Apple spent a decade gluing batteries into $2,499 MacBook Pros. Then it shipped a $599 laptop you can take apart in six minutes.
The MacBook Neo teardown numbers are wild. Eight screws to open. Eighteen screws hold the battery, zero glue, zero tape. The USB-C ports, speakers, and headphone jack are all modular, meaning each one swaps individually. The speakers come out with four screws. An Australian repair channel disassembled most of the machine in under six minutes using standard Torx bits you can buy at any hardware store.
For context, the 2019 MacBook Pro scored 2 out of 10 on iFixit’s repairability scale. The 16-inch Pro got a 1 out of 10. Soldered RAM, soldered storage, glued battery, proprietary pentalobe screws, keyboard riveted to the top case. Apple’s own Self Service Repair program required you to rent a 79-pound repair kit shipped in two Pelican cases just to swap a battery.
The timing explains everything. The EU Right to Repair Directive takes effect July 31, 2026. Member states are transposing it into national law right now. Manufacturers must offer repair beyond warranty, provide spare parts within 5 to 10 working days for seven years, and publish repair manuals. In the US, over a quarter of Americans already live in states with enforceable Right to Repair laws. Oregon banned parts pairing. California’s act is in effect.
Apple read the regulatory calendar and realized the cheapest laptop in the lineup would face the most scrutiny. Millions of students and first-time buyers will own it. The volume will be enormous. And regulators love consumer-protection cases involving the most affordable products in a company’s portfolio.
So they built the Neo as the compliance flagship. Standard screws, modular ports, no adhesive, a battery that lifts out. Meanwhile the $1,099 MacBook Air still has soldered storage and a riveted keyboard. The $2,499 Pro still scores poorly on independent repairability scales.
The $599 laptop is the most repairable MacBook in over a decade. Apple always knew how to build a repairable laptop. They just needed a reason that showed up on a regulatory deadline.
iPhone 17e, iPad Air, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro...
And now, say hello to the all-new MacBook Neo!
We’re so excited to bring the magic of Mac to even more people around the world.
We are hiring at Supabase!
There are 35 open positions across engineering, sales, design, and many more, so there should be something that would fit you!
We are a remote company, so where you live doesn't matter. If you are awesome at what you do, we'd love to work with you!
The loudest cheer for the new iPhone 17 so far has been for the use of a square sensor so you don't have to rotate your iPhone to take a landscape selfie anymore
Guys, cuma mau ngingetin kalo sekeras apapun konflik yg kita lagi hadapi hari ini, jangan sampe ada issue rasisme di tengah2 momen kayak gini ya
Saling jagain, saling bantu satu sama lain kalo mulai ada narasi2 begini 🙏
Krusial banget soalnya