Thin Doesn’t Mean Unfixable

I always enjoy iFixit’s teardowns of new Apple hardware. I’m not the sort of person who’s interested in taking my own devices apart; I’m just not that handy. However, I do like to see how Apple’s gadgets are assembled, and the iPhone Air is the most fascinating teardown in a while.

As Apple noted in its fall keynote, the guts of the Air surround the camera housing at the top of the phone. The rest is mostly battery. As iFixit explains it, the Air:

…packs the upgraded C1X modem, a new N1 WiFi chip, and the A19 Pro system-on-chip, all tucked into the logic board sandwich. It’s a lean, efficient setup that makes the most of limited space. This reduced complexity also contributes to quicker disassembly—fewer features, fewer parts, and fewer points of failure.

That design makes the Air more repairable than you might expect for such a thin phone. In particular, iFixit was impressed with how easy it was to remove and replace the battery:

The Air’s battery is easy to find and accessible through the back glass thanks to Apple’s dual entry design. Even better, it’s a metal-encased battery. This thin layer of armor makes it more bend resistant and safer to replace. Even better than that, it’s mounted with electrically debonding adhesive strips. Hook them up to a power source and the battery lifts right out, no dangerous prying required.

iFixit’s post and accompanying video also look at the new chips inside the iPhone Air and put the 3D-printed titanium USB-C port housing under a microscope. It’s impressive hardware design and manufacturing that also makes Apple’s thinnest phone one of its most repairable yet.