Credit: Unsplash
The new iPad is a little easier to repair.
For about as long as they’ve been popular, Apple devices have been notoriously difficult to open up and repair, at least on one’s own. This has long been a deliberate design choice, as Apple doesn’t want people mucking about in their tech and making unsanctioned modifications (especially when they can charge a few bucks to do it for you). However, in recent years, Apple has become more cognizant of the right to repair, the notion that people are entitled to servicing their own electronics, and have very gradually updated their device manufacturing to reflect this.
One such example of this change has been spotted in the recently-released iPad Air 5, specifically in its battery compartment. Previous models of the iPad Air have had their batteries firmly fixed in place, making them completely impossible to remove by hand, at least without damaging the device. However, according to a recent report from iFixit, the batteries in the Air 5 have pull tabs on them secured by simple adhesives. This means someone could remove an Air 5’s battery fairly easily and without damaging the device.
We're not doing a full teardown of the iPad Air 5, but we did take it apart to investigate—and we were pleasantly surprised to find pull stretch adhesives under the battery!
If only the battery connector were also updated. There's always next year 🤔 pic.twitter.com/QaYs1YRhvZ
— iFixit (@iFixit) March 19, 2022
It’s presumed that this switch is intended for DIY repairs and third-party shops, though according to MacRumors, first-party Apple stores will still replace the entire iPad if there’s a problem with the battery rather than replace the single component.
