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MacBook Neo Teardown: Modular Ports, Glue-Less Battery, Zero Tape

cheesygrin said:
iPads have had macOS-capable hardware for years now, but Apple does not want their reputation for usability tarnishing by allowing a non-touch optimised OS to be run on a primarily touch-focussed device.

The rumoured touch-enabled MacBook will be interesting, as it will provide a way of trying touch support with macOS, while still keeping keyboard and touchpad as the primary input devices.
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I've got news for Apple about their "reputation" ...

Tahoe & iOS 26 are torching it.
 
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Time to replace motherboard 5min (could sell upgrade motherboards later on like A19 Pro with 12GB RAM)
Probability Apple will sell upgrade motherboards: 0
 
cheesygrin said:
The rumoured touch-enabled MacBook will be interesting, as it will provide a way of trying touch support with macOS, while still keeping keyboard and touchpad as the primary input devices.
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I think it will be very similar to the Apple Pencil's contextual menu/palette on an iPad. You touch, and get a set of buttons on screen for your other fingers. Constantly having to reach with your hand up to the menu bar doesn't make much sense to me, but a contextual menu and drag-and-drop files with your finger does.
 
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The simpler rectangular battery was another way they reduced costs. I wonder if someone will make a larger battery which fills the empty palm rest space.
 
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Macalway said:
Just out of curiosity, I wonder if this would run without the battery, which would be easy to test with this, apparently (a repair mode)

I've done this before with a Windows laptop, and it runs but the OS had some problems on that particular device. A MacBook might not even turn on. Point is, some Windows PCs are modular like this Neo (If you can call it that)
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My late 2008 MBP runs at 1/2 speed if it doesn’t detect a battery.
 
aknabi said:
Time to replace motherboard 5min (could sell upgrade motherboards later on like A19 Pro with 12GB RAM)
Probability Apple will sell upgrade motherboards: 0
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No, they won't sell logicboards directly, but, like the MBAs and Mac minis 2010 - 2014, if there's enough machines in circulation, there'll be a healthy market of boards and donor machines ( cracked screens, blown speakers, damaged keyboards etc.).

A lot of people used to bring a lot of Mac back from the dead in this way, and, for Apple, it means that users keep paying for Apple services.

They might lock out the option of partswopping for their higher end Macs, but it might benefit them not to do so at the lower end, as it will keep people in the ecosystem and keep getting them to buy services and update iPhones, watches, etc.
 
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MacRumors said:


A teardown of the new MacBook Neo by Australian YouTube repair channel Tech Re-Nu reveals what may be the most modular and repair-friendly Mac laptop in recent times.

tech-re-nu-macbook-neo-teardown@2x.jpg

The Neo is shown being taken apart in just six minutes, suggesting Apple has prioritized simplicity across the board, using standard Torx screws (T3, T5, and T8) and a clean cable routing design.

To open the aluminum body, eight screws on the bottom are loosened, similar to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. Inside, a tiny motherboard sits, surrounded by a stripped-back internal layout with minimal parts and no hinge covers.

The battery is secured by 18 screws and lifts straight out – there are no stretch-release adhesive tabs, and no sticky glue holding it in place. In fact, the teardown encountered zero tape throughout the entire disassembly, which is a first for a modern Mac.

The two USB-C ports, speakers, and the headphone jack are all modular, so the individual components can be swapped without replacing larger assemblies. The speakers, for example, come out with just four screws each and no adhesive. Indeed, the only adhesive found in the machine was a small amount on the trackpad where a cable connects it to the mainboard.

Tech Re-Nu does not entirely disassemble the Neo, but we know it is possible to remove the keyboard for repair without replacing the entire top case – which is a huge boost for any repairability score. Taken together, it looks like the $599 MacBook Neo is a lot more repairable than some might have expected for an Apple laptop.

Article Link: MacBook Neo Teardown: Modular Ports, Glue-Less Battery, Zero Tape
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Not used one yet but I absolutely love the Macbook Neo!

Not gonna lie it breaks my heart, seeing all of that empty space that could house more battery as a minimum but I completely get and respect the budget hustle.

