Apple’s iPhones are notorious for being expensive. But the costs don’t stop at the phone itself. If you’ve ever tried to get Apple to fix your broken iPhone, you know that won’t come cheap either. However, Apple has improved the repairability of its phones over the years. In fact, a recent teardown of the brand new iPhone Air is testament to that.
iPhone Air teardown reveals its repairability
In an iPhone Air teardown video by YouTuber JerryRigEverything, it reveals some interesting design choices by Apple. It also showcased some of the engineering marvel Apple used to fit the components inside such as a slim body.
Now, we know that sometimes ultra-slim and small devices can be tricky to repair. Oftentimes, it’s best to just replace it outright. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case here. The teardown reveals that Apple has adopted a generally repairable design. The back glass of the phone is easy to swap out, and the screen itself can be replaced in as little as five minutes.
However, it’s not perfect. For starters, the USB-C charging port uses over 13 different sized screws. This means that it will be a pain to try and remove them and remember where each screw goes. Also, the battery is stuck to the phone using an electrical adhesive system. This requires users to apply 90 seconds of electric current per side to get it to release.
But overall, JerryRigEverything’s teardown more or less confirms what others are saying. iFixit gave the iPhone Air a provisional seven out of ten for repairability.
What else did the teardown reveal?
In addition to roughly showing how the phone was made, the teardown also reveals the use of a 3D printed titanium USB-C port housing. This is actually Apple’s first use of this technology. It is made from 100% recycled titanium using selective laser melting.
Also, despite Apple’s claims of the use of titanium, note that the titanium in the iPhone Air only applies to the exoskeleton. Underneath it, the frame of the phone is made from aluminum. Overall, the use of titanium still gives it the necessary strength to prevent it from bending, so it’s not completely useless.
Also, and here’s something interesting that iPhone Repair Guru found out. The battery in the iPhone Air is essentially the same as the new MagSafe Battery accessory. This means if you’re inclined to do a bit of DIY repair, you can essentially replace the iPhone Air’s battery using the $99 charging accessory.
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