The iPhone 14 is the most repairable iPhone in years

AppleInsider

While the iPhone 14 features aren't hugely different from the iPhone 13, a teardown reveals Apple has made internal changes which make repairs easier.

Below the iPhone 14 display [via iFixit]

Apple doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to enabling repairs. It has begrudgingly started to provide repair manuals and loans out tools to replace parts, but its products continue to be built in a way that can be considered difficult to fix.

In iFixit's customary teardown of the iPhone 14, the model has been found to be updated internally, including being able to be disassembled from the front and back. Usually, technicians have to remove the display to gain access to the internals for repairs, but now, the back glass can also be removed in a fairly similar way.

After applying heat and pulling the screen off carefully, the view of the inside of the iPhone 14 is blocked by a large metal panel, the midframe, with gaps to allow the camera and select connectors and components to poke through. It is reckoned that the design change should streamline screen repairs as well as protect components inside the iPhone that aren't usually protected by a metal plate.

The butterfly view of the iPhone 14, disassembled [via iFixit]

Opening the rear glass follows a similar procedure, and again is believed to be a massive change on Apple's part. The back glass is the hardest element to remove from an iPhone normally, and costs users hundreds to replace outside of AppleCare+.

The decision is a big departure for Apple, as it previously allowed access via the display since it covers both display and battery replacements, two common repair tasks. By allowing the rear glass to be taken out for general rear access to components bar the display itself, Apple removes major hurdles for fixing the back glass, if it happens to be damaged.

For the rest of the teardown, screws can be removed to take out brackets and components, while two pull tabs and a little adhesive keep the battery in place. Other connectors can also be popped to disconnect components from each other.

Following the teardown, iFixit praised Apple's design changes, including how Apple fixed a challenge of maintaining strength and rigidity of the device, while still increasing access. Using a midframe helps absorb and shift around the shock from a drop, in a similar way to how the metal frame of an iPhone 13 would spread a shock to the battery and rear glass, except it is instead managed by a metal plate.

Separating the back panel also introduced a problem of RF transmissions, but instead of using welds, Apple used ten EMI contact points to ground the frame as much as possible.

Opening the iPhone 14 via the rear [via iFixit]

However, the teardown isn't without criticism, with Apple being chided for requiring the back glass to be activated after activation.

For instance, the rear glass needs to be activated in software, the teardown video reveals. And, there are still software limits to prevent the use of aftermarket parts.

The substantial architecture change of the iPhone results in a repairability score of 7 out of 10, the highest for an iPhone since the iPhone 7 -- which was released in 2016.

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015."

Read on AppleInsider

tht

The substantial architecture change of the iPhone results in a repairability score of 7 out of 10, the highest for an iPhone since the iPhone 7 -- which was released in 2016.

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015." 

The self promotion is pretty thick here.

The change resulted in an iFixit repairability score of 7/10 for the iPhone 14, a whole 1 more that the iPhone 12/13 repairability score of 6/10. The “hard to understate” was quantified by just “1” in their scoring. 

I think it is much much safer to assume Apple makes design changes such as this to make their repair services cheaper and easier, and not one thought was given to right-to-repair whatsoever. 

FileMakerFeller

AppleInsider said:

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015."

But sure, Samsung is innovating and the iPhone has become boring.

lkrupp

FileMakerFeller said:

AppleInsider said:

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015."

But sure, Samsung is innovating and the iPhone has become boring.

Yeah, sure. Time to start ignoring the bullshit spewed by tech sites like iFixit, tech blog trolls, tech blog reviewers, and the rest. Tech media has become no different than Fox/MSNBC/CNN, no longer news sites but simply opinion and propaganda spreaders. And there has never, EVER been even a hint of objectivity on rumor sites. Take everything you read with a big grain of salt. Everybody has an agenda to push.

BlueLightning

Next thing that needs to change:  Printer manufacturers need to drop the annoying messages when owners choose to use a third party inkjet cartridge.  "You did not install a genuine cartridge."  "This may damage your printer and invalidate your warranty."  "Continue with current cartridge?" (With responses after each warning.  Alternative, market cartridges without the outlandish markups.)  

Maybe, if I'm lucky, when I'm due to replace my iPhone, I'll be able to replace the battery in that future model without any tools (or maybe a simple, common home tool).  Like we could do with some of the old flip phones.  Would like to see that on some future mac laptop as well.  (But not holding my breath.)  

lkrupp

BlueLightning said:

Next thing that needs to change:  Printer manufacturers need to drop the annoying messages when owners choose to use a third party inkjet cartridge.  "You did not install a genuine cartridge."  "This may damage your printer and invalidate your warranty."  "Continue with current cartridge?" (With responses after each warning.  Alternative, market cartridges without the outlandish markups.)  

