The iPhone 14, which went on sale last week, is the most salvageable iPhone 14 since the iPhone 7, which came out in 2016
Apple has redesigned the iPhone 14’s internal chassis to allow users to remove and replace both the device’s back glass and screen by removing just two screws, according to a disassembly by iFX
The changes will make it easier for Apple Store employees, independent repair shops and users to replace the phone’s screen, back glass and battery, the most common repairs for most smartphones.
“Apple has completely redesigned the interior of the iPhone 14 to make the repair process easier. It’s not visible at all from the outside, but that’s a big problem,”
“This design improvement is a big plus,” he said, noting that these changes to the iPhone would help it last longer.
The high-end iPhone 14 Pro models use a new, more repairable design,
Apple’s iPhone redesign comes as advocates of laws that give consumers access to manuals, tools and parts needed to repair increasingly complex electronic devices and industrial machinery, and say they will make them last longer, reduce electronic waste and environmental impact, while saving users money.
Advocates call the reason a “right to repair,” and several US states have considered legislation that would force consumer electronics companies to publish manuals and sell original parts. New York lawmakers passed a right to reform measure earlier this year, but it has yet to be signed into law.
The issue is also receiving attention at the US federal level, where President Joe Biden supports Right to Reform asking the Federal Trade Commission to draft Right to Reform rules by issuing an executive order in 2021.
The same committee also issued a report delivered to Congress in 2021 on the legal status of the Right to Repair Project, identifying which cell phones and industrial auto manufacturers would be covered by the Right to Repair Act’s limitations.
Apple has taken some steps in recent years towards making it easier to repair its devices. In April, it introduced a program called Self-Service Repair that allows users and independent repair shops to rent the same tools that Apple Stores use, in addition to purchasing genuine Apple parts. The company also provided repair manuals for its devices through the program.
However, Apple still insists that visiting an Apple-certified technician is the best way for the vast majority of customers to get their devices repaired.
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