iFixit's Teardown of New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Reveals 'Repair Paradox'

[MacRumors]

Electronics repair website iFixit today shared a teardown video for the iPad Pro with the M5 chip, revealing a "repair paradox."

Specifically, iFixit said the iPad Pro remains one of Apple's least-repairable devices, yet the company did start offering self-service repair parts and manuals for iPads earlier this year. As a result of the self-service expansion, iFixit gave the latest iPad Pro a provisional repairability score of 5/10, which is higher than previous models.

Given the iPad Pro only received a spec-bump with the M5 chip, the teardown video does not reveal any notable internal changes.

The new iPad Pro launched last week, and Apple should release self-service parts for this particular model in the coming months.

iFixit shared a teardown video for the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip last week.

Article Link: iFixit's Teardown of New iPad Pro With M5 Chip Reveals 'Repair Paradox'

 

[currocj]

Nothing says we’re for the environment like completely unrepairable devices

 

[Apple-achian]

Self-repair doesn't ensure quality control, safety and a consistent user experience. It should be out of the picture.

 

[iObama]

A repairadox, if you will.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Nothing says we’re for the environment like completely unrepairable devices

Our grandparents had tube televisions that were completely repairable, so why are so few of them still in use?

Apple recycles its products, if they get turned in after their lifespan.

 

[Beau10]

Nothing says we’re for the environment like completely unrepairable devices

My 2018 iPad Pro still gets major OS updates and likely has years of security support left. How many Android devices from 2018 can say the same?

Software support affects 100%. Repairability maybe 5%. Which contributes more to e-waste?

 

[nt5672]

Our grandparents had tube televisions that were completely repairable, so why are so few of them still in use?

Apple recycles its products, if they get turned in after their lifespan.

Because the government changes the over the air broadcast specifications and the old tuners no longer work.

 

[xpxp2002]

A repairadox, if you will.

Came here to say this. A missed opportunity.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Our grandparents had tube televisions that were completely repairable, so why are so few of them still in use?

Well, where do we begin?

For starters, nobody wants to watch such a low resolution picture anymore.

The lack of modern inputs to connect devices in use now makes them essentially useless also, especially as the specs on OTA broadcasts have changed.

Were you being serious with the comparison?

 

[profcutter]

Because the government changes the over the air broadcast specifications and the old tuners no longer work.

And people pay thousands for old Sansui tube-type stereo receivers and high end turntables.

 

[CharlesShaw]

Were you being serious with the comparison?

My point is that even if iPads were totally repairable and were useful for a couple decades, they would still have a short existence in the grand scheme of things when someone cites environmental impact.

 

[turbineseaplane]

And people pay thousands for old Sansui tube-type stereo receivers and high end turntables.

I think the difference is that there are reasonable ways to still connect to those and use them...and what you get out of them is of a high quality (audio and video are very different in this regard)

 

[BigMcGuire]

Well, where do we begin?

For starters, nobody wants to watch such a low resolution picture anymore.

The lack of modern inputs to connect devices in use now makes them essentially useless also, especially as the specs on OTA broadcasts have changed.

Were you being serious with the comparison?

Not trying to be an arse or disprove your statement.

My experience, even my coworkers who bought those “ultra repairable” laptops ended up tossing them as time progressed (maybe they kept them a few years longer? Most of them decided that spending the $ on upgrading their laptop was a lot more expensive than they thought and just bought a new one).

I think most people are going to take the easy street even if repairability was an option.

I’m all for repairability, don’t get me wrong, but I think the statement was more to the idea that - longevity and landfills aren’t going to be significantly impacted.

All my Apple products I’ve traded in or passed down to family - my Apple Watch 3 was still used by family up till last year till it died - then it was turned into Apple to be recycled (for free). I did the same thing with an iPhone 7 and an Android A23? that I found in my company’s lockers - Apple took them and recycled them for free.

Most people I know - they just throw them in a drawer and forget about them. Lol (I’m not that wealthy).

 

[turbineseaplane]

My experience, even my coworkers who bought those “ultra repairable” laptops ended up tossing them as time progressed (maybe they kept them a few years longer? Most of them decided that spending the $ on upgrading their laptop was a lot more expensive than they thought and just bought a new one).

The entire conversation would be wildly different, and companies like Apple would be operated differently, if hardware longevity and support (via upgrades and parts replacements) were a key priority from the outset.

 

[BigMcGuire]

This conflates a few things that are all part of the overall problem.

The entire conversation would be wildly different and in fact companies like Apple would be operated differently, if hardware longevity and support (via upgrades and parts replacements) were a key priority from the outset.

Agreed, I’d love a truly independent 3rd party look at how much of the stuff Apple “recycles” is actually… recycled. We all know $ is king.

 

[Arran]

A repairadox, if you will.

Or a shrewd move to sell more AppleCare subscriptions once folks botch a difficult DIY repair and have to:

1. Eat the cost of the nonreturnable spare parts.
2. Write off the residual cost of the broken (and now disassembled) product which is now well beyond any repair.
3. Buy a brand new device.

