To make smartphones last longer, companies need to put more thought into the design aspect.
At a time when we have to deal with shrinking savings, making tech last longer makes sense and it is not very difficult. That’s where the latest iPhone comes in — the iPhone 14. During the big launch, hardly anything was mentioned about the phone’s biggest feature.
We are talking about the “simple” iPhone 14, which most people will buy around the world and it can become the latest entry point to the iPhone world for millions. Anyway, the biggest feature you should know about is reparability.
For years, the iPhone has had a reputation for being difficult to repair. There is a self-repair programme but it involves a lot of equipment and it’s not as easy as it may sound.
Everything changes with the iPhone 14.From the outside, the iPhone 14 looks just like the iPhone 13 but internally you will find big changes. Frankly, nobody saw it coming. Just like the iPhone 12 and 13 series, there is no charger included in the box.
The redesign to the internal structure of the iPhone 14 is such that it allows third-party shops (as well as tech-happy users) to remove and replace both the device’s back glass and its screen by removing only a few screws, according to a teardown conducted by iFixit.
And the design change is applicable to the front and the rear. It has become easier for Apple store employees, independent repair shops and end users to replace the phone’s screen, back glass and battery, which are common fixes for most smartphones.
In videos by iFixit, the how-to website that sells repair parts and publishes free online repair guides, as well as the likes of Hugh Jeffreys and JerryRigEverything, the phone’s refreshed internals are shown and how the repair can take place. We don’t advice anyone to try this at home. After placing the phone on a heat plate for five minutes, the screws are removed.
To pry off the display, a suction cup is used to lift up the screen, creating a gap wide enough for a pick to get into place. Working the pick around the perimeter, one can slice through the adhesive.
Once open, there is just a large section of aluminum and connections for the display. Continue detaching the display. There are only a few screws and brackets to remove, which is an improvement over past models.
For the rear panel, the phone is placed on a heat plate again. It can be taken off just like the display. There is no need for lasers to remove the glass; the back has been made to be removable. It’s held with adhesive just like the display.
The layout is familiar. Taking off the pieces looks easy and access to the logic board can be easily gained. From a modularity standpoint, the phone appears to hold up well.
The changes come at a time when right to repair advocates continue to push for laws that give consumers access to manuals, tools and parts needed to repair complicated electronic devices
An iFixit video mentions that the changes address some of the reparability challenges with the iPhone. It has optimised the design for two of the most common Apple Store visits — battery and the screen. The changes come at a time when right-to-repair advocates continue to push for laws that give consumers access to manuals, tools and parts needed to repair complicated electronic devices, making them last longer, reducing e-waste and environmental impact, besides saving money for users.
Many states across the US have considered legislation that would force consumer electronics companies while lawmakers in New York passed a right-to-repair measure earlier this year, though it hasn’t been signed into law yet.
US President Joe Biden has shown his support for right-to-repair and had asked the Federal Trade Commission to draft right-to-repair rules in an executive order in 2021.
“Apple, a company that designs products that are as walled off and impenetrable as possible, has gone out of its way to make this phone easier to repair,” iFixit has said.