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Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

With the release of the new Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, iFixit has embarked on its regular investigation into how easy it is for customers to repair these devices. And, in an unexpected yet delightful turn of events, both the Copilot+ PCs have achieved a repairability rating of 8 out of 10, which is a significant victory over the 5/10 score given to the M3 MacBook Air. Microsoft has long been a thorn in iFixit’s side. The original Surface Laptop back in 2017 was awarded a dismal rating of 0 out of 10. At that time, customers couldn’t even access the laptop without causing damage as everything was soldered onto the motherboard. They couldn’t even replace the headphone jack without first removing the heat sink, fan, display, and motherboard. However, progress was gradually made. The Surface Pro 7 from 2019 scored a 1 out of 10, and the Surface Laptop 2 got another 0. But things did eventually start to improve. Now with the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7, the Surface lineup has finally earned its first truly good scores. These new models even have little QR codes inside that lead customers directly to the manuals they need, and those manuals were available from the day of release. This is a feature we initially saw on the Framework Laptop, and it’s a great addition. Additionally, there are what Microsoft calls “Wayfinders,” which are small instructions showing the type and quantity of screws holding each component in place. For those who have disassembled a few PCs before, these Wayfinders enable them to dismantle the Surface devices without even referring to the manuals. The battery and storage of the Surface Laptop 7 can be easily removed and upgraded, but the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, making it much more challenging to replace. The Surface Pro 11 is a bit more difficult to work with compared to a laptop, but when compared to other tablets of its kind, it’s clear that efforts have been made to ensure the display can be removed as easily as possible. They’ve also made it possible to replace the SSD without disassembling the tablet. Since Microsoft now takes repairability more seriously, the interiors of the devices have been designed with easy disassembly in mind. This means that the components that people need to access the most, such as the fan and battery in the Surface Laptop, can be reached without having to remove other parts first. With a company as big and influential as Microsoft officially on the right side of the repairability movement, perhaps we can hope to see improvements from competitors as well. No one should have to fork out another $1,000 or more for a new device simply because manufacturers deliberately make their products difficult to repair.

iFixit

Furthermore, the battery and storage of the Surface Laptop 7 are both readily removable and upgradeable. However, the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, making it considerably more difficult to replace. The Surface Pro 11 is more challenging to work with compared to a traditional laptop, but when compared to other tablets in its category, it’s evident that efforts have been made to ensure the display can be easily detached. They’ve also made it so that the SSD can be replaced without disassembling the tablet. Because Microsoft now gives more consideration to repairability, the insides of the devices have been arranged with easy disassembly in mind. This means that the components that are most frequently accessed, such as the fan and battery in the Surface Laptop, can be reached without having to remove other parts first. With a company as large and influential as Microsoft officially on the right side of the repairability movement, maybe we can anticipate improvements from other competitors as well. No one should be forced to spend another $1,000 or more on a new device just because manufacturers deliberately make their products difficult to repair.