iFixit: iPhone 14 is easier to fix than iPhone 13. Pro models beat it to the punch. VIDEO

The company iFixit, famous for its repairability tests and for selling tools and parts for electronic devices, has published the results of its evaluation of the new iPhone 14 models. While the “standard” iPhone 14, Apple’s cheapest 2022 model, managed to surprise and receive the highest “repairability” score in years for an iPhone, the Pro models didn’t receive as high praise.

iPhone 14 allows replacement of glass cover independent of other components

iFixit gave the iPhone 14 a 7/10 score, making it the first model since the iPhone 8 to date that can be very easily repaired. It offers quick access to the screen, and can be replaced without removing other components from the phone, while the battery is just as easily accessible by removing the cover on the back.

This very cover is the big “innovation” in iPhone 14 design, as until now, it was permanently glued to the case and could not be replaced independently. Repair costs for a basic iPhone used to be as high as €500 to replace the glass on the back, but now these costs have dropped significantly as it is a separate component. To achieve this design, Apple had to completely change the interior design of the phone, but the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 retain the same size, overall shape and exterior design.

Of course, the iPhone 14 still requires the use of genuine components and the registration of repairs on Apple’s servers in order to replace them without software glitches. Fortunately, components for iPhones are now available for purchase directly from Apple, along with the tools needed to do the job.

Pro models are almost identical inside as the previous generation

In the case of the Pro models, not much has changed. The interior design is largely identical, and the back cover is still permanently attached to the device. So those who break the cover on an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max will have to take half the value of the phone out of their pocket to replace it, as has happened with previous generations. Apart from the lack of SIM slot on the US version, there’s not much different from the iPhone 13 Pro, including the front camera area, which has received the new “Dynamic Island” design on the outside.

The good news is that the screen and battery, two components that are changed most often in service, are also easily accessible on this model, and Apple doesn’t permanently glue the batteries to the case like Samsung, for example. Pretty much all components are modular, in case they break and need replacing. Not all require a digital signature, just the crucial ones: the screen, battery, camera and Face ID system.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max thus received a score of 6/10 for repairability. iFixit says it’s not “terrible” to repair, but improvements can be added, especially for replacing the glass case on the back. The same score was given to the Generation 13 Pro.