Apple has always made its devices easier to repair, but the iPhone 15 fell apart in a few key areas, according to a repair site. Fixit. Namely, the battery was difficult to remove and the device had a “parts pairing” problem meaning you couldn’t replace the LiDAR sensor with another phone. With those two problems, Fixit gave the iPhone 15 a low repairability rating of 4/10.
Apple has now released new updates to the iPhone 16 fix and it seems to have resolved both of those issues and more. That it tries to strike a balance between durability and repairability, it focuses mainly on the “repairability” feature with its latest devices.
Now there’s a whole new way to remove the battery that should make it easier. By applying a low voltage through the new ionic liquid adhesive (using a 9V cell, for example), the battery will release itself from the enclosure. This makes removal faster and safer compared to previous extended release adhesives, according to the company.
At the same time, Apple made changes to the hardware of the face ID sensor starting with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Now, the TrueDepth Camera can be switched from one unit to another without compromising security or privacy. Previously, only Apple could do that kind of repair.
Another big change is the new Repair Assistant, which is designed to deal with component pairing issues. That allows customers and repair professionals to configure both new and used Apple components directly on the device, without the need to contact Apple personnel. Repair shops were previously required to order official parts directly from Apple and get on the phone with an employee before iOS would accept individual component replacements.
Apple has also added newly modified modules, saying that the TrueDepth Camera can now be adjusted on the iPhone 12 device and later, removing the need for a jailbroken Mac. In addition, the LiDAR scanner on iPhone Pro models can now be used with the rear camera model.
Another big change is device access to diagnostics. Starting with iOS 18, Apple’s diagnostics to be repaired will be available on the device, so customers can determine which parts need to be replaced without the need for a second device.
Finally, the company announced new support for third parties and used Apple components. If a third-party component cannot be calibrated on Apple’s cloud-based servers, the iPhone or other device will try to activate the component and use it to its full potential, while displaying the repair history within the settings. Used Apple parts can soon be rated and will appear as a “used” part in the device’s repair history. Another upcoming update will enable True Tone on third-party displays and battery life on third-party batteries. In addition, the LiDAR Scanner and front camera will still work when the module is replaced and left unattended.
All in all, the iPhone 16 series seems to have the biggest leap in refinement yet, with improvements in physical accessibility, component compatibility and component matching. We’ll soon see if that shows up in iFixit’s impending repairability score.
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