- iFixit has taken apart Apple’s new iPhone 16e
- The company found the phone to be surprisingly repairable
- It wasn’t a perfect score for Apple, with some areas for improvement
Apple’s brand-new iPhone 16e has just been torn down by the experts at iFixit, and it’s revealed a surprising level of repairability for an Apple phone. If you’re an Apple fan concerned about whether you’ll be able to fix up your device if it goes wrong, that’s good news.
In iFixit’s report, the company found that the iPhone 16e is more repairable than Apple’s previous efforts, with a decent final score of 7/10. That’s thanks to a number of features that have been used previously in other iPhone 16 models – including the battery adhesive that is released with a quick jolt of electricity. This makes it easier to do DIY battery replacements to help extend the phone’s life.
Repairers have previously had problems with Apple’s verification software rejecting replacement parts. This time, iFixit reported that it had no issues with parts pairing when using OEM components. Apple has also released a pairing process for the USB-C port for the first time, which iFixit praised.
That said, it’s not a total home run for Apple. While the USB-C port now comes with a replacement guide, iFixit was frustrated by how many other components you must remove before you can access it. The lack of MagSafe could also lead to less efficient wireless charging and more energy wastage, although this might also result in slightly slower battery degradation.
Apple’s changing stance
In recent years, Apple has modified its stance on repairability. The company still emphasizes that it prefers its products to be durable (and thus not need to be repaired in the first place), but it has made some moves to placate repairability advocates like iFixit. The new battery adhesive cited above is an example, and it’s one that iFixit is particularly pleased with.
Apple has also started offering do-it-yourself repair kits to willing users. It still maintains that these are intended for experts with the necessary skills and confidence to open up and iPhone and work with its components, but it’s a departure from Apple’s previous position that only Apple employees or those of third-party repair shops should attempt to fix its devices.
That said, iPhones can still be very tricky to take apart and repair yourself. Apple packs its devices with a lot of components, and that means getting to one of them usually means having to remove a whole heap of other parts that are in its way. Getting hands-on and repairing your iPhone is not for the faint of heart.
If you do have an issue with your iPhone and want to fix it yourself, you can get self-repair kits direct from Apple that contain all the official tools, parts and manuals that you’ll need. For most people, it’s easier to go to Apple or a repair shop to get it fixed, but DIY lovers will be heartened to see that the iPhone 16e is less of a challenge than many previous iPhones in this regard.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
