Introduction

Love is in the MacBook Air and we have a brand new MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2017 to fall for. What's new, borrowed, and blue in this MacBook Air killer successor? We'll have to teardown to find out.

Tie the knot with us, or just hang out on our Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2017, use our service manual.

Image 1/2: 13.3” LED-backlit IPS Retina display with 2560 × 1600 resolution (227 dpi), P3 wide color gamut Image 2/2: 3.1 GHz Kaby Lake dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz)
  • Gotta love that new Mac smell, but just how new is this Pro? Get a whiff of these specs:

    • 13.3” LED-backlit IPS Retina display with 2560 × 1600 resolution (227 dpi), P3 wide color gamut

    • 3.1 GHz Kaby Lake dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz)

    • 8 GB of 2133 MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM

    • 256 GB PCIe-based SSD

    • Integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650

    • Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports and 3.5 mm headphone port

    • 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2

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Image 1/3: Once the oyster is cracked, and the pearl revealed, we get some serious deja vu. Image 2/3: Compare the MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2017... Image 3/3: ...  to the [https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Touch+Bar+Teardown/73480|MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2016|new_window=true].
  • Thanks to prior experience, we've got the obnoxious suction-prying-sliding maneuver down, and we pop this little guy open in no time.

  • Once the oyster is cracked, and the pearl revealed, we get some serious deja vu.

  • Compare the MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2017...

  • ... to the MacBook Pro 13" Touch Bar 2016.

  • The only difference we spot is the finish on the fans. Looks like the 4K iMac got the real refresh juice this year.

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Image 1/2: Intel [https://ark.intel.com/products/97528/Intel-Core-i5-7267U-Processor-4M-Cache-up-to-3_50-GHz|Core i5-7267U|new_window=true] processor with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650 Image 2/2: Intel® [https://ark.intel.com/products/94031/Intel-JHL6540-Thunderbolt-3-Controller|JHL6540|new_window=true] Thunderbolt™ 3 Controller
  • We pick some cuffs out of this notebook and turn them into some mustaches. Here are the secrets within:

    • Intel Core i5-7267U processor with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650

    • Intel® JHL6540 Thunderbolt™ 3 Controller

    • SanDisk SDRQKBDC4 064G 64 GB NAND flash memory (x2 for a total of 128 GB on this side of the board)

    • Samsung K4E6E304EB-EGCG LPDDR3 DRAM (4 x 2 GB for 8 GB total)

    • Texas Instruments SN650839 72C27RNGI, and TI/Stellaris LM4FS1EH SMC Controller (replacement codename for TM4EA231)

    • H9CKNNN4GTATMR-NTH

    • Murata/Apple 339S00056 Wi-Fi Module

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Image 1/1: 2x SanDisk SDRQKBDC4 64 GB NAND flash storage (as seen in the 2016 Escape Edition's [https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Function+Keys+Late+2016+Teardown/72415#s144820| removable SSD|new_window=true])—bringing the total to 256 GB
  • On the opposite side we find:

    • 2x SanDisk SDRQKBDC4 64 GB NAND flash storage (as seen in the 2016 Escape Edition's removable SSD)—bringing the total to 256 GB

    • APL1023 343S00736 (likely the custom Apple T1 chip that pairs with the Touch Bar)

    • 2x Texas Instruments TI CD3215C00 68C7QKW G1

    • Intersil 95828 HRTZ X708FGK

    • (Apple?) 338S00193-A1 17148HDK

    • Macronix MX25L6473EZNI-10G Serial Flash Memory

    • NXP 66V10 NFC controller, containing Secure Element 008 and NXP PN549 (as seen in the iPhone 6s)

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Image 1/1: For more detailed teardowns of the hardware in this device, consult the [https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Touch+Bar+Teardown/73480|new_window=true|previous generation's teardown] or even the [https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Function+Keys+Late+2016+Teardown/72415|new_window=true|past-gen one with more keys], if you fancy.

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Final Thoughts
  • The trackpad can be removed without first removing the battery.
  • Proprietary pentalobe screws continue to make working on the device unnecessarily difficult.
  • The battery assembly is entirely, and very solidly, glued into the case, thus complicating replacement.
  • The processor, RAM, and flash memory are soldered to the logic board.
  • The Touch Bar adds a second, difficult to replace, screen to damage.
  • The Touch ID sensor doubles as the power switch, and is paired with the T1 chip on the logic board. Fixing a broken power switch may require help from Apple, or a new logic board.
Repairability Score
1
Repairability 1 out of 10
(10 is easiest to repair)

2 Comments

Also, good luck getting your data off of those pci-e style hard drives.

j0vian - Reply

I'll stick with my repairable and upgrade friendly MacBook Pro 2012 thanks.

Apple lost a winning edge when they removed user serviceable from their vernacular.

Justin - Reply

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