Apples iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have a new frame design, which could make repairing the devices’ screens or replacing the batteries easier, according to a teardown analysis from iFixit, a parts supplier and gadget repair advocate.
However, iFixit gives the new phones a poor repairability score: 4 out of 10. That’s partly because Apple uses software to lock parts to specific devices, making independent repairs more difficult or nearly impossible.
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which went on sale Friday, feature a new design that sees the phone’s main components attached to an aluminum frame, which is attached to the titanium casing that users touch on the outside, iFixit found. Since the two most common smartphone fixes are battery and screen replacements, the new design gives repairers easier access to those parts.
Apple highlighted the change in its announcement this month and also dropped the price for replacing a cracked back glass panel to $149 or $169, down from $499 or $549 for last year’s Pro models. Screen repairs remain the same price, $329 or $379, depending on screen size. Last year’s regular model of the iPhone 14 β not the more expensive Pro β also featured a removable back glass design.
iFixit’s analysis also shows that Apple’s iPhones use a Qualcomm X70 modem to connect to mobile carriers, after Qualcomm announced earlier this month that it would supply Apple with modem chips until 2026.
However, iFixit, a strong supporter of the right to repair, said that many iPhone parts, including the phone’s Face ID sensor, Lidar camera and wireless charging coil, are not replaceable without using an official Apple configuration tool to to authenticate them.
βThe pairing of parts in these models goes beyond just mechanical compatibility, requiring authentication and pairing via Apple’s System Configuration Tool, further limiting true replacements to Apple-blessed ones and significantly impacting independent repair shops and the overarching problem of e-waste ” iFixit wrote in a blog post.
Earlier this year, Apple supported a Right to Repair law in California, which passed in September. It requires manufacturers like Apple to make rental tools, repair manuals and authorized parts available to users to repair devices at home. In 2022, Apple introduced Self Service Repair, which allows repair shops and end users to rent professional repair tools and purchase replacement parts from Apple.
The right-to-repair movement is closely linked to the environmental movement, because repairing gadgets and extending their lifespan helps keep them out of the landfill. Apple’s product announcements earlier this month placed a strong emphasis on the company’s environmental efforts, including marketing Apple Watch Series 9 models as carbon neutral. Apple representatives did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.