This has been a massive no-brainer for quite a while. I think the only iPhone that was pretty close to having this a reality was the iPhone 4, it was really easy to just slide the back open and swap the battery. Not as easy as it could be, but certainly close.
I’ve replaced the keyboard on a Macbook, I swear there were 40 screw in that thing, and I’m not exaggerating for effect or anything. About every 2 keys it was screwed to the case from the bottom.
I’ve also done an iphone battery a couple times for friends, it’s a nightmare, but now pretty much all phones are difficult. I have to do the batteries on my Razr soon and I’m not looking forward to it.
At least it was screws, often the keyboard is now attached using “plastic rivets” where the plastic was intentionally melted around the holes. Makes replacement of just the keyboard almost impossible.
FWIW they’re definitely improving in that regard, probably because they know legislation like this is coming.
The iPhone 16 replaced the frustrating glue strips with a special adhesive that unsticks with an electric current, and the MacBook Neo is apparently really easy to get into for simple repairs.
This was a thing with Samsung from the beginning all the way to the S7. The rational after that was the waterproof rating but I have a Zebra TC27 at work that’s IP rated WITH ad repalcable battery. So it’s easy to do, just cost more than not doing it and for Apple it’s a revenue stream replacing batteries.
The s5 was also water resistant, same rating as every other water resistant galaxy since. Used to have 2 batteries and a separate battery charger so I could just hot swap. I don’t think I ever actually plugged the phone into a charger.
This has been a massive no-brainer for quite a while. I think the only iPhone that was pretty close to having this a reality was the iPhone 4, it was really easy to just slide the back open and swap the battery. Not as easy as it could be, but certainly close.
Repairability has never been an Apple thing.
I’ve replaced the keyboard on a Macbook, I swear there were 40 screw in that thing, and I’m not exaggerating for effect or anything. About every 2 keys it was screwed to the case from the bottom.
I’ve also done an iphone battery a couple times for friends, it’s a nightmare, but now pretty much all phones are difficult. I have to do the batteries on my Razr soon and I’m not looking forward to it.
At least it was screws, often the keyboard is now attached using “plastic rivets” where the plastic was intentionally melted around the holes. Makes replacement of just the keyboard almost impossible.
FWIW they’re definitely improving in that regard, probably because they know legislation like this is coming.
The iPhone 16 replaced the frustrating glue strips with a special adhesive that unsticks with an electric current, and the MacBook Neo is apparently really easy to get into for simple repairs.
Still a long way to go, but it’s encouraging.
This was a thing with Samsung from the beginning all the way to the S7. The rational after that was the waterproof rating but I have a Zebra TC27 at work that’s IP rated WITH ad repalcable battery. So it’s easy to do, just cost more than not doing it and for Apple it’s a revenue stream replacing batteries.
The s5 was also water resistant, same rating as every other water resistant galaxy since. Used to have 2 batteries and a separate battery charger so I could just hot swap. I don’t think I ever actually plugged the phone into a charger.