iFixit's teardown of the 2020 MacBook Air reveals it is easier to repair
What you need to know
- iFixit has done a teardown of the Macbook Air.
- The outlet shows off the new scissor-switch keyboard.
- A new cable configuration also makes the laptop easier to repair.
The new Macbook Air is just starting to show up on the doorsteps of customers, but that isn't stopping iFixit from tearing down the new laptop right away.
In a blog post on their website, the outlet describes some of the new things it has noticed when taking a look under the hood of the new generation of everyone's favorite laptop.
The first thing that they pointed out, which everyone will immediately notice, is the new scissor-switch keyboard. Apple replaced the polarizing butterfly keys from the previous generation of the Macbook Air with a new generation of its scissor-switch design. The 16-inch Macbook Pro was the first Apple laptop to get the keyboard upgrade, and now it has come to the Macbook Air.
iFixit says that it is a relief to see the keyboard upgrade, as Apple received a lot of criticism for its insistence on iterating the butterfly design rather than abandoning it.
Outside of the keyboard, iFixit also noticed a new cable configuration between the laptop's logic board and the Magic trackpad. The new design not only makes it easier for the trackpad to be removed and replaced but also allows service providers to remove the batteries without having to mess with the logic board.
The new internal design decisions have earned the Macbook Air one more point higher on iFixit's repairability scale, now scoring a 4 out of 10.
Magic Keyboard
The keyboard you always wanted at a price you know is reasonable.
We asked. Apple listened. The 2020 MacBook Air has a new scissor mechanism keyboard and a price that fits our budget.
Master your iPhone in minutes
iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!
Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.