The cool cats at iFixit have just completed the full teardown of Apple’s new 2016 12-inch Retina MacBook. While the notebook is essentially the same as the previous generation, there are some notable differences.
First, Apple replaced a tri-wing screw with a much more common Phillips screw, although it continues to use its proprietary Pentalobe screws on the exterior of the case. In the teardown, iFixit noted that it discovered hinge screws for the device which are “filled with some sort of substance that disintegrates when you insert a screwdriver.” The site speculates that it appears to be an Apple effort at “tamper-evident screws,” which in theory could allow the company to know if a third-party or DIY repair attempt has been made voiding warranty.
It was also noted that the USB-C hardware has changed and the cable is now perma-fixed to the USB board, combining two units into one. The silicon used for this is also new and has been moved from the cable itself to the USB board.
The teardown listed the following components inside the 2016 12-inch Retina MacBook:
Intel SR2EN Intel Core m3-6Y30 Processor (4M Cache, up to 2.20 GHz)
Toshiba TH58TFT0DFKLAVF 128 GB MLC NAND Flash (+ 128 GB on the reverse side for a total of 256 GB)
Micron MT41K256M16LY-107 4Gb DDR3L SDRAM
Universal Scientific Industrial 339S0250 Wi-Fi Module
Broadcom BCM15700A2 (as seen in several other MacBook models)
National Semiconductor 48B1-11
F4432ACPE-GD-F
Toshiba TH58TFT0DFKLAVF 128 GB MLC NAND Flash
Apple 338S00066 (Likely an iteration of the 338S00055 SSD controller found in the 2015 Retina MacBook)
Samsung K3QF4F4 4 GB LPDDR3 RAM (x2, for a total of 8 GB)
Texas Instruments/Stellaris LM4FS1EHSMC Controller (Replacement codename for TM4EA231)
SMSC 1704-2 Temperature Sensor
Texas Instruments SN650839
Texas Instruments TPS51980A
Texas Instruments CD3215B01 61AHXHW
Intersil 95828
Due to RAM, processors, and other components being soldered to the logic board, a glued-in battery assembly, and a display fused with the glass, the MacBook gets the lowest repairability score possible from the site with a 1 out of 10.
If you’ve had a chance to pick up the new 12-inch MacBook and have any feedback to offer, let us know in the comments.