Copyright Cult of Mac
iFixit did its traditional teardown of the M5 iPad Pro on Thursday and gave Apple’s newest a much better reparability score than it has previous tablets coming out of Cupertino. That doesn’t mean the computer is easy to fix, though. Watch the teardown to take a deep dive into the guts of the M5 iPad Pro. M5 iPad Pro teardown finds lots of glue iPads are difficult to repair mainly because of how tightly integrated and compact their design is. Apple prioritizes thinness, durability and a seamless look, which means many components are glued together. The screen, for example, is glued to the body with strong adhesive, making it risky to remove without cracking it. Inside, parts like the battery, logic board and speakers are layered and connected with delicate flex cables, so reaching one component often requires removing several others first. As iFixit’s teardown video for the M5 iPad Pro demonstrates, the latest and greatest from Apple is no different. The video starts by showing the very careful process needed to pry the screen from the rest of the computer, the first steps necessary to do any repair. The video then continues to the steps necessary to remove the dual batteries, which are also held in with adhesives. “It’s on to the 10 pull tabs securing the battery in place,” said iFixit. “Pull taps are fine when they work, but these ones were a bit of a pain to get to because of how thin the battery is and how short the end of the pull taps are.” The challenges in getting access to the batteries are important because that’s one of the most frequent repairs needed on any electronic device, given that lithium-ion batteries inevitably wear out. (Check your iPad’s battery health now.) That said, once the screen has been removed, taking out the M5 iPad Pro’s USB-C port is easy. And that’s another frequent repair. M5 iPad Pro is actually kind of repairable The difficulties in opening an iPad, then accessing the various components, mean Apple tablets typically get a repairability score of 2 or 3 out of a possible 10 from iFixit. In contrast, the M5 iPad Pro gets a 5. While not a very high score, it’s a definite upswing. However, the change isn’t a result of Apple redesigning the computer to make it simpler to fix. But the company did make it easier to work on. iPad joined Apple’s Self Service Repair program in spring 2025, which means customers have access to parts and tools they need to fix their own devices. “Despite the underwhelming repairability, Apple is making an effort to help people service these things,” noted iFixit. “They’ve done this by releasing guides, with parts expected to arrive soon, and even renting out the tools their own technicians use at the Apple Service centers.”
