iPhone 5: An Evolution in Repair
This article originally ran with TreeHugger.
The iPhone 5 is selling in droves—more than 5 million iPhones in just three days. You can tell at a glance that this iPhone is different. It is 20 percent lighter, 18 percent thinner, and—with a 4-inch display—taller than previous editions. But the changes are more than skin deep: the iPhone 5 is the most repairable iPhone we’ve ever seen.
This new, highly repairable iPhone comes just three months after Apple voluntarily withdrew from EPEAT’s green electronic standard. Their exit sparked a backlash so fierce the company was forced to issue a public apology. I run iFixit, where we are building a free repair manual for everything. At the time, we speculated that Apple backed out of EPEAT because their new flagship laptop, the MacBook Pro with Retina display, wasn’t repairable enough to meet the green standard.
Tech giants have long been charting a production path of thinner, sleeker, faster devices—and Apple is leading the charge. But as our teardown specialists dismantled these super-slim devices, they found that thin and sleek frequently came at the cost of durability and repairability.
When we started our teardown of the iPhone 5 last week, we expected more of the same trend. But Apple surprised us. Once you get past the anti-customer proprietary screws guarding the entrance, the iPhone 5 is easy to open and easy to repair. That’s not just a win for the environment or the consumer; repairable design is also a win for Apple’s bottom line.
The Evolution of the iPhone
The sixth generation of the iPhone has come a long way from the first. The original iPhone, released in 2007, looked cool but wasn’t designed to be fixed: just changing a battery required 21 steps and a soldering iron. Apple was under the gun. The iPhone was a brand new, highly-anticipated product. Designing a repairable device wasn’t even a blip on the radar yet; the designers were focusing on just making it work.
But Apple learned its lesson eventually. When both the 3G and the 3GS came out, their insides were far more accessible than the earlier models: a Phillips #00 screwdriver, a suction cup, and five minutes was all it took to replace a broken screen—a simple solution to a common problem.
Unfortunately, worn-out batteries were hard to access. So, the design changed again. The iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S both featured a back-to-front design, so the back panel came off the phone first. The result: anyone with a pentalobe screwdriver could replace a sapped battery in a snap. But Apple essentially reversed the design problem: now the display was really difficult to get to.
It’s a tale of six on one hand, half a dozen on the other: either the battery was easy to access and the screen was hard to change, or the screen was easy to change and the battery was difficult to access. That’s the narrative we got used to. And we expected more of the same when we finally got our hands on the iPhone 5 on Wednesday. But, to our pleasant surprise, Apple changed the story all together.
A New Kind of iPhone
The inside of the iPhone 5 is full of Easter eggs for the technologically-inclined. As we tore down the iPhone 5, we immediately noticed that designers reverted to a front-to-back design. The front panel—the only element still made out of glass and susceptible to shattering—was the first thing to come off. So, when you (inevitably) drop your phone, the screen should be a really easy fix. Phew!
But here’s the amazing part: the battery was the next thing to come out. For the first time in its history, Apple managed to make a phone with both a display and a battery you can change out in less than five minutes.
And the further we delved into the phone, the more durability-minded decisions we uncovered. Close up photos of the motherboard revealed a slew of tiny, delicate chips covered with a thin layer of epoxy. That should help keep chips firmly affixed to the board when you accidentally fling your phone across the room. We also found durable metal boards anchoring down connectors and wires. The home button, which has a tendency to fail, is bracketed down and easy to replace. Even the Lightning connector, which will undergo repeated stress from plugging and unplugging, is rooted down with four screws—two more screws than holding down the iPhone 4S dock connector. That sucker’s not going anywhere.
Apple’s devoted fandom would’ve lined up around the block to get the latest generation iPhone, whether it was repairable or not. But they designed this new phone to be rugged and repairable anyway.
Repairability Is Good for Apple
At iFixit, we promote DIY repair. We think it’s important that everyone has the knowledge to repair every thing they own. Repair is a way to help fix the world, so we’re pleased as punch that Apple’s new phone is repairable.
