The new iPhone 14 benefits from “incredible” repairability according to one of the leading authorities on the matter.
iFixit has completed its teardown of the standard iPhone 14 edition and discovered removing the display and rear glass is simply a case of removing a couple of screws, disconnecting a couple of connectors, and removing a little adhesive.
Apple briefly touched upon the improved repairability during the iPhone launch earlier this month, but didn’t quite go into this level of detail. However, it appears even beginner tinkerers won’t have much trouble fixing these parts of the iPhone.
In its report, iFixit commented: “The back glass is simply secured with two screws and a single connector. Apple has seemingly used a slightly less aggressive adhesive, making opening it up a tad easier than screens of yore. And as a bonus, removing the exact same screws as the back glass gets you access to the screen. Just two screws, and both screen and back glass are immediately accessible. Incredible.”
It appears Apple’s redesign of the iPhone 14 chassis was much more significant than previously thought. While the company has been criticised in some quarters, for using the same external design for the third straight generation, iFixit says the work on the inside is a “dramatic rethinking of the phone” with a new approach that “impacts most aspects of the design”.
Part of it is down to a new metal midframe behind the screen that is the base for the internal components. This helps the iPhone 14 maintain the same shock absorbing capabilities of its predecessor, taking the brunt of force distribution across the frame and battery.
Apple has only recently started allowing iPhone users to repair their own devices and, although the components and kits don’t offer much in the way of monetary relief compared to a standard repair, it does give users more agency over their tech.
The ease of repairability of the iPhone 14 suggests the scheme is more than just lip service to see off the concerns of right-to-repair legislation pending in multiple nations.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
