Pentalobe screw sizes include TS1 (0.8mm, used on every iPhone starting with the iPhone 4), TS4 (1.2mm, used on the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina display), and TS5 (1.5mm, used on the 2009 MacBook Pro battery). The TS designation is ambiguous as it is also used for the Torq-set screw drive. I immediately noticed something odd about the Japanese phones: they had different screws on the bottom! These new screws looked like very small Torx (I guessed T3 at the time) but were actually something far more insidious. An Evil Ascending This screw head clearly has one purpose: to keep you out. Otherwise, Apple would use it throughout each device. Instead, they only use it at the bulwark—on the outside case of your iPhone and MacBook Air, and protecting the battery on the Pro—so they can keep you out of your own hardware.

Apple is switching to a new type of tamper-resistant screw. This is not a standard Torx, and there are no readily available screwdrivers that can remove it. This isn’t the first time they’ve used this type of screw—it first appeared in the mid-2009 MacBook Pro to prevent you from replacing the battery—and Apple is using a similar screw on the outer case of the current MacBook Air. This screw is the primary reason the 11″ MacBook Air earned a lousy repairability score of 4 out of 10 in our teardown last October. These pentalobe, 5 point heads are not to be confused with Torx heads which have 6 points. A "IPR" designation identical to "PL" is sometimes seen due to the confusion. It is possible that ambiguous "TS" nomenclature is the same as the "PL" designation when referring to Pentalobe screws. Once we finished the teardown, I hit the streets of Tokyo to watch the actual iPhone release and then hang out with the Apple community. I didn’t need to buy a phone for myself, but I wanted to see the new iPhone firsthand. a b Wiens, Kyle (January 20, 2011). "Apple's Diabolical Plan to Screw Your iPhone". ifixit.com . Retrieved January 28, 2012.When I was a kid, I begged my dad to let me help him with his weekend projects. I’d follow him around with a flashlight in one hand, his toolbox in the other. We sang Simon and Garfunkel’s “ Cecilia” in perfect harmony while we worked. Whenever he tasked me to shine my flashlight on something for further investigation, I felt like the chosen one. And when he’d ask me for a screwdriver, I’d reply: “ Phillips or flathead?”

The iPhone 4 has one of the smallest screw heads we’ve seen, probably for cosmetic reasons. This 5-point Pentalobe screw is actually slightly smaller than a Torx T1. Yowsers that’s tiny. The shape looks a little rough because this tiny screw is giving Apple’s manufacturing process a run for its money. Current MacBook Air It’s similar to a Torx—except that the points have a rounder shape, and it has five points instead of six. Apple’s service manuals refer to them as “Pentalobular” screws, which is a descriptive enough term. It’s certainly better than what I came up with, which was “Evil Proprietary Tamper Proof Five Point Screw.” It’s best I stay out of the naming business.Goldberg, Andrew. "Installing iPhone 5 Battery". Repair Guide. ifixit.com . Retrieved January 28, 2012.

The pentalobe will always be associated with Apple. But recently, other manufacturers have piled on the five-point-screw bandwagon, too. A couple years ago, we spotted our first set of pentalobe screws outside of Apple’s ecosystem—first in Huawei’s P9 and then again in Meizu’s MX6. With no real functional reason for choosing this screw, I can only assume it’s to look more like Apple’s most popular devices. A rose-gold iPhone sits atop the Huawei P9—both featuring Pentalobe screws. Meizu’s MX6 (the silver one) sits in between two iPhones. From this vantage point, the three phones are almost indistinguishable—right down to the pentalobe screws. MacBook Pro 13" Retina Display Late 2012 Teardown". Repair Guide. ifixit.com . Retrieved January 28, 2012. Pentalobe screwdriver sets are a must-have for anyone who frequently repairs or maintains Apple products such as iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads. These screwdrivers feature a unique five-pointed star-shaped tip that is specifically designed to fit into the small screws found on Apple devices. The sets typically include multiple sizes of screwdrivers to ensure compatibility with different devices and components. With a high-quality pentalobe screwdriver set, users can easily and safely open and repair their Apple devices without causing any damage to the delicate internal components. If you take your phone into Apple for any kind of service, they will sabotage it by replacing your screws with the new tamper-resistant screws.Making things worse, Apple has used three different sizes of this screw head so far. Here’s the rundown: Mid-2009 MacBook Pro Like Huawei P9, Meizu MX9 also uses the pentalobe screw next to the USB-C connector. [13] Sizes and measurements [ edit ] Use the MacBook Pro 5-Point Torx Screwdriver if you’d like to remove your laptop’s battery. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t fry any sensitive components on machine while performing a repair. Bookholt, Andrew (21 January 2011). "Installing MacBook Air 13" Late 2010 Battery". Repair Guide. ifixit.com . Retrieved January 2, 2012. Wiens, Kyle (May 6, 2016). "Huawei Just Copied the iPhone—Down to the Last Screw". Wired . Retrieved February 26, 2017.