iPhone 16: A Major Leap in Repairability, iFixit Calls It the "Most Repairable iPhone"

iPhone 16: A Major Leap in Repairability, iFixit Calls It the "Most Repairable iPhone"Kuaitech, September 23 - According to reports, iFixit recently performed a thorough teardown of the newly released iPhone 16 and gave it high praise, calling it the "most repairable iPhone," marking Apple's biggest step forward in repairability. iFixit has long been known for its professional assessment of the repairability of electronics, and Apple products have often been criticized for their complex internal structures and strict part pairing requirements

iPhone 16: A Major Leap in Repairability, iFixit Calls It the "Most Repairable iPhone"

Kuaitech, September 23 - According to reports, iFixit recently performed a thorough teardown of the newly released iPhone 16 and gave it high praise, calling it the "most repairable iPhone," marking Apple's biggest step forward in repairability. iFixit has long been known for its professional assessment of the repairability of electronics, and Apple products have often been criticized for their complex internal structures and strict part pairing requirements. However, the iPhone 16 completely subverts this impression, showcasing Apple's positive efforts in enhancing product repairability.

The iPhone 16's repairability improvements are evident in several aspects. Firstly, the phone innovatively utilizes a revolutionary "sticky adhesive" technology to secure the battery. This adhesive loses its stickiness when receiving a specific electrical signal, allowing users or technicians to easily and damage-free remove the battery, significantly simplifying the repair process and reducing repair difficulty. Previously, iPhone battery replacement was a challenging task for both users and repair technicians, but the application of this new technology is undoubtedly a crucial step forward for Apple in repairability.

Secondly, the iPhone 16 also makes a breakthrough in thermal design, introducing a design called "iron heat sink," custom-made for the A18 chip. Although the heat sink only covers half of the SoC area (presumably the neural engine portion with higher heat dissipation needs), this design is sufficient to significantly improve the phone's heat dissipation performance, ensuring stability during high-performance operations.

Additionally, the camera control buttons on the new iPhone 16 are directly attached to the phone frame using laser welding technology. While this design enhances the button's stability, it also means that if a button malfunctions, the entire phone frame may need to be replaced, increasing complexity and cost in specific repair scenarios.

Considering all these improvements, iFixit gives the iPhone 16 a repairability score of 7 out of 10. This score not only surpasses the 4 out of 10 for its predecessor, the iPhone 15, but iFixit specifically highlights the convenience brought by the iPhone 16's dual-entry design and the independent accessibility of multiple key components, especially the quick and easy battery replacement function, offering unprecedented convenience for users and repair technicians.

The progress in repairability with the iPhone 16 is undoubtedly encouraging. It means that users can repair their devices themselves more easily, potentially reducing repair costs, extending the phone's lifespan, reducing electronic waste, and positively contributing to environmental protection. While the iPhone 16 shows significant progress in repairability, there are still areas requiring improvement, such as the repair issue with the camera control buttons and the limited coverage of the heat sink. We hope that Apple will continue to prioritize enhancing product repairability in the future, providing users with a more convenient and economical repair experience.