AppleCare will seem like a bargain.

 

[Beau10]

The entire conversation would be wildly different and in fact companies like Apple would be operated differently, if hardware longevity and support (via upgrades and parts replacements) were a key priority from the outset.

I will restate what I mentioned above - if software support ain't there, why does this matter?

Very few devices that run a full-blown operating system and can connect to the internet are viable to be used more than a decade or so, and since we're talking about iPads, competing Android devices tend to fare worse here.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I will restate what I mentioned above - if software support ain't there, why does this matter?

That's part of what I was getting at about "companies would be run differently".

Software is just as important as hardware ultimately, and much more so with how Apple does things (rug pulling you up to the "latest OS" whether you want to run it or not -- not on Mac as much, obviously)

 

[NT1440]

My 2018 iPad Pro still gets major OS updates and likely has years of security support left. How many Android devices from 2018 can say the same?

Software support affects 100%. Repairability maybe 5%. Which contributes more to e-waste?

Still have iPad mini 2’s kicking around the family.

iPads last forever if not broken accidentally.

 

[Arran]

Our grandparents had tube televisions that were completely repairable, so why are so few of them still in use?

Apple recycles its products, if they get turned in after their lifespan.

Making electronics ultra-repairable means making the product more complex which, perversely, increases the chance of it breaking down.

We had a tube TV when I was a kid. It spent half its time in the shop being repaired. First thing the technician would do on arrival to our home was take the back cover off and wiggle all the tubes in their sockets to see if any were loose. Next was to check all the wiring connectors to see if any of those were loose. If no joy, then he'd shove the whole TV set in his van and take it off to the shop for a couple of days.

 

[Beau10]

That's part of what I was getting at about "companies would be run differently".

Software is just as important as hardware ultimately, and much more so with how Apple does things (rug pulling you up to the "latest OS" whether you want to run it or not -- not on Mac as much, obviously)

The average consumer just wants a device that is supported and safe to connect to the outside world from a security perspective. Supporting devices to 7+ years almost unilaterally is unique in this industry and should be commended.

Yeah, repairability would be nice (upgradability in my mind is more important as ram/ssd prices are extortionate), but impacts a segment of the devices in use rather than the entirety.

 

[fathergll]

Making electronics ultra-repairable means making the product more complex which, perversely, increases the chance of it breaking down.

We had a tube TV when I was a kid. It spent half its time in the shop being repaired. First thing the technician would do on arrival to our home was take the back cover off and wiggle all the tubes in their sockets to see if any were loose. Next was to check all the wiring connectors to see if any of those were loose. If no joy, then he'd shove the whole TV set in his van and take it off to the shop for a couple of days.

Thats my take on this as well. As long as the devices are generally very reliable I'm not going to go to waste mental capital about the ability to repair ultra thin/complex modern devices. I mean I've had numerous iPads/iPhones at this point and these things are pretty incredible for reliability outlasting their OS lifespan.

 

[HVDynamo]

Self-repair doesn't ensure quality control, safety and a consistent user experience. It should be out of the picture.

Oh give me a break. Being able to repair something you own is a cornerstone of ownership. Self-repair can also be superior in quality/safety/consistent experience. If I change my own oil in my car, I can make sure I put all the bottom cover screws back unlike the dealership who might just put the 4 corners back (like has happened to me and friends). Often times the company will be the one to cheap out on a repair, so if I want it done right I do it myself because I'm willing to take the time and effort to make sure it's done well.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The average consumer just wants a device that is supported and safe to connect to the outside world from a security perspective.

I don't personally feel like I can make such a broad and sweeping statement about what so many people want.
I don't actually even know what an average consumer "is" in this context, honestly.

What I do know, anecdotally, is that many folks I think are average consumers in my life and extended network tend to upgrade their phones because the battery life has degraded.

If Apple were to address that one single issue so it could more easily and less expensively be dealt with by the consumer, it would be interesting to see how that went over time.

From a nerdier perspective, I'd really like them to do more of a "these 2 or 3 iOS versions are current" approach.

This latest 26 series of "updates" (subjectively enjoyable cosmetic tweaks) have really shown a frustrating downside to how Apple does things.

Or maybe scratch the above and simply go to "new iOS every 18-24 months?".
The software bun needs more time in the oven, every single year, with how they are doing things right now.

 

[HVDynamo]

My point is that even if iPads were totally repairable and were useful for a couple decades, they would still have a short existence in the grand scheme of things when someone cites environmental impact.

Sure, they won't be useful forever. But extending the life of the device does reduce waste. No one is implying that an iPad sold today would still be useful in 20 years. But if after 4 years my battery sucks and I can replace it vs buy new and get another 2-3 years out of it, then it is a net reduction in waste, which is better. Also, sometimes family might hand down the older device to someone, and being able to replace the battery can give it a second life that otherwise wouldn't have happened at all if they can't afford a new/used device.