Apple Discusses iPhone 14's All-New Internal Design With Increased Repairability

[MacRumors]

Apple's senior director of iPhone product design Richard Dinh recently spoke with The Sydney Morning Herald's Tim Biggs about the design of the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, including internal changes that simplify repairs.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are equipped with a removable back glass panel for easier repairs, making them the first models that can be opened from both the front and back sides of the device since the iPhone 4S. The change does not extend to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, which can still only be opened from the front side.

This new structural design with a central aluminum frame "helps to dissipate more heat across the entire surface more consistently," and the ability to access the logic board from either side of the device results in "improved repairability," according to Dinh.

Image Credit: iFixit​

iFixit's Kyle Wiens last year said the iPhone 14 represents "the most substantial iPhone redesign" since the iPhone X given the increased repairability. He added that the changes are "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."

Dinh also touched on Apple's approach to designing the standard iPhone models, noting that the company does not have any strict formula.

"We don't always follow a recipe, as much as maybe our customers would like to predict what we're going to go do next, but it always starts with the customer experience," he said, adding that "sometimes we do draw from the Pros because they're just incredible" and "sometimes we go do something different."

Article Link: Apple Discusses iPhone 14's All-New Internal Design With Increased Repairability

 

[joshwenke]

Surprised to see iFixit complimenting Apple's efforts to reparability. This is a step in the right direction.

 

[JM]

But… the pro is supposed to be their best

 

[boyarka]

This however is yet another piece of whitewashing from Apple, as their current third party/self repair renders any such repair difficult if not impossible not from a purely technical point of view - but due to draconian control of spare parts supply, pricing, "calibration" and tool costs.

 

[SamRyouji]

I'll keep dreaming for a user replaceable battery like old Nokia days. At least that one first.
But all in all, still I appreciate Apple to improved their design for repairability for iPhone 14.

 

[Joe Dohn]

A step in the right direction. But please make the batteries in the Apple Pencil and Airpods replaceable.
This can be done even in the existing models, provided you destroy the casing and replace it with a removable 3D-printed shell.

 

[dumastudetto]

The fastest way to fix a broken iPhone is to buy a new one. All or this ifixit guff really grinds my gears. We want thin gorgeous devices not thick repairable bricks.

 

[Joe Dohn]

The fastest way to fix a broken iPhone is to buy a new one. All or this ifixit guff really grinds my gears. We want thin gorgeous devices not thick repairable bricks.

*Cough cough* Apple PR *cough*

I agree, man. And since you speak rich, please subsidize or new phones too, so we don't have to go through the nervous breakdown of having to repair our hazardous, broken, evil old phones.

 

[IIGS User]

The fastest way to fix a broken iPhone is to buy a new one. All or this ifixit guff really grinds my gears. We want thin gorgeous devices not thick repairable bricks.

You know what really Grinds my Gears? These new iPhones. New iPhones with all those new features and fresh batteries, taking pictures of things in the dark. Ya know what? You're a.. You're out there jumping around with your new iPhone and I'm just posting here in Mac Rumors. So what am I supposed to do? We taking that new phone on a trip? Going to the mall? What do you want new iPhone? Tell me what you want!

This is a pretty obscure Family Guy reference I expect almost no one to get, but maybe one person will laugh at it, so....

 

[sw1tcher]

The fastest way to fix a broken iPhone is to buy a new one. All or this ifixit guff really grinds my gears. We want thin gorgeous devices not thick repairable bricks.

We? Thin? Hey Jony (Ive), speak for yourself.

Making it so that it's a little easier to repair than it is now doesn't mean it has to be thick like a brick. There's a happy medium somewhere. Take the Fairphone 4 as an example. It's not ugly or thick and has an iFixit repairability score of 10.

 

[69Mustang]

Surprised to see iFixit complimenting Apple's efforts to reparability. This is a step in the right direction.

This really shouldn't surprise anyone. iPhones have traditionally gotten good repair scores.

 

[MacWiz_007]

Increasing repairability is a good thing...as long as you can get the parts!

 

[sw1tcher]

This really shouldn't surprise anyone. iPhones have traditionally gotten good repair scores.

While true, iPhone's haven't been this easy to repair since the iPhone 7. That was 6 years ago.

iPhone 14 is the most repairable iPhone since iPhone 7, according to iFixit

iPhone 14 teardown reveals unexpected design change.

www.zdnet.com

 

[Krypton Deer]

It was ABSURD in the first place to design a phone with glass back that the entire “computer” needs to be replaced if the glass breaks costing customers $500.

Also, they will be raising battery replacement price to $89 in March.

 

[azentropy]

I'm sure Apple cut the repair cost on these models accordingly...
/s

 

[sw1tcher]

Increasing repairability is a good thing...as long as you can get the parts!