If empty space is needed to achieve this machine at the $599 price point, then go for it!
 
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PBG4 Dude said:
My late 2008 MBP runs at 1/2 speed if it doesn’t detect a battery.
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Not to highjack this thread but...

I just recently got my late 2008 MBP out of storage. The battery died long before I quit using it. Anyway, I have a new battery on order and am upgrading to 8GB of RAM.

What do you use your 2008 MBP for? I just installed Linux Mint on it but I'm not convinced I don't want to go back to El Capitan or something else.

Just trying to figure out use cases for it.
 
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Macalway said:
This device is such a departure for Apple. Surprising. Many of us are going to open this now, like today?

Some people are compelled 😀
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Not so much a departure as a return to pre-2015 or pre-2010 days (depending on the type of Mac).
 
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turbineseaplane said:
I would perhaps temper this a little bit.
It's cheap and feels that way the more you use it, particularly the screen, trackpad & keyboard, which are key to the experience (obviously).

Also, the colors are really "bleh" in person.
The green is the only one that feels like an actual "color". The website photos are very misleading on this.

I'm fascinated to see how well it sticks in the market past the initial interest here.
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I am not a fan of these at all but I see why apple made this move. I had a 12" macbook years ago and loved it but it did struggle with the keyboard, battery, etc.

The colors are awful, not sure if it's supposed to go with the neo name (neon) but felt like they should have just brought over the imac color palette.
 
Jamie0003 said:
Hell yes. Apple has been saying for years that it’s impossible to make these thin devices repairable…..but we all know the real reason $$$

EU is really killing it recently. I hope they go after AirPlay, iCloud and FaceTime next.
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Honestly, would love it for Apple to be forced to issue an updated to the Homepods unlocking it's bluetooth to support third party devices using them as a Bluetooth speaker.

I get that on Paper Airplay is meant to be more reliable but allow people the option, even if Apple Devices are forced to use Airplay but none Apple Devices can use Bluetooth.
 
Jamie0003 said:
EU is really killing it recently. I hope they go after AirPlay, iCloud and FaceTime next.
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Just curious why?

AirPlay is free for any developer developing for Apple hardware.
Android has Chrome cast.

There are better and cheaper options to iCloud. They may not have the same level of integration.

Like iCloud, FaceTime has other and better options out there.
 
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stlredbird said:
Not to highjack this thread but...

I just recently got my late 2008 MBP out of storage. The battery died long before I quit using it. Anyway, I have a new battery on order and am upgrading to 8GB of RAM.

What do you use your 2008 MBP for? I just installed Linux Mint on it but I'm not convinced I don't want to go back to El Capitan or something else.

Just trying to figure out use cases for it.
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Mightn't be your wish, but you could always connect it directly to your router via ethernet and use it as a small server / Time Machine destination. It's got an ethernet port and you have two internal 2,5" SATA drive bays (if you remove the DVD drive).
 
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Happy_John said:
Mightn't be your wish, but you could always connect it directly to your router via ethernet and use it as a small server / Time Machine destination.
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Ya I could attach a large external HD and make it a Plex server. Was hoping to find something more fun for it to do though.
 
darngooddesign said:
The simpler rectangular battery was another way they reduced costs. I wonder if someone will make a larger battery which fills the empty palm rest space.
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That's not empty - it's where the speakers go. Watch the full video.
thelion7 said:
Not used one yet but I absolutely love the Macbook Neo!

Not gonna lie it breaks my heart, seeing all of that empty space that could house more battery as a minimum but I completely get and respect the budget hustle.

If empty space is needed to achieve this machine at the $599 price point, then go for it!
Click to expand...
Watch the full video. That "empty space" is where the speakers live. The screen shot is showing the Neo AFTER the speakers have been removed.
 
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stlredbird said:
Ya I could attach a large external HD and make it a Plex server. Was hoping to find something more fun for it to do though.
Click to expand...

You've got two internal 2.5" SATA bays ( if you remove the DVD drive) as well (sorry, I edited the original post just after you saw it).

Retro games machine?
 
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