As ‘right to repair’ gains steam, Apple’s iPhone 14 is the easiest to fix since 2016.

As ‘right to repair’ gains steam, Apple’s iPhone 14 is the easiest to fix since 2016. Repair advocate and products provider iFixit stated in a blog post that the iPhone 14, which went on sale a week ago, is the most repairable iPhone since the iPhone 7, which was released in 2016. This information was provided in reference to the iPhone 7.

According to the findings of a teardown investigation that was carried out by iFixit, Apple has altered the internal structure of the iPhone 14 such that it is now possible for customers to remove and replace both the device’s back glass and its screen by removing only two screws.

The modifications will make it simpler for employees at Apple stores, independent repair businesses, and end customers to replace the phone’s screen, back glass, and battery, which are the three components that require repair the most frequently for smartphones.

iFixit’s founder, Kyle Wiens, stated in a blog post that “Apple has entirely changed the internals of the iPhone 14 to make it easier to fix.” Although it is not at all obvious from the outside, this is a significant development.

According to iFixit, the most expensive iPhone models, the iPhone 14 Pros, do not feature the new design that is more easily repairable.

The design of this year’s iPhone 14, which makes it easier to repair older phones, stands in contrast to previous models of iPhone and many Android devices, which utilize glue and have tighter tolerances, making it more difficult to repair older phones.

The redesign of Apple’s iPhone comes as advocates continue to push for laws that give consumers access to manuals, tools, and parts needed to repair increasingly complex electronic devices and industrial machines. These advocates believe that giving consumers access to these resources will make electronic devices and industrial machines last longer, thereby reducing e-waste and the impact it has on the environment, as well as saving users money.

The “right to repair” is the name given to this cause by its proponents, and across the United States, many states are considering passing legislation that would require manufacturers of consumer devices to publish manuals and provide authentic replacement parts. Earlier on in 2018, New York State Legislators were successful in passing a right-to-repair bill. It is not yet a law because the president has not approved it.

At the federal level as well, people are becoming more aware of the problem. The Vice President, Joe Biden, is a proponent of the right-to-repair, and in 2021, he urged the Federal Trade Commission to write right-to-repair laws in the form of an executive order. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also produced a report about the legal landscape surrounding the right to repair, which it delivered to Congress in 2021. In this report, the FTC identified mobile phone manufacturers and automobile manufacturers as two industries that have restrictions regarding repair.

In recent years, Apple has taken a few moves toward making its products easier to repair than in previous years. Self-Service Repair is a program that was released by the company in April. It enables customers and independent repair companies to rent the same tools that are used in Apple stores and to purchase genuine replacement Apple parts. Through the program, the corporation also made the repair manuals for its various gadgets available to users.

However, Apple continues to maintain that going to a technician who has been certified by Apple is the best approach for the great majority of customers to get their devices fixed.

“This modification to the design is a huge victory. “The iPhone will have a longer lifespan as a result of these modifications, and the device’s total impact on the environment will be diminished,” Wiens wrote.