Parts can easily be obtained from 3rd party or by harvesting parts from used/broken iPhones. It's just that Apple likes to throw up restrictions or make the process more difficult that it ought to be

iPhone 11 and 11 Pro Will Show Warning if Non-Genuine Apple Display is Used for Repairs

Apple's iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max will offer up a new warning if a repair technician ever uses a non-genuine Apple display...

www.macrumors.com

The Parts You Can and Can’t Swap Between iPhone 13 Models

Which genuine iPhone 13 parts can be used as spares between models? Which will throw a warning, and which won’t work at all? We took them apart to find out.

www.ifixit.com

even when genuine parts are used

Apple explains why iPhones now show an ominous warning after “unauthorized” battery replacements

The company claims it’s all about keeping customers safe

www.theverge.com

Responding to criticism that it's trying to steer consumers toward more expensive battery replacements, Apple today claimed that the “important battery message” added to iOS is there in the name of customer safety. It was recently discovered that when an iPhone’s battery is swapped out by a third-party repair shop that isn't one of Apple's authorized partners, the device’s battery health menu will show an ominous warning about being “unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine iPhone battery.”

This can happen even if a genuine Apple battery is used; the warning stems from a micro-controller that only authorized technicians can properly configure. If iOS doesn’t detect the right micro-controller, it hides the usual battery health stats and displays the warning.

 

[crsh1976]

The fastest way to fix a broken iPhone is to buy a new one. All or this ifixit guff really grinds my gears. We want thin gorgeous devices not thick repairable bricks.

What's funny is that iPhones aren't the thinnest on the market, yet highly unrepairable - so what's the justification?

Instead of making the assumption that repairable = thick and inconvenient, they should be working on finding the right balance between the two extremes.

 

[MacWiz_007]

Parts can easily be obtained from 3rd party or by harvesting parts from used/broken iPhones. It's just that Apple likes to throw up restrictions or make the process more difficult that it ought to be

iPhone 11 and 11 Pro Will Show Warning if Non-Genuine Apple Display is Used for Repairs

Apple's iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max will offer up a new warning if a repair technician ever uses a non-genuine Apple display...

www.macrumors.com

The Parts You Can and Can’t Swap Between iPhone 13 Models

Which genuine iPhone 13 parts can be used as spares between models? Which will throw a warning, and which won’t work at all? We took them apart to find out.

www.ifixit.com

even when genuine parts are used

Apple explains why iPhones now show an ominous warning after “unauthorized” battery replacements

The company claims it’s all about keeping customers safe

www.theverge.com

Responding to criticism that it's trying to steer consumers toward more expensive battery replacements, Apple today claimed that the “important battery message” added to iOS is there in the name of customer safety. It was recently discovered that when an iPhone’s battery is swapped out by a third-party repair shop that isn't one of Apple's authorized partners, the device’s battery health menu will show an ominous warning about being “unable to verify this iPhone has a genuine iPhone battery.”

This can happen even if a genuine Apple battery is used; the warning stems from a micro-controller that only authorized technicians can properly configure. If iOS doesn’t detect the right micro-controller, it hides the usual battery health stats and displays the warning.

Agreed. I used to work in an Apple certified repair center, so I know this to be factual.

 

[Unggoy Murderer]

This really shouldn't surprise anyone. iPhones have traditionally gotten good repair scores.

I stopped watching anything iFixIt after their Apple Watch videos from last year. They didn't even try, it was as if they were wanting them to get low scores.

 

[FitzSitzQuitz]

I'll keep dreaming for a user replaceable battery like old Nokia days.

The challenge is for the water and dust-proofing for that to happen. Devices with easily removable batteries are generally harder/more expensive/often bulkier to make IP-rated.

The Fairphone 4, an Android phone built to be user upgradable for something like five years, is only certified at IP54 - the 5 being for dust-protection and the 4 being for splash resistance. In a rainstorm, or a drop in the sink or toilet or pool, it's a goner. The iPhone 14, on the other hand, has an IP68 rating, which means that it can actually be submersed in 6 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.

Not saying it can't be done, but it's likely that to make it happen there would be an increase in cost and device bulk to make it happen.

 

[Wags]

Not sure this deserves any kind of ‘pat on the back’. Unless an average consumer can get parts and replace by themselves, really doesn’t matter. Still need to take somewhere and pay. Not going to be any cheaper if saves like 2 minutes repair time.

 

[tomtad]

“iFixit's Kyle Wiens last year said the iPhone 14 represents "the most substantial iPhone redesign" since the iPhone X given the increased repairability.”

I disagree

 

[CarAnalogy]

They didn’t call out the highly repairable and environmentally friendly block of plastic instead of a SIM slot?

That was some revolutionary and magical engineering right there. Maybe they’re one of the poor sods who got an EU model and still have to “deal with” a SIM card.

always starts with the customer experience

Yeah sorry gotta call BS on this. The customers were not clamoring to have their SIM slots taken away. That was done for Apple’s benefit, maybe for the network operators too, and no one else.

Then again, maybe they meant the network operators when referring to “customers.”

 

[Danoc]

.

 

[now i see it]

at least somebody at  headquarters who had some pull said enough is enough with the insane internal design of previous iPhones.
While the new design is easier to repair — it’s likely a lot easier to assemble too. So that may be part of it.
Maybe Foxconn said enough is enough.