iPhone 5 Teardown ⇥ ifixit.com

iFixit’s annual iPhone teardown has just finished, and there are a few items of interest. The first thing of note is that the new iPhone appears to be significantly more serviceable than any previous iPhone (or iPod touch, for that matter). This is good for users who like to diddle with their phones—warranty be damned—but it’s also better business sense for Apple. Easier-to-repair phones means fewer full replacements, and, indeed, it appears that Apple will be doing screen replacements again instead of simply handing over a new device.

iFixit’s teardown also reveals that the counterweighted vibrator has returned after being replaced with the much, much nicer oscillating motor in the CDMA iPhone 4, and the 4S. The oscillating motor feels more like a strong pulse to me than the weak rattle of the counterweighted motor, and I’m not sure why they would return to the latter.

There’s a lot of very high technology in this tiny package. It’s mind-blowing to think that these components would require a giant computer just a few years ago.