The iPhone 16 is more repairable than ever, here’s what’s changed

Apple’s iPhone 16 launch is just a couple days away. Alongside the first reviews dropping, we have also learned some new details about the device’s repairability. There are several interesting internal changes that make this the most repairable iPhone ever. Here’s how iPhone repairs are improving.

Apple has been moving for years toward making the iPhone more repairable. It’s a goal that very much supports the company’s 2030 ambitions. We’ve seen efforts like the Self Service Repair program as a way to make iPhones last as long as possible.

With the iPhone 16, Apple is also making noteworthy internal changes to make the device inherently more repairable.

Brian Heater writes at TechCrunch about these changes:

The most interesting of the bunch is a new adhesive design that can be loosened by applying low voltage from a 9-volt battery. Glue has arguably been the biggest thorn in the side of DIY repairers. The thinner devices have become, the more manufacturers like Apple have grown dependent on the stuff in the place of screws.

The piece notes that a key asset in Apple’s Self-Service Repair kit is a tool for melting down glue to perform battery swaps. But now, the new adhesive makes that a problem of the past.

Several other components are now more repairable than before.

The LiDAR Scanner, which is still exclusive to the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, has been made serviceable thanks to the revised internals of the devices. Similarly, the TrueDepth Camera is now repairable.

All of this is complemented by the new Repair Assistant feature released just two days ago. With this feature, repair professionals and consumers both will benefit from having Apple’s system install the necessary calibration data to ensure a part repair is installed and set up properly.

9to5Mac’s Take

It’s great to see Apple continue to invest in making the iPhone more repairable. It helps boost the iPhone’s already-strong resale value, and ensures more people can benefit from the hundreds of millions of devices already out in the world.

What do you think of Apple’s repairability efforts? Let us know in the comments.