But people often ask us, “I won’t repair my own phone, so why should repairability matter to me?” And even more people say, “Apple doesn’t need to focus on repairability. They just need to focus on making cutting-edge products that work.” This new iPhone proves that Apple can do both. And, what’s more, the new rugged design will be just as beneficial for the consumer as it will be for Apple.
Phones break. Batteries go dead. Almost 12 percent of iPhone 3GSs failed in the first year. And I’ll eat my hat if you don’t know an iPhone user who’s cracked a screen at least once. Our own internal data on replacement part sales indicates that the four most frequent repairs on the iPhone 4S were to the display assembly, the battery, the rear glass panel, and the home button. Our resident tech expert, MJ Godsey, reported that changing out a display on her iPhone 4S consistently takes her about 45 minutes.
Time is money for Apple. It’s a question of volume: the less time techs spend repairing each device, the more devices they can get through in a day. Plus, there are other costs: parts, Genius Bar labor, and dissatisfied customers. Quick repair turnaround times boost customer loyalty, which is why Apple tends to replace iPads with broken screens instead of repairing them.
Apple has learned from past design mistakes in this iteration of the iPhone. With a shatterproof back panel, an easy to replace battery, an accessible display assembly, and a modular, bracketed home button, Apple will save time and money on the four most common iPhone repair woes. A broken iPhone 5 screen can be repaired right in the store—a practice not possible for the iPhone 4 or 4S. The durable design means that customers are less prone to break their devices. An early drop test shows the iPhone 5 outperforming the Samsung Galaxy 3.
The iPhone 5’s new design seems a lot less like “designing for the dump,” and a lot more like designing for reliability—which is a step in the right direction. And where Apple leads, other tech companies tend to follow. We’d love to see more evolution toward reliability in other Apple products, like the iPad and the MacBook Pro with Retina display. After all, designing for the durability is good for the environment, the customer, and for Apple.
Comments
Very stoked that Apple made the move to make an easy to repair iPhone. The customer wins, Apple wins, and the Environment wins. It’s nice to see this move after the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display was deemed nearly impossible to fix. Great article ifixit.
I’m still on the fence about certain things like batteries. I kinds understood where Apple was coming from with the whole battery thing. I’m a big purchaser of Apple products and I’ve never worn out a battery before I’ve replaced the device and I’ve had very single iPhone version since 2007. Admittedly, the fact that I like bleeding edge technology does mean I replace devices prematurely compared to most people, but the old ones work their way down through the family and my youngest daughter is still using my 2008 iPhone 3G. Screens on the other hand I’m completely on board with. I’ve change 5 iPhone 4 screens (for friends, I take better care of my products) and this new design is very much welcomed!!!
Looks like somebody need to eat Hat, my 3GS fell twice to the ground, Once on Concrete, just broken plastic and the Glass still perfect, No chip.. :)
No battery issues as well
Repairing stuff is good. Not just iphones, it goes for shoes too. :)
Well written, and well thought. Agree too the fullest.
you need to eat your hat mister – I never cracked glass on any of my 4 iphones.
@Drh:
You realize that’s an iPhone a year for 5 years, so unlikely you’d have killed a battery.
Also Apple sells other things with built in batteries. And now with the new 15″ Macbook they’ve stupidly heavily glued the battery in. Look a 5 year laptop may not be the fastest, but as long as one can put a new HD/SSD in they’re perfectly useful machines. So someone should be able to replace the battery too. Apple’s behavior is arrogant and short sighted–glad they’ve learnt something for the iPhone 5.
How repairable is the rear case? And what is the cost? I know that it is virtually shatterproof, but it also scratches significantly easier than the glass panel of previous models. If the rear panel is expensive and difficult to replace I will probably use a case, but if it is relatively inexpensive and easy to repair then I would rather take on some scratches and put my money toward an extra rear panel. What do you think?
