“It’s very possible the goal is to exert more control over who can perform repairs by limiting access to parts,” Wiens said. That’s because it’s the key to locking down Mac products by only allowing select replacement parts into the machine when they’ve come from an authorized source - a process that the T2 chip now checks for during post-repair reboot. The T2 is “a guillotine that holding over” product owners, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens told The Verge over email. However, its introduction into more computers and the likelihood that it becomes commonplace in every Mac going forward has renewed concerns that Apple is trying to further lock down its devices from third-party repair services. The T2 chip, which acts as a co-processor, is the secret to many of Apple’s newest and most advanced features.
Both computers, like the newest MacBook Pro and last year’s iMac Pro, come equipped with Apple’s security-focused T2 chip. Apple’s annual October hardware event wrapped late last month with the announcements of a new MacBook Air and a revamped Mac mini.
