Is the iPhone 14 the most repairable and sustainable phone in years?
Nowadays, having a flagship smart phone is a lot more common. Flashback to when they were first invented, they were a lot more easy to repair and less eye-wateringly expensive at even the thought of getting it fixed. Of course, with more complexity to each release comes more parts that need repairing and with the rise of manufacturing costs, this makes repair costs inflate too. Many people will argue that these procedures made by companies are justified because technology is getting more complicated, and therefore harder to repair. However, there is a large difference between the types of repair that are difficult because of technological advancement, and the types of repair that are difficult because a company made it that way. So that must mean the new iPhone 14 range must cost an arm and a leg to repair? The technicians at iFixit may have just made a discovery that might counter that statement. Apple didn't think to mention this or maybe didn't even realise in the process. We will explain to you what exactly has been discovered that could make the iPhone 14 the most repairable and sustainable phone in years. For a full visual teardown of the iPhone 14, check out the video below from iFixit.
The Teardown
Source: iFixit
Source: iFixit
When Apple announced the iPhone 14, there was little information on its redesign from the inside out, which when we think about it was very strange. Apple are known for expressing any changes to a new model in full detail, but this was dismissed. What was revealed in the initial teardown from the removal of the front screen was a big metal shield that covered all of the phone's fragile internals. Not only is this great, but there are also connectors to allow you to remove the display with ease. Sounds easy doesn't it and that's because it is, this will make repairing the screen a lot easier and quicker. But what if you wanted to remove the shield to get to its components for more in depth repairs. Well you don't need to! Flipping the phone to its back glass, this is where it gets really interesting. If you were to remove the phone's back glass, you will be greeted from what you would normally expect to see if you opened it from the front. Before we get into this though, remember when the iPhone's back glass would cost an arm and a leg? Well now with an easily removable back glass, this repair is easily fixable and this hasn't been apparent since the iPhone 8, which was released 5 years ago. So whilst the iPhone 14 may look the same as its predecessor and not have too many features, the fact you can open it from front to back for an easy repair is almost a sale point in itself.
Our Verdict
It seems like a win-win for both customers and repair centres, The key difference being that the 14 allows access from the back and the front with minimal effort and with easier access to the internals, which was extremely tough in the previous version. While it may not sound like a massive difference, handset companies are notorious for choosing either the front or the back, with Apple typically selecting the front of the phone. You have to give credit to Apple on this (because it makes our job easier), because to completely redesign the internals when they could have easily gone for a similar or the exact format of the 13, is a welcomed approach. But sadly, it seems that the Pro and Pro Max models don't follow the same format. Whilst iFixit credits the iPhone 14 on its repairability scale and it is a small step in the right direction, the two "upgraded" models (iPhone 14 Pro & Pro Max) still have the same hard-to-teardown design of the 13 Pro and Pro Max which means that the costs will be on the same level as before.
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