The updated slate of MacBook Pros, powered by M4 series silicon, has once again established Apple’s performance dominance in the segment. But a demolition courtesy of the people over at iFixit have confirmed that not much has changed internally, meaning the usual repairability issues still remain.

Starting with the new elements this time around, Apple engineers seem to have redesigned the logic board, increased the size of the heatsink, and moved some component locations. The ports are easy to replace on the new laptop, and the battery is also repairable.

But if you harbor any self-repair ambitions, Apple won’t make it easy. The nasty stretch-release adhesive to access the battery pack is here to stay, and the main board isn’t easy to remove either.

There are a total of six stretch release tabs near the trackpad and eight on the sides. As for the logic board removal process, iFixit’s teardown video doesn’t mince words when it refers to it as “incredibly complex and tedious.”

Similar is the situation if you intend to replace the card reader or the MagSafe connector kit, as this would require advanced soldering and all the expensive tools necessary for the company.

Apple also uses foam elements that require isopropyl alcohol to remove. Then there is a generous network of gaskets and flex cables before the board finally comes off.

Once again, Apple’s part-matching strategy and calibration protocol for repair and replacement services appears as a significant obstacle. “Replacing monitors or logic boards is a minefield of software locks,” notes an iFixit blog post.

This means that if you intend to replace a misfiring component with a cheaper third-party replacement part, there is no guarantee that it will work fully. The screen and the Touch ID module are two such parts that would make you shell out serious cash for a replacement job.

Interestingly, it appears that Apple has quietly made some improvements to repairability. According to a Macro rumors report citing an internal memo, Apple will offer speakers as stand-alone repair parts for the M4-powered 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops.

Until now, experts at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers had to replace the entire top case to accommodate a new speaker, which was quite an expensive ordeal. Apple is expected to list these standalone speaker parts soon on its self-repair dashboard.

The process of replacing a faulty speaker isn’t exactly a cakewalk, but at least DIY enthusiasts won’t have to spend a fortune if they work up the courage to fix a MacBook Pro on their own. Given Apple’s historical repairability, we’d call that a win.