Great job iFixit!
Just love your passion for repairability & sustainability. Keep it going.
I think your comment about the first iPhone not being designed for easy repairability because it was a first generation product speaks to the new rMBPs as well. It’s a first generation product redesign where repairability is probably not high on the todo list.
I wouldn’t be surprised if down the road we see iPads and rMBPs easier to repair. I have nothing against non-standard screws keeping the dim from screwing around the inside of a device.
You are right about repairability being good for Apple. High turnaround times for repairs make happy customers.
I wonder if the design for repairability matches with the selling of AppleCare+.
With AppleCare+ and the $50 copay, 2 incident accidental-handling-damage, Apple is no longer in the business of doing just warrantee repair, but now has to do both a large number of battery replacements (after 1.5 years) and screen replacements (from damage).
Being able to reduce the repair costs (and labor is a huge repair cost on a 4/4S screen. All in, its probably cheaper for Apple to replace the fused screen on a 5 than just the glass on a 4S) is a huge savings for apple, turning AppleCare+ into a bigger profit center.
See, repairability == Profit…
Well most interesting thing I came out with was I beat MJ at repairing iPhone 4S screens time wise.. now the game is on, I wanna know times on other Apple devices :P
I run and own a successful repair company and we provide the best quality for service as well as how quick we can repair items. And you know what? I thank you ifixit, you have helped me tremendously, and saved hours of figuring out certain devices by myself. Still no schematics for apple, but hey one can dream right?
Anyway great to hear this about the iPhone 5, personally we get ours this week and cannot wait to start dismantling the device!
The best repaid guide I found was this
http://www.4gaccessories.co.uk/apple-iphone-5-disassembly-and-repair-guide/
@dBlox — iFixit tech writer here. Great question, dBlox. Unfortunately, the rear case is not easy to replace and it will likely be pretty expensive to do. Lots of expensive goodies sit in (and, in some cases, are glued to) the rear panel. So, you’ll have to take pretty much all the internals out of the iPhone 5 before you can replace the rear panel.
In answer to John; actually the best repair guide and video I have found is located at http://www.repairsuniverse.com/iphone-5-screen-repair-guide.html
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with Apple in many countries finding every excuse under the sun not to honor their warranty it’s about time they made 3d party repairs easier,
I just had a screen shatter on an iphone 5. It shattered only a couple months after purchasing upon a 3 foot fall to the ground. A fall that has happened to an old Iphone 4 and a newer iPhone 4s in our family multiple times. The Apple Store and AppleCare both state that the screen/glass IS NOT repairable. I have to purchase a replacement phone. Not sure why the information in this article is opposite of Apple’s info..
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We are a french company so we are looking to buy iphone 4 / 4s broken screen
So we are looking for big quantity so if you are interesting you can contact us , of course we pay by cash when we are coming to collect the screen
Best regards
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As the iPhone5 does has a tougher screen and supposedly does not break as easy, I
wondered if the new iphone5 will cause a lot of phone repair companies, and their are lots on the internet, to close down as probably most of their income is from broken iphone 4/4s screens
I bought an I phone 5, 1 month ago in the USA but to be use outside the USA. I began to use it 5 days ago. Unfortunately it felt down and the glass screen is crashed. Is there any solution? And what would be the cost?
Hi Margarita. There is a solution. Check out our DIY iPhone 5 repair manual here: http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing+iPhone+5+Display+Assembly/10906/1
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I just dropped my iphone 5 white accidentally and the upper right part of the aluminum was chipped off.. I went nuts… Do you think the Icenter or Apple Center can repair or replace the body? (not the phone just the body).. Im willing to pay as long as the chipped part goes away.. help
@Maki,
I think you’d be hard-pressed to get the whole body replaced. They’d probably replace the phone instead of the body. But, not having the phone in front of us, it’s hard to judge the extent of the damage. It wouldn’t hurt to take it in and get someone at the Genius Bar to look at it.
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