M5 MacBook Pro’s Battery Now Easier to Replace by Apple

In brief

• Repairability: The M5 MacBook Pro allows battery replacement without removing the trackpad.
• DIY Repair: Apple’s Self Service Repair Store offers a Top Case with Battery and Keyboard, complicating the battery replacement process.
• Battery Upgrade: The latest MacBook Pro features a slightly larger 72.6Wh battery than its predecessor’s 72.4Wh.
• Repair Score: iFixit rates the M5 MacBook Pro a 4 out of 10 for repairability, indicating a challenging DIY experience.

Just like a minor upgrade in specs, Apple’s latest M5 MacBook Pro gets the slightest improvement when it comes to repairability. According to iFixit’s teardown, the M5 MacBook Pro is the first of its kind that lets you replace the battery without having to remove the trackpad. However, Apple’s official method of replacing the battery still requires navigating an arduous process that may steer most users away.

For anyone willing to tackle the DIY repair, Apple’s Self Service Repair Store only offers a Top Case with Battery and Keyboard in its product parts catalog. Since the only option to replace the battery is buying this main chassis part with both the keyboard and battery pre-installed, MacBook Pro owners will also have to disassemble an irritating number of unrelated screws and hardware — except for the trackpad — just to replace a battery. However, iFixit confirmed that Apple included a slightly upgraded 72.6Wh battery with the latest MacBook Pro compared to its predecessor’s 72.4Wh battery.

It’s minor progress for battery replacement, so iFixit still gave the M5 MacBook Pro a four out of 10 repairability score, meaning it’s possible to do yourself, but it’s “tougher than it needs to be.” The latest score is a bump down from the M1 MacBook Pro that earned a five out of 10, but Apple has made incremental steps towards making MacBook repairs more accessible.