The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has received the lowest reparability rating possible from website iFixit.
In its teardown, iFixit gave Microsoft's newest tablet a rating of one out of ten, meaning Surface Pro 3 users will not be able to fix their tablet at home.
The website said the reason why the tablet received such a low score was down to the strong adhesive, non-standard connectors and difficulties opening the hardware.
iFixit said while attempting to open the casing of the device, its teardown engineer "carefully heated and pried up the glass at the edge of this device, but the cooling adhesive alone was enough to crack the glass."
It would seem the display isn't as rugged as Microsoft would have users believe, despite the company touting its ultra-thin chassis as one of the highlights.
Although many manufacturers seal in the battery unit (and Microsoft is no different here), there are multiple warnings inside the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 not to remove the battery. Obviously, iFixit decided to ignore these warnings but it's likely consumers would be deterred from attempting to replace the battery should it fail.
Things were made worse when the website attempted to remove the firmly placed battery, describing the battery pack as "stuck like a mastodon in a tar pit".
The same adhesive is used on top of the peripheral board to secure the front-facing camera, meaning if the lens is scratched, users will struggle to replace it.
iFixit concludes the main obstacles in fixing the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is opening the chassis, allowing users to access the internal components and removing the display. When the device is opened though, users will find a tar-like glue securing the components to the motherboard.
Previous Microsoft Surface tablets have also proven difficult to repair, with the with the Surface Pro and Surface Pro 2 both scoring one out of ten. However, the Surface RT was a little easier to open, giving it a score of four out of ten.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft recommends owners of its Surface tablets return devices to the manufacturer for repairs rather than attempting to fix devices themselves to prevent the warranty being voided.
