Microsoft’s new Surface devices are easier to repair than ever before

Microsoft is making it easier to service and repair its new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 devices. The software giant is adding QR codes on the internal components of both new Surface devices, alongside internal markings on the Surface Pro 10 for Business, to make it easier to identify the screws and driver types for certain components.

“They have easy serviceability with clear visual icons and built-in repair instructions,” explains Nancie Gaskill, general manager of the Surface business, in an interview with The Verge. These changes make the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 the “most easily serviceable Surface devices ever,” according to Gaskill.

On the Surface Pro 10, you’ll be able to replace the following components:

The Surface Laptop 6 replaceable parts list includes the display assembly, keyboard, SSD, battery, motherboard, Surface Connect port, thermal module, audio jack, speakers, touchpad, enclosure, and feet.

Microsoft has been on a multiyear mission to improve the repairability of its Surface devices after iFixit labeled the original Surface Laptop a “glue-filled monster” in 2017 and gave it a repairability score of zero. Microsoft improved repairability on the Surface side initially with the Arm-powered Surface Pro X in 2019, with a removable SSD and more modular components.

iFixit eventually teamed up with Microsoft to start selling official Surface repair tools in 2021, and Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9, released in 2022, was more repairable than ever, with an iFixit score of seven out of 10.

Microsoft isn’t alone in its repairability focus. Lenovo worked with iFixit recently to make some ThinkPads easier to repair. The SSD and RAM slots are clearly marked inside Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad laptops, and there are QR codes and indicators that point to the screws you’ll need to remove.