Why the iPhone 16 is a big deal for repairability

By Patrick Hearn Published September 19, 2024

The Camera Control on the iPhone 16. — Apple

Historically, Apple has not been the most repair-friendly company. In fact, the iPhone has been at the center of multiple controversies concerning the right-to-repair process and its difficulty. According to news from Engadget and Tom’s Guide, the iPhone 16 and iOS 18 are breaking from this pattern and taking several strides in the right direction.

To put things in perspective, iFixit — a company specializing in DIY repairs — gave the iPhone 15 a 4/10 for repairability. The company gave the same score to the iPhone 14, although it initially rated it a 7/10.

Recommended Videos

The most significant change for the iPhone 16 is the addition of the Repair Assistant feature in iOS 18. This will let end users and repair techs configure new parts directly on the device; previously, this process required direct intervention by Apple to finish pairing. Notably, it also grandfathers in certain repairs to previous devices. Anyone with an iPhone 12 or newer can configure the TrueDepth camera without being tethered to a Mac.

It also adds a tool called Apple Diagnostics, which can help you pinpoint exactly what is causing a problem rather than forcing you to rely on a second device (that’s hopefully working correctly) to diagnose the issue.

Next are some long-overdue changes to the battery. We all know smartphone batteries give out after a couple of years and start to see significantly reduced charging capacities. Removing a battery used to mean fighting with adhesive strips and glue, but the iPhone 16’s battery can be easily removed by applying a small voltage current to it (as small as a 9V battery.)

Finally, Apple is making it much easier to use third-party components instead of official Apple parts. If you take a look at the cost of official parts alone, you might choke out of sticker shock. The True Tone feature will be coming to third-party displays, and the lidar sensor will work without configuration, although it might not perform on the same level. Changes are also coming that will enable third-party batteries to work with the battery health feature.

These are the biggest steps Apple has taken toward repairability yet. Between easier access, part removal, and pairing, maintaining your iPhone is much simpler. There’s still a lot of room to grow, but any progress is worth celebrating.

Topics

Mobile Writer

Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…

Mobile

How to fast charge your iPhone

iPhone 12 Mini with charger

While they may not be some of the longest-lasting smartphones on the market, modern iPhones boast more than respectable battery life that should be able to get you through an entire day's use without breaking too much of a sweat. Of course, that assumes a lot of things — including a battery that's still relatively new and in good health, plus a usage pattern that doesn't include all-day streaming or gaming.

But for some people, overnight charging isn't going to cut it, and you'll want to get your battery topped up again as quickly as you can so you can get back in action. Thankfully, every iPhone released in the past six years supports much faster charging, but the downside is that with very few exceptions, Apple has never supplied you with the right adapter to get the best possible charging speeds from your iPhone.

Mobile

5 phones you should buy instead of the iPhone 16

Someone holding the iPhone 16.

Apple’s iPhone 16 has arrived, and it’s quite an impressive offering this year. Not only does it come in some of the best colors we’ve seen in a while, but it closes the gap between the base and Pro models even more.

That's all to say the iPhone 16 is a fantastic phone, but if you’re thinking about buying it as your next smartphone purchase, you should also consider some of these alternatives.
iPhone 16 Plus

Mobile

Apple Intelligence is coming to these languages in April

Apple Intelligence on the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Public access to certain features of Apple Intelligence is rolling out to users with the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS 15.1 updates. However, even if you are fortunate enough to gain early access, the service is currently only available in U.S. English in select countries. That is expected to change in the coming weeks and months.

According to GSMArena, Apple plans to add local English variants in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. in December. Most recently, it was confirmed that starting in April and continuing throughout 2025, Apple Intelligence will gain support for Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. April is also when the EU will see its first Apple Intelligence release.