Before proceeding, close your computer and lay it on a soft surface top-side down.

Remove the following ten screws:

• Two 8 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws
• Eight 2.5 mm 5-point Pentalobe screws

The special screwdriver needed to remove the eight 5-point Pentalobe screws can be found here.

Wedge your fingers between the display and the lower case and pull upward to pop the lower case off the Air.

Remove the lower case and set it aside.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry both short sides of the battery connector upward to disconnect it from its socket on the logic board.

Bend the battery cable slightly away from the logic board so the connector will not accidentally contact its socket.

Remove the following five screws securing the battery to the upper case:

• Two 5.2 mm T5 Torx screws
• One 6 mm T5 Torx screw
• Two 2.6 mm T5 Torx screws

When handling the battery, avoid squeezing or touching the six exposed lithium polymer cells.

Lift the battery from its edge nearest the logic board and remove it from the upper case.

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry the I/O board cable connector upward out of its socket on the I/O board.

Use the tip of a spudger to flip up the retaining flap on the microphone ribbon cable ZIF socket.

Be sure you are prying up on the hinged retaining flap, not the socket itself.

Pull the microphone ribbon cable straight out of its socket.

Use the tip of a spudger to de-route the left speaker cable from the notch cut into the edge of the I/O board.