Is it possible?

[Chris569x]

Would it be possible to replace the display on a 13" MacBook Air with a retina display from the 13" MacBook Pro? Factors I can think of are size limitations of the upper portion of the casing, and the various connectors for camera, display, etc. Does anyone know if this is possible?

 

[maflynn]

No, the screen is bonded to the enclosure on the rMBP, there's no easy way to remove it. Apple just swaps out the entire assembly. The form factor is also working against you, I don't think it would line up

 

[Mrbobb]

Try it and come back to tell us the story.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Try it and come back to tell us the story.

ah yes, the story of two broken laptops never has a happy ending.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

Why not go to iFixit.com and look at the screen replacement instructions for both models. That should tell you a lot about location and type of connectors, mounting methods (location of retaining hardware and the like, etc.). Most likely, you'll find that a lot of things won't line up.

 

[Laco]

If you managed to do this then you should definitely apply for a job at Apple

 

[scaredpoet]

It's got to be a lot more complicated than just swapping the displays. Even the GPUs between the MBA and rMBP are different. More than likely there's circuity and controllers in the logic board that also make the retina display work as designed.

By that time you're done replacing all the components that make it possible, you might as well have bought an rMBP outright.