As of this week, Apple’s repair program for private individuals also includes certain Mac models after the iPhone: M1 machines from the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro series (13, 14 and 16 inches) are given spare parts that anyone can buy.
Tinkering with a system
In line with this, the group now has official repair manuals for the M1 notebooks submitted. They are generally available for free download without registration and are available for MacBook Air M1, MacBook Pro M1 13-inch, MacBook Pro M1 Max / M1 Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro M1 Max / M1 Pro 16-inch. In terms of content, they offer some interesting insights that Apple amateurs have not received before.
Example 14-inch MBP: As an overview shows, Apple uses a total of 32 different types of screws in the entire computer. In order not to confuse these, the group names each one together with the necessary screwdriver size. Torx variants are mainly installed, but also the hated proprietary Pentalope screws. But there are now easily suitable lathes on the market for them, too Apple now sells or rents them itself. The official repair kit with various other components can be used for a total of seven days for 50 US dollars.
Fireproof safe
Apple itself does not have all the equipment required for certain repairs in its spare parts shop. The group recommends a fireproof safe to stay safe when changing the battery. This should be ready to record Mac and battery in the event of thermal events – which can occur, for example, if the cells are accidentally punctured when they are exchanged. The company also recommends providing plenty of sand to smother a fire.
To prevent such cases from occurring, the company does not offer private repairers the battery individually. Instead, it is offered with the entire top case and even the keyboard. However, the price is steep at 530 US dollars – it will be 440 dollars if you send in the old top case again. All in all, a first look through the repair offer looks like what you already know from the iPhone version of the program: the spare parts are not cheap – and if you add the working time and the “nerve” that the repair can entail, In many cases, it is more worth sending it to Apple than doing the hardware yourself.
