Today the repair website iFixit has shared a video teardown of the standard iPhone 14, providing details of the phone’s internal redesign.
Within a blog post, iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens complimented the device for featuring a more repairable internal design. Wiens stated that the new iPhone 14 is the most substantial redesign since the iPhone X.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 See New Redesign in iFixit Teardown
While there have been some complaints from the internet that the iPhone 14 isn’t that large of an upgrade from the iPhone 13, the repairability of the iPhone 14 may suggest otherwise. Sources indicate that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are able to open from the back side of the device, a first since the iPhone 4S. According to iFixit, two screws and a couple of connectors secure the display and back glass panel. This allows those repairing the devices to easily replace and repair components.
“This is such a big deal that it should have been Apple’s big announcement—the iPhone has been redesigned from the inside out to make it easier to repair”. Wiens stated.
Essentially, the new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models are an electronic sandwich consisting of a display, a mid frame housing internal components and the back glass panel. Additionally, internal Apple documents state that Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Programs are able to replace the mid frame by simply affixing a new one to a customer’s existing display, back glass and rear camera. This is so long as there is no damage to any of the parts.
According to Wiens,
The new metal midframe that supports the structure required an entire internal redesign, as well as an RF rethink and an effective doubling of their ingress protection perimeter. In other words, Apple has gone back to the drawing board and reworked the iPhone’s internals to make repair easier.
Furthermore, this new redesign also comes with a lower repair cost. Usually $199, it is now only $169 to repair the back glass of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
Looking at the Components
Concerning repairing the back of the iPhone 14, Apple documentation shows that there is a software calibration process—known as System Configuration—that is a requirement after the back glass gets a replacement on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. However, it is not currently clear what happens should System Configuration not complete. Possibilities, however, range from non-genuine parts warnings seeing display on the device, to issues with wireless charging, LED camera flash and/or rear-facing microphone.
Right now, iFixit is still working on a full-teardown of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Right now, other teardown videos have already shown that both iPhone Pro models continue to open from the front side, as per usual. The internal redesign does not extend to these devices.
In addition to improved repairability, iFixit also notes that U.S. models of both the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have a “large gap” where the SIM card tray slot was originally located. Of course, the SIM is still present in international models. Additionally, the teardown also reveals close-up shots of the standard iPhone 14’s logic board, featuring components such as the A15 Bionic chip and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 modem with both 5G and satellite connectivity via a new n53 band.
You can read iFixit’s full blog post here.
Have you received your new iPhone 14? Which model do you prefer? Let us know in the comments.