Today iFixit released its first "Tablet Repairability" list, which ranks some of the more popular tablets by ease of repairability. The majority of Apple's tablets found themselves near the bottom of the list with a rating of 2/10.

tabletrepairability
The list was based on iFixit's findings from its teardown work. Two of the biggest reasons for low repairability scores were excessive adhesive and a high probability of breakage during disassembly. The majority of Apple's iPad family were guilty of one or both of those symptoms.

The lone Apple tablet with a good repairability rating was the original iPad with a 6/10, notching in below the Nexus 7 on the list. The only negative for the original was that the battery was difficult to remove or replace.

The list doesn't include every tablet released, but it does include some of the more popular ones like the various Kindle Fire models and the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The top tablet on the list was the Dell XPS 10 with a 9/10, while the Microsoft Surface Pro scored worst with a 1/10.

In the past other Apple products, like the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, which received a 1/10, have also received criticism for being difficult to repair from the iFixit team.

Top Rated Comments

AngerDanger Avatar
154 months ago
They should have another rating to the right, showing how likely these devices will need repairing.

Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeekLawyer Avatar
154 months ago
I can't imagine any scenario in which I would want to attempt to fix or repair my iPad.

AppleCare pushes the score to 10 for me.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
leman Avatar
154 months ago
Well, iFixit makes money out of repairs. They are approaching the point where they are not able to repair them for less than what Apple charges. Of course they will be furious. I do find it hilarious though how they complain about difficulties of battery change on the rMBP and yet Apple will do it for you for $200.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Speedy Gonzalez Avatar
154 months ago
Who cares...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMacC2D Avatar
154 months ago
Removed.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
154 months ago
The "Report" should be called the "Products we can't make money from selling spare parts, so they suck" Report. I love iFixIt and also regret the days when I could repair and upgrade my machines is all but over. It's the end of an era. I'm moving on with the next. iFixIt should too and find a new niche to fill lest their next report will be a Chapter 7 filing.

----------

Depends on who's using it. My almost three year old brother shattered the glass of the iPad 2 within 3 months of use. The tablet is still functional though.

So while the internals of the iPad are very unlikely to fail, the glass is easy to break, and will require repair. In fact I think it's very common occurrence with tablets in general.
Most iPad users are not 3 y.o., and adults that let their 3 y.o. play with them should have the brains to put it in a child proof case... they do make those. 3 y.o. are known for tossing things around on a whim which is why everything Fisher Price is heavy duty plastic.

Most older kids and adults users don't end up with shattered iPads.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...