According to the sources, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus is the first iPhone models that can be opened from the back side of the device since the iPhone 4S. iFixit says the display and back glass panel are secured with simply two screws and one or two connectors, making both components easier to remove and replace.
Wiens said that 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.
Breaking Down the Features and Design
The display, a frame that houses the majority of the internal components, and the back glass panel make up the sandwich-like design of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models. As long as the customer’s existing display, back glass, and rear camera are in good condition, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers can replace the mid-frame by attaching a new one to those components.
The new aluminum midframe that supports the structure, according to Wiens, needed a complete internal redesign, as well as an RF, rethink, and an almost doubled ingress protection perimeter. In other words, Apple went back to the drawing board and changed the internals of the iPhone to facilitate repairs.
With the new internal architecture, repair costs for models with shattered back glass will be much lower at $169 to $199 on average. According to Apple’s documentation, after the rear glass is changed on the models, a software calibration procedure called System Configuration is necessary.
It’s unknown what occurs if System Configuration is not finished, but potential outcomes include everything from wireless charging problems to problems with the LED camera flash and/or the rear-facing microphone.
iFixit and iPhone 14
According to iFixit, a disassembly of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is still in the works. Other teardowns have already demonstrated that the internal redesign does not apply to the two iPhone 14 Pro models, which continue to open from the front side as usual.
In addition to better repairability, iFixit pointed out that the SIM card tray slot, which is still present on international variants of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, has a “huge gap” in U.S. versions of both models.
Additionally, the breakdown offers a close-up view of the logic board of the basic iPhone 14 with parts including the A15 Bionic chip and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 modem enabling 5G and satellite communication using a new n53 band.
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