How Repairable Is Apple’s Latest iPad?

Amidst some marketing controversy, Apple recently unveiled its flagship iPad Pro. The DIY site iFixit got their hands on the latest iPad to see what’s inside.

As with other Apple devices, the iFixit reviewer had to deal with the usual array of pull tabs and screws. But─in a minor  surprise─the reviewer found that the critical battery could be accessed and removed without having to remove other parts, which he considers a major win. Loosening screws and tabs were needed to access the iPad’s other internal parts, including the new M4 processor and camera, although the process did not seem quite as arduous as with some previous Apple devices. The reviewer noted some design changes with the new iPad, including the placement of the inductive charging mechanism atop the device.

iFixit also tried taking the latest version of Apple’s Pencil Pro, the pen-like stylus designed to by an input companion to the iPad Pro. The reviewer found a lot of welded parts and wound up using an ultrasonic cutter to take apart the thin but complex device. The reviewer ran out of patience trying to carefully remove screws and take apart the Pencil and wound up cutting his finger in the process. Unlike the iPad Pro, the reviewer deemed Apple’s Pencil unrepairable.

Related:Apple’s Errant iPad Video Also Vilified the Hydraulic Press

You can view the video here.