Apple’s newly introduced MacBook Neo, which starts at $499 for students, has been described as the company’s most repairable laptop since 2014, according to a teardown analysis released by iFixit.
iFixit, known for publishing repair guides and selling tools and spare parts for consumer electronics, also rates devices based on how easy they are to repair and maintain. Many technology companies, including Dell Technologies and Lenovo, have used these ratings to improve the repairability of their products.
Design Changes Improve Repairability
During its teardown of the MacBook Neo, iFixit found several design improvements compared with Apple’s previous laptops. Key components such as the battery and keyboard are now secured with screws instead of glue or rivets, making them easier to remove and replace.
The company also noted that certain parts—including the camera and fingerprint sensor—can be swapped out more easily than in earlier MacBook models, which typically required more complex repairs.
Targeting the Education Market
Apple is believed to be positioning the MacBook Neo to compete with affordable devices used in schools, particularly Chromebook models that are widely adopted in the education sector.
According to iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, Chromebooks are often repaired rather than replaced, and some school districts—such as those in Oakland, California—even train student interns to fix damaged devices.
Still Room for Improvement
Despite the improvements, the MacBook Neo received a repairability score of 6 out of 10 from iFixit. By comparison, some laptops such as recent ThinkPad models have earned scores as high as 9 or 10.
Experts say Apple’s focus over the past decade on creating thinner and lighter devices has often made its products more difficult to repair.
Memory Design Could Limit Future Upgrades
One limitation highlighted by iFixit is that the MacBook Neo’s 8GB of DRAM memory is soldered directly onto the motherboard. This design, which is common across recent Apple Mac models, prevents users from upgrading the laptop’s memory later.
Wiens noted that this could make it harder for the device to handle increasingly complex artificial intelligence applications in the future. Apple has promoted the idea of running AI processes directly on devices for better privacy, but fixed memory could restrict the laptop’s long-term performance.
He suggested Apple could improve its computers by adding upgradeable memory chips, allowing users to expand the system’s capabilities over time.
“Apple’s vision for privacy-focused AI depends on running models locally on devices,” Wiens said. “But the lack of upgradeable memory is a weakness across the entire Mac lineup.”
