So much for the iPhone 14’s surprisingly repairable design that runs right down the line. iFixit has finished a teardown of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and the most repairable internals haven’t been preserved. Break the back glass and you’ll have a harder time fixing it yourself, or an expensive ($549 in the US) visit to the Apple Store if your device is out of warranty. While Apple never said the Pro models would get this update, it’s worth considering if you plan on keeping your phone running with a little surgery.
It’s unclear why Apple didn’t reconsider internal components across the entire iPhone 14 lineup. iFixit speculates that Apple wanted to limit potential delays, particularly given supply chain risks related to the family’s new display and camera technologies. Pro. We’ve asked Apple to comment, but it wouldn’t be surprising if future generations arrive with more accessible innards.
The teardown has a few additional surprises. In the US versions of the iPhone 14 lineup, Apple hasn’t replaced the newly removed SIM tray with anything else. So this is more to drive eSIM adoption than to save space. iFixit was also unable to identify a dedicated satellite antenna for emergency communication, suggesting that Apple could be using the usual cellular or WiFi antennas to send SOS messages.
The overall repairability of the iPhone 14 Pro is “not terrible” outside of the requirement to activate parts, according to iFixit. However, unless Apple harmonizes its design, do-it-yourself repair enthusiasts will have to make sacrifices if they want an iPhone they can repair with relatively little difficulty.
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