2018 13-Inch MacBook Pro Teardown Finds Larger Battery, Redesigned Power Adapter, Tweaked Top Case and More

[MacRumors]

iFixit on Friday started a teardown on the new 2018 MacBook Pro, discovering a new silicone membrane underneath the keyboard keys, which the site believes is an ingress-proofing measure to prevent the keys from seizing up when exposed to small particulates.

That was by far the most interesting bit of information about the new MacBook Pro models, but iFixit has now finished a teardown of the 13-inch MacBook Pro and has a few other tidbits to share.

Both the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models are using higher capacity batteries, with iFixit discovering a larger 58wh, 232.7 gram 6-cell battery in the 13-inch model, up from the 5 cell 196.7 gram battery in the 2017 model. Though the battery is heavier, the MacBook Pro has not changed in weight, nor has battery life changed.

It's not entirely clear where Apple made up for the extra weight, but iFixit says Apple "shaved some mass" from the top case of the device.

The speakers in the new machine are longer and narrower, bumping right up against the logic board, and an internal connector used for diagnostics has been removed.

Apple added a new T2 chip in the 2018 MacBook Pro, which is the same chip first used in the iMac Pro. It houses the Secure Enclave and allows for on-the-fly encryption in addition to consolidating several controllers including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.

It also enables "Hey Siri" functionality, a feature that wasn't even added to the iMac Pro. While the T2 chip is a new addition, the design of the heat sink system has not changed.

Apple shipped the 13-inch MacBook Pro with a new A1947 power adapter, which iFixit says offers more shielding and impact-resistant foam rubber inside, but with a plastic USB-C port rather than a metal one.

As with prior MacBook Pro models, the RAM, processor, and SSD are soldered down, and the keyboard, battery, and speakers are all one unit, which means none of these components are user replaceable and repairs are difficult. For that reason, iFixit gave the 2018 MacBook Pro a repairability score of 1 out of 10, the same score earned by the 2017 model.

For further details on all of the components in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, make sure to check out iFixit's full teardown. For additional info on Apple's new 2018 MacBook Pro models, visit our MacBook Pro roundup.

Article Link: 2018 13-Inch MacBook Pro Teardown Finds Larger Battery, Redesigned Power Adapter, Tweaked Top Case and More

 

[pat500000]

Wasn't even included in iMAC PRO? lol. These days Apple products are "china"-ish quality.

 

[JPack]

So basically, a revised top-case design. This should put an end to the dreamers hoping to drop a 2018 keyboard on a 2016/2017 unit.

 

[macintoshmac]

The plastic USB-C port is cost-cutting. 29w has plastic port but my 61w is metal and I like it. I hope we do not have a problem with these 61w plastic ports.

 

[Huddy]

Nice that Apple are using a Titan Ridge controller.

 

[pat500000]

Not only apple is shaving some mass...but shave people's wallet.

 

[Iconoclysm]

The plastic USB-C is cost-cutting. 29w has it, my 61w is metal and I like it. I hope we do not have a problem with these 61w plastic adapters.

Are you sure it's cost cutting, though? I mean, do we really know the trade offs here?

 

[djcerla]

Steve Jobs would be very proud of how beautiful these machines are inside.

 

[dantroline]

The lid casing is thinner to reduce weight, which has to mean that it will likely flex and get damaged more easily, which most likely won't be covered by any warranty. Replacements will generate profit for Apple without any need for apologies, class action suits etc. Clever.

(I have one on order however, so evidently I am begrudgingly optimistic about this model)

 

[oddiecz]

The plastic USB-C is cost-cutting. 29w has it, my 61w is metal and I like it. I hope we do not have a problem with these 61w plastic adapters.

I hope there are no functional problems with this, i.e. that the probability of a failure are the same or only marginally higher. Pay 7k for a computer and get a cost cut plastic connector..

 

[seatton]

I hope one day they will bring the backlit Apple Logo

 

[macintoshmac]

I am interested in knowing how the narrower and longer speakers sound now in comparison to the 2016-2017 notebooks.

 

[TechRemarker]

For all of those who follow daily tech news, none of those headline items are new. The big news we are all still waiting on is about reliability of the keyboard with the third gen. That we are still waiting on. One new tidbit is that the 13in Macbook charger now uses plastic for where you plug in the usb-c cable versus aluminum. That seems like a downgrade. But sounds like 15in still has aluminum.

 

[FireArse]

This is an engineering marvel. Not so good from a repair perspective, but out the box - amazing.

I'm not kidding, I may well buy two of these, one for my dad & one for my brother.

 

[TimmeyCook]

Steve Jobs would be very proud of how beautiful these machines are inside.

Nothing looks better than Macs inside.

Made without compromises looks like that... I'm an electrical engineer and their hardware is always pure pornography.

The components they use are hand picked, every capacitor, inductor, mosfet, etc. is of good quality, the layouts are without compromise (means they are using expensive multi-layer PCB's), there's basically no space wasted, no random cables or wires going from one place to another, the air paths are unrestricted, etc.

And LOL @ the repair score. We know iFixit hates Apple, won't stop anybody from buying a MBP.

I hope one day they will bring the backlit Apple Logo

I hated it.

Nothing says more "pro" than a glowing Apple logo, it's a work computer, not a fashion statement. Social escalators can have their iPhones in crocodile leather cases.

 

[Rogifan]

The lid casing is thinner to reduce weight, which has to mean that it will likely flex and get damaged more easily, which most likely won't be covered by any warranty. Replacements will generate profit for Apple without any need for apologies, class action suits etc. Clever.

Does the MacBook lid casing damage easily?

 

[Marx55]

Samsung RAID 0 SSD?

 

[shpankey]

1 out of 10 repairability? Yikes!

 

[dantroline]

Does the MacBook lid casing damage easily?

No, it doesn't damage easily, but if you store it in a bag with other stuff it will ever so slightly flex which can cause an imprint of the keyboard on the screen over time and damage the anti-glare coating of the screen, etc. An important consideration for people who are going to be using this in trains/buses and storing it with books and so forth. Anyway we will see.

 

[TimmeyCook]

Samsung RAID 0 SSD?

No, Apple doesn't use Samsung SSD's. Apple has their own SSD controllers (in this case, embedded in the T2)

 

[drewyboy]

Nothing looks better than Macs inside.
Made without compromises looks like that...


Nothing says more "pro" than a glowing Apple logo, it's a work computer, not a fashion statement. Social escalators can have their iPhones in crocodile leather cases.

I find it hilarious that you praise the looks of the computers and iphone's here and in other threads, yet you put down the glowing apple and call it a fashion statement? Do you not realize that apple's devices are sold as fashion statements to the masses? Yes they work better than their competitors for the most part but you're only lying to yourself if you think that most don't think of them, and apple's advertises them, as fashion statements.

 

[MhzDoesMatter]

This is kinda why people who complain about "stale form-factors" annoy me. After 3-4 years, Apple has gotten really good at making this computer (as well as the non-prestige iPhone.)

 

[waquzy]

I hope one day they will bring the backlit Apple Logo

It won't happen, I actually like the current logo a lot better, more classy. The old one wasn't bad, but the glowing logo did annoy me now and again to be honest...

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[waquzy]

That's well ugly compared to the MacBook. Having said that, the XPS line though is by far the best looking windows laptop you can get IMO, I used to have the XPS 13 9360.