For the first time in almost a decade, you, a tech service provider, or Apple can now repair an individual speaker on the current MacBook Pro without having to replace other components as well.
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, Apple said it is offering speakers as standalone repair parts for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. This is the first time Apple has made individual MacBook Pro speaker parts available since 2015.
In the case of all MacBook Pro models released between 2016, Apple had to replace the entire “top case” with the battery and other components for speaker repairs. This would results in speaker repairs costing hundreds of dollars more than they might if the speakers were a more modular part.
Apple has already shared speaker repair manuals for the current-gen MacBook Pro notebooks on its website, so the repair is available to users as opposed to simply Genius Bar employees or Apple Authorized Service Providers.
The repair procedure is fairly complex, involving the use of Kevlar thread, speaker installation caps, and a single-use battery cover, so the average customer will likely want to rely on an experienced technician to ensure it is done correctly. Finally, Apple is rumored to be giving technicians access to individual speaker parts for ALL 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon, going back to models with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. It remains to be seen if those parts for older models will be added to the self-service repair store too.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors, support.apple.com, and Apple Self Service Repair Store