Apple's iPhone 16 Series Sees Big Improvements in Repairability
TapTechNews September 18th news, Apple has been committed to enhancing the repairability of its devices, but according to iFixit's evaluation, the iPhone 15 has some problems in battery replacement and LiDAR sensor replacement, resulting in a relatively low repairability score.
According to Engadget, Apple today released a new update on the repairability of the iPhone 16 series, which seems to have solved the above problems and some other issues. Apple said that the company strives to achieve a balance between durability and repairability when designing new devices, and especially focuses on the repairability aspect in its latest devices.
As TapTechNews understands, the new device adopts a brand-new battery removal method, so that a low voltage current (such as using a 9-volt battery) flowing through the new ionic liquid battery adhesive can easily remove the battery from the fuselage. Compared with the previous stretch-release adhesive, this method makes the battery removal faster and safer.
At the same time, Apple has made changes to the FaceID sensor hardware starting from the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Now, the TrueDepth camera can be interchanged among different devices without affecting security and privacy. Previously, only Apple could perform this type of repair.
Another major change is the new repair assistant, which is designed to solve the parts pairing problem. This allows customers and repair professionals to configure new and second-hand Apple parts directly on the device without having to contact Apple personnel.
Apple has also added new repairable modules, stating that the TrueDepth camera of the iPhone 12 and subsequent models can now be configured on the device without connecting to a Mac. In addition, the LiDAR scanner on the iPhone Pro models can now be repaired together with the rear camera module.
Another major change is the in-device diagnostic access. Starting from iOS 18, Apple will provide in-device repair diagnostics so that customers can determine which parts need to be replaced without using a second device.
Finally, the company announced new support for third-party and second-hand Apple parts. If a third-party part cannot be calibrated on Apple's cloud server, the iPhone or other device will try to activate the part and make it fully functional while showing the repair history in the settings. Second-hand Apple parts can soon be calibrated and displayed as second-hand parts in the device's repair history. Another future update will enable True Tone display for third-party displays and provide battery health functionality for third-party batteries. In addition, even if the modules of the LiDAR scanner and the front camera are replaced and not configured, they will still work properly.
In general, the iPhone 16 series seems to have made one of the biggest leaps so far in terms of repairability, with improvements in physical access, parts compatibility, and parts pairing.
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