Tech repairs website iFixit has pulled apart the iPhone 5 and awarded it a repairability score of 7 out of 10 for its easily removed display, making it significantly easier to replace than in the iPhone 4 or 4S.
Many iPhone users are no stranger to a cracked screen, a common accident to befall the Apple smartphone and one that completely sullies the look of an otherwise aesthetically pleasing device – not to mention the inconvenience it causes the user.
Replacing the display on an iPhone has been notoriously difficult, until the iPhone 5. Because the new smartphone is opened from front-to-back, iFixit claims that replacing a damaged screen is now easier than ever before. Considering that removing the display in the iPhone 4S takes 38 repair guide steps, the iPhone 5 may just be most repairable iPhone yet.
Internal improvements
iFixit’s teardown also reveals more on the inner workings of the iPhone 5. The higher voltage and large capacity battery offers the same amount of talk time as the previous 4S, but up to 25 hours more in standby. However, the site also points out that the iPhone 5 battery is easily beaten by that of the Samsung Galaxy S III, which offers more than 11 hours of talk time to the iPhone 5’s eight, and up to 790 hours in standby – that’s more than three-and-a-half times what the iPhone 5 offers.
The home button – an oft-broken and hard to replace component of the iPhone, according to iFixit – now comes with an integrated metal support bracket, which should not only strengthen the button and increase its longevity but also make it easier to repair.
The team at iFixit also investigated how easily the black coating scuffs off the device, and advises that users either be careful or buy a case if they want to maintain the smartphone’s pristine look. They also checked the durability of the sapphire crystal camera and found that the lens remained scratch-free after being attacked with a pair of steel tweezers.
Images via iFixit
