The latest iPad Pro is certainly easier to carry around than its 12.9-inch sibling, but it poses the same challenge level when it comes to repairs.
The tech experts at iFixit took their time and opened up the tablet only days after completing the teardown of the novel iPhone SE, so here's the deal.
Those who were unlucky enough to damage their newly purchased 9.7-inch iPad Pros should know that Apple's smaller tablet is significantly difficult to repair. One of the components that can really test your patience is the battery, which is a pain to take off.
According to iFixit, the larger iPad Pro's battery featured pull tabs, which made the removal of the power source a breeze. Not so much for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, where removing the battery is a "sticky affair".
The fact that Apple used a fused LCD and front panel glass makes it somewhat easy to open up the tablet. However, it adds to the cost of screen repairs, not to mention the increased risk of display damage when tearing open the device.
The team from iFixit notes that glue is essential to keeping the new tablet in one piece. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro, however, might have gone over the top with adhesive. This means that pulling it apart transforms into a "nail-biting affair," with a heat-gun quickly becoming your best friend. The hardware gurus acknowledged that the new tablet borrows both the aesthetics from iPad Air 2 as well as the hardware from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
In its painstaking effort of opening up the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the hardware specialists came to the conclusion that cramming top-tier technology can create a "kind of a mess." iFixit also notes the presence of the "infamous camera bump" in Apple's tablets, and bemoaned its presence.
The team underlines its disappointment with the device, pointing out that the missing battery strips found in the 12.9-inch iPadPro are only a part of the problem. The confusing and irritating combo also contains weird cabling, huge amounts of adhesive and a four-speaker system.
In the end, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro received a two out of 10 repairability rank, just as the iPad Air 2. In comparison, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro scored a three out of 10.
