The iPhone 14 Is Easier to Repair ⇥ ifixit.com

Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch:

Apple says that all of the iPhone 14 models have a new internal structure that allows for better thermals and heat dissipation. It’s next to impossible to determine if there is any real benefit here in my testing, though I’m sure that a teardown will display whatever architectural changes Apple has made. Whatever has changed, it is significant, because the iPhone 14’s back glass can now be replaced without having to disassemble the phone, something that was not possible before.

Kyle Wiens, iFixit:

The best feature of the iPhone 14 is one that Apple didn’t tell you about. Forget satellite SOS and the larger camera, the headline is this: Apple has completely redesigned the internals of the iPhone 14 to make it easier to repair. It is not at all visible from the outside, but this is a big deal. It’s the most significant design change to the iPhone in a long time. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models still have the old architecture, so if you’re thinking about buying a new phone, and you want an iPhone that really lasts, you should keep reading.

Rare praise from iFixit for Apple’s assembly choices. It is not all good news; Wiens speculates Apple will require software pairing of the back glass to the phone’s chassis, for some reason. But changes like these and Apple’s self-service repair program go a long way to permit more people to avoid long lines at an Apple Store they may live far away from.

It also means device owners get more say in what parts can be replaced and when. I sure would love to have Apple repair my deeply scratched iPhone 12 Pro display — especially since I have AppleCare Plus — but the company has so far refused because it may reduce the phone’s water resistance. Apple has not launched self-repair in Canada, so I must either be comfortable with components of unknown provenance or delude myself into not seeing the gash in my screen.