iFixit is dropping the repairability rating on the iPhone 14. Whereas the group initially gave the telephone a seven out of 10 to point excessive repairability, iFixit has lowered that ranking to a 4 after making an allowance for elements pairing necessities that make fixing the gadget a trouble.
When iFixit introduced its rating for the iPhone 14 final yr, it mentioned it was wanting primarily on the repair-friendly design of the gadget. Not like its different gadgets, Apple included a rear glass panel you can pop off with primary restore instruments, together with a heating mat, suction deal with, and a gap decide. Whereas this design change was notable on the time, iFixit acknowledges that it missed the numerous hurdles to repairability programmed inside iPhones on the whole.
As a substitute of merely swapping out one half for an additional, restore outlets and DIYers must “pair” the part to the device by way of Apple’s System Configuration device. To do that, you have to buy a real half from Apple, enter your gadget’s serial quantity, after which pair the brand new half to your telephone by way of Apple. For those who use an aftermarket half or one from one other iPhone, you’re caught with annoying notifications that warn your iPhone accommodates ingenuine elements — even when it really works the best way it ought to.
“Most main repairs on trendy iPhones require Apple approval,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens writes in a weblog put up. “It’s a must to purchase elements by way of their system, then have the restore validated by way of a chat system. In any other case, you’ll run into restricted or lacking performance, with a facet of annoying warnings.”
The pairing course of not solely makes repairs tough for DIYers but in addition for third-party restore suppliers who typically use leftover elements from damaged gadgets. iFixit says issues have “gotten so dangerous that a number of restore professionals have advised us they’re leaving the enterprise totally reasonably than navigate the labyrinthine maze of obstacles that Apple has erected.”
Though the iPhone 15 retains the same repair-friendly backing as its predecessor, it probably shares the identical parts-pairing requirement as different gadgets within the iPhone lineup. Till Apple begins letting customers swap in aftermarket or used elements with out difficulty, the iPhone’s repairability rating will probably stay on the low finish of the spectrum.