MacBook Pro 13-inch 2019 teardown reveals one bright spot

There's a new MacBook Pro in town, and the first teardown has some not-so-great news for those looking to repair or update hardware on their own. The MacBook Pro 13-inch 2019 model (with two Thunderbolt Ports) didn't get a particularly great score from iFixit, but there is at least a silver lining to this raincloud. Where previous MacBooks didn't allow easy access to their touchpads (for removal and repair), this unit keeps it a little more real.

The touchpad – or trackpad, if you prefer – can be removed without having to handle the device's battery. That's good news – any device that allows itself to be dissembled without needing to handle the battery is a good device, in the eyes of a repair-happy user, like those that frequent the origin of this teardown, iFixit.

Unfortunate for that same user, the rest of this MacBook Pro isn't quite so easy to work with. It starts with pentalobe screws – which, to be fair, can be accessed with basically the same pentalobe screwdriver you likely have in your arsenal if you've done similar repairs in the past. The average person, though – there's little possibility of incidental ownership.

Though the battery does not need to be moved to access the trackpad, the battery IS glued into place. This is just about the worst thing a manufacturer can do if their aim is to allow future repairs and replacement of parts. But that's not Apple's aim.

The RAM is soldered down, the SSD is soldered down (where it was previously proprietary, so whatever), and the keyboard continues to use generation 3.5 butterfly switch keys. On the positive side, this MacBook Pro is included in Apple's Keyboard Service Program right out the gate, so should the keys fail, Apple will fix them up, no problem.

The speakers, oddly, are smaller than the 2016 MacBook Pro. We've not yet tested the difference between sound quality and/or loudness between the two, but cross your fingers and we'll see what we can do!

Take a peek at our most recent MacBook Pro update post about the device you see above, and let us know if you're aiming to pick one up.