iFixit gives low marks for repairability of iPhones 15 and opens FineWoven case

2023-09-25 15:26:45

After reducing, on the eve of the launch of the iPhones 15, the repairability rating of the iPhone 14, the people at iFixit anyway released its traditional teardown of new deviceswith a special focus on iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Although Apple may have made repairs on the new high-end models easier, even making some repairs more affordable, iFixit noted that the internal components of the iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max are behind the screen — not the glass rear, as is the case with the iPhones 15/15 Plus.

According to them, this inverted configuration can make critical repairs, such as battery changes, a little more risky, since it is necessary to apply heat when opening the screen and, as a result, there is a greater chance of tearing the cable that connects the screen to the device itself.

Still in terms of repair, according to information from the MacRumorsApple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers are now able to repair the bottom microphone of iPhones 15/15 Plus individually. As for iPhones 15 Pro/15 Pro Max (and others), repairing this microphone still requires replacing the entire chassis — as well as for all other microphones on iPhones, including the one built into the top speaker, as well as the of the rear camera.

Back to the teardown, iFixit also confirmed that the iPhones 15 Pro/15 Pro Max come with the modem Snapdragon X70 5Gyes Qualcommas well as that the battery of the larger model has a capacity of 4.422mAh, as already anticipated. Here’s a video of a 360º X-ray image of the iPhone 15 Pro Max:

Among other discoveries — such as the fact that the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses of the iPhone 15 Pro Max have the same appearance as those of the iPhone 14 Pro Max and details of the new telephoto lens —, iFixit revealed that the new models still have restrictions in pairing of partsso users and independent repair centers are required to use new parts purchased directly from Apple to perform repairs or they will lose certain functionality.

In the case of exchanging parts, iFixit tested transferring the LiDAR scanner between two devices of the same model and discovered that the camera application initially opened and then crashed. The same goes for some of the other components of the iPhone 15 Pro, such as the TrueDepth sensor, the wireless charging coil, among others.

At the end of the disassembly, iFixit gave the iPhones 15/15 Plus and iPhones 15 Pro/15 Pro the same repairability rating: 4 (out of 10). You can see the complete dismantling process in the video below:

Case FineWoven

In addition to the teardowns of new devices, iFixit got your hands on the new case FineWoven da Applewhich replaced leather cases.

Using a digital microscope, iFixit examined the accessory’s fabric at 52x and 490x magnifications, confirming that it is indeed made of bundles of tightly woven fibers. Each fiber is much smaller than a strand of hair, measuring regarding six microns thick.

They also assessed that when FineWoven fabric is scratched, the fibers do not break, but this causes the affected fibers to reflect light unevenly. The softness of the material also causes some marks on the accessory.

Additionally, since the FineWoven case is made of fabric, this makes it susceptible to some liquid contents. Therefore, when exposed to certain foods or liquids, the case may also become stained.

Inside, beneath the FineWoven fabric, iFixit discovered a gray foam and hard plastic material, as well as MagSafe magnets. All layers are thin and the FineWoven fabric itself is regarding 0.17mm.

Finally, iFixit suggests that those who purchase a FineWoven case protect it with a repellent spray to make it more resistant to stains and liquids. However, this will probably not be enough to reduce user complaints regarding new accessories made from this fabric, which have taken over online forums and social networks.

In this sense, how evaluated by The Verge and reported by multiple users (as per seen by MacRumors), the new case looks “cheap”, although some people have said that it looks pretty. Many consumers even said they had already returned the accessory to Apple.

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iPhones 15 Pro e 15 Pro Max
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Cash price: from R$8,369.10
Price in installments: from R$9,299.00 in up to 12 installments
Cores: natural titanium, blue titanium, white titanium and black titanium
Capabilities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB ou 1TB

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iPhones 15 e 15 Plus
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Cash price: from R$6,569.10
Price in installments: from R$7,299.00 in up to 12 installments
Cores: blue, pink, yellow, green or black
Capabilities: 128GB, 256GB or 512GB

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