Maybe, if I'm lucky, when I'm due to replace my iPhone, I'll be able to replace the battery in that future model without any tools (or maybe a simple, common home tool).  Like we could do with some of the old flip phones.  Would like to see that on some future mac laptop as well.  (But not holding my breath.)  

Then prepare to kiss water resistance goodbye I suppose.

Xed

tht said:

The substantial architecture change of the iPhone results in a repairability score of 7 out of 10, the highest for an iPhone since the iPhone 7 -- which was released in 2016.

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015." 

The self promotion is pretty thick here.

The change resulted in an iFixit repairability score of 7/10 for the iPhone 14, a whole 1 more that the iPhone 12/13 repairability score of 6/10. The “hard to understate” was quantified by just “1” in their scoring. 

I think it is much much safer to assume Apple makes design changes such as this to make their repair services cheaper and easier, and not one thought was given to right-to-repair whatsoever. 

Are you saying that a single digit change means it isn't a big deal?

StrangeDays

Xed said:

tht said:

The substantial architecture change of the iPhone results in a repairability score of 7 out of 10, the highest for an iPhone since the iPhone 7 -- which was released in 2016.

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015." 

The self promotion is pretty thick here.

The change resulted in an iFixit repairability score of 7/10 for the iPhone 14, a whole 1 more that the iPhone 12/13 repairability score of 6/10. The “hard to understate” was quantified by just “1” in their scoring. 

I think it is much much safer to assume Apple makes design changes such as this to make their repair services cheaper and easier, and not one thought was given to right-to-repair whatsoever. 

Are you saying that a single digit change means it isn't a big deal?

Well, it was a 6. It went up 1. So that’s a single point (1) of 6 better, which is 1/6, or an increase of 16.6%. Is that a big deal? Seems like a small number from iFixit. 

tht

Xed said:

tht said:

The substantial architecture change of the iPhone results in a repairability score of 7 out of 10, the highest for an iPhone since the iPhone 7 -- which was released in 2016.

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015." 

The self promotion is pretty thick here.

The change resulted in an iFixit repairability score of 7/10 for the iPhone 14, a whole 1 more that the iPhone 12/13 repairability score of 6/10. The “hard to understate” was quantified by just “1” in their scoring. 

I think it is much much safer to assume Apple makes design changes such as this to make their repair services cheaper and easier, and not one thought was given to right-to-repair whatsoever. 

Are you saying that a single digit change means it isn't a big deal?

Oh yeah. It’s not a big deal whatsoever. iFixit’s repairability score is an emotion based score, not a measurement. One person’s 6 is another person’s 7 or 8 or 5, and dependent on the state of their tools or how they felt waking up that morning.

Read the quote again: "This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is”

If it is hard to understate, I would think it would have better score, no? There really isn’t much difference between a 6 and a 7.

Paul_B

Why on God's given Earth would an individual repair a phone? Simply buy a new one or use your old one that functions perfectly.  We're not talking about automobiles or Real Property. 

Xed

StrangeDays said:

Xed said:

tht said:

The substantial architecture change of the iPhone results in a repairability score of 7 out of 10, the highest for an iPhone since the iPhone 7 -- which was released in 2016.

"This is the most substantial iPhone redesign since the X," writes iFixit. "It's hard to understate how big a change this is. For a reference point, Samsung hasn't changed their phone architecture since 2015." 

The self promotion is pretty thick here.

The change resulted in an iFixit repairability score of 7/10 for the iPhone 14, a whole 1 more that the iPhone 12/13 repairability score of 6/10. The “hard to understate” was quantified by just “1” in their scoring. 

I think it is much much safer to assume Apple makes design changes such as this to make their repair services cheaper and easier, and not one thought was given to right-to-repair whatsoever. 

Are you saying that a single digit change means it isn't a big deal?

Well, it was a 6. It went up 1. So that’s a single point (1) of 6 better, which is 1/6, or an increase of 16.6%. Is that a big deal? Seems like a small number from iFixit. 

You don't think a 16.6% increase is a lot YoY? If your'e a renter that's a lot. But I'm not even giving that odd score. I'm saying it's gone up 10% of their scale since it's out of 10. 10% increase in overall repairability is a lot, but their scale isn't really based on those metrics, but likely a scalar model based on the ease at which the average user could fix the device. The fact that's it's now a 7 means that I'd look into fixing an iPhone again—something I swore off many upgrades ago do to its increased complexity, and I say this as someone who as regularly defended Apple's moves to make their components smaller, tighter, better, and more water and dust proof. The fact that they can make it easier to repair while also keeping (or increasing) those aspects is just a boon for the engineering, and that's nothing to scoff at or belittle iFixit for noting the advancement.

Xed

Paul_B said:

Why on God's given Earth would an individual repair a phone? Simply buy a new one or use your old one that functions perfectly.  We're not talking about automobiles or Real Property. 

Saving money, making money, just because come to mind. I've easily repaired over 100 iPhones. You should try it sometime, but I'd start with a much older iPhone.