iPhone 14 is Apple’s easiest phone to repair

On the surface, the iPhone 14 has a familiar design but the redesigned internal structure makes it easier and cheaper to repair, signalling a significant turn for Apple in the right direction.

Key Points

• The all-new iPhone 14 model by Apple can be fixed the easiest since the iPhone 7.
• Apple has modified the internal structure of iPhone 14 which enables the users to remove and replace the device’s back glass and screen by opening just two screws.
• According to iFixit, the high-end iPhone 14 Pro versions don’t feature the new, more repairable design.

Apple admitted that the iPhone 14 was built to be simpler to repair, it’s possible that it undersold that upgrade. Apple has redesigned the internal structure in the iPhone 14 to allow users to remove and replace both the device’s back glass and its screen by removing only two screws.

iFixit thoroughly disassembled this year’s base iPhone model to find out that the device is completely redesigned by Apple with do-it-yourself repairs in mind. As promised, the back glass is simpler and less expensive to fix, but a metal midframe is employed to keep the front glass equally accessible. According to iFixit, the design makes it easier to fix than many Android phones that can only be opened from the back.

“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,” mentioned Kyle Wiens, the founder of iFixit.

The midframe of the iPhone 14 keeps the same level of structural rigidity as the 13-generation iPhones. Apple has moved the front camera array and earpiece to a more repairable location on the mainframe of the previous generation iPhones. This makes it easier to repair iPhone 14.

In contrast to past iPhones and many Android devices that require glue and tight tolerances that make it harder to replace older phones, the iPhone 14 has a repair-friendly design this year. Interestingly, the high-end iPhone 14 Pro models don’t use the new, more repairable design, according to iFixit.

This decision is on account of the pressure faced by Apple from both the federal government and state legislatures to improve repairability. The law gives users the access to manuals, tools and parts needed to repair electronic devices to make them last longer. This will help in reducing e-waste while saving money for users.

There was a possibility that Apple would have to face legal disputes with regulators that may compel changes and impose penalties if it failed to incorporate at-home repairs into its plans. 

In recent years, Apple has taken several actions to make it simpler to repair its products. Self Service Repair is a programme that was launched in April to enable customers and independent repair facilities to rent the same tools that Apple stores use and to buy genuine Apple replacement components. Through the programme, the corporation also made repair guides for its products available.

However, Apple insists that the best approach for the vast majority of customers to fix their devices is to through an Apple-certified technician. Yet, according to iFixit, this is the Apple device that is easiest to fix since the iPhone 7 in 2016.

Whatever the justification, this design improvement is a big win especially if you’ve been waiting for easy and best iPhone repairs – iPhone 14, iPhone 11, iPhone X this is actually good news.