M4 iPad Pro teardown reveals smaller-capacity battery

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A teardown of the new M4 iPad Pro shows that achieving its super-slim redesign required trimming the battery capacity. But there’s good news about replacing that battery.

Disassembling an iPad isn’t for the faint of heart, but iFixit did the honors. Now we can all what’s inside the shiny new iPad Pro.

Taking the iPad Pro apart starts with using heat to soften the glue holding the screen on, then carefully disconnecting ribbon cables. More glue secures many of the other components in place. It’s not a task recommended for amateurs, but the folks at iFixit are experts.

Their M4 iPad Pro teardown answers a question Apple won’t: battery capacity. The 13-inch version of the tablet holds 38.99 Wh — a bit less than the 40.33 Wh battery in 2022’s M2-based Pro.

But don’t think that means a decrease in battery life. Apple promises that the 2024 version lasts just as long as the previous model on a single charge. Testing by Cult of Mac backs that up — we’re getting about 12 hours of heavy usage without needing to plug the tablet in. It’s the result of the Apple M4 processor being more efficient, and the OLED screen requiring less juice.

Battery replacement is a (relative) snap

Taking the battery out of the M4 iPad Pro is far easier than with previous models.

“The fact that you can remove the battery without having to remove every major component inside this device is still a huge win for repairability,” said iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari. “It’s a massive improvement over the previous generations.”

This is important because the battery is the one component of a tablet that is guaranteed to wear out. That’s also true for the Li-ion batteries in phones, laptops, etc. Replace the battery and the computer is practically as good as new.

More from iFixit’s M4 iPad Pro teardown

The iFixit teardown also shows the cowling over the main logic board that helps keep the M4 iPad Pro so very rigid and non-bendy.

All the news isn’t good. Attaining the super-slim shape required designers to depend on lots of glue.

“From the daughterboard to the speakers and coax cables, we found a whole bunch of stuff that’s glued down because there just isn’t enough space for screws,” said Mokhtari. “That means speakers will get destroyed if you try to remove them, the daughterboard gets bent out of shape if you look at it the wrong way, the heat sensitive cameras are subject to a risky prying operation to remove, and all sorts of other shenanigans.”

Want to get up close and personal with the tiny pixels in the new tandem OLED display? Watch the full iFixit teardown video: