward, annahar.com reported. Swapping the logic board preserved Touch ID and True Tone functionality without requiring separate calibration, and the fingerprint sensor successfully operated even after reinstalling the original logic board.
Fans and USB-C ports still require removing the main logic board to service. Solid-state storage and Unified Memory remain soldered to the board, while parts such as the HDMI port and the SSD unit come soldered to it and cannot be replaced easily. Opening the bottom cover became easier since it requires only four screws instead of eight, though maintenance for most components still requires removing the main board.
The battery has a capacity of 72.6 watt-hours and weighs 276 grams, with the continued use of adhesive strips that make removal difficult.
The 14-inch model weighs 1.38 kilograms, cutting 170 grams from the M6 version, and dropping from 1.60 kilograms compared to previous generations according to 25H. The display and top lid assembly weighs 384 grams, down from 485 grams on the M6, while the bottom enclosure dropped to 364 grams, down from 456 grams.
25H said that the 16-inch version dropped from 2.14 to 1.82 kilograms. The weight cuts happened thanks to lightening the chassis, screen, battery, and trackpad, despite adding a touchscreen and the illuminated logo, while maintaining a battery capacity close to the M6 version.
The device received five out of ten compared to four points for the M5 edition, thanks to making screen assembly replacement easier and improving fingerprint sensor compatibility with replacement logic boards. The score would have dropped to four points according to evaluation standards scheduled for adoption in 2027, which will impose larger deductions on devices featuring soldered memory.
