Apple ’s newiPhone 16ereceived a provisional 7/10 repairability rating and a broadly positive write - up in iFixit’svideo teardownMonday . But one element arrive in for austere criticism : the USB - C port .
As the presenter notes , the 16e is based on the computer architecture of the iPhone 14 , and this create some curiosity . In some respects the new sound is extremely progressive , featuring a state - of - the - artistic creation A18 mainframe and the first ever sighting of Apple ’s in - family C1 modem . But in others it keeps the same excogitation – and repairability problem – as the old 14 .
“ As I ’m remove the Taptic Engine and the SIM card space bearer , ” the donor explains , “ I take in that the USB - C port remotion process that saw a significant reduction in the 16 Pro and Pro Max has regressed in the iPhone 16e .
“ This is probably because of the shared architecture with the base model iPhone 14 , but it ’s still disappointing to see . ”
The job is that repairers can not simply remove a damage porthole assembly and slot in a replacement . Rather , a litany of other components must total out first to set aside access : the IR camera , IR projector , and selfie camera ; the independent camera ; the logical system board ; the SIM card placeholder . In fact , except for the screen , everything in the earphone had to be take away to get at the USB - C port .
iFixit describe this as a “ terrible design . ” And it ’s not like this is a minor subject : the company warn that the port is a frequent point of failure because of the mechanically skillful wear and tear it ’s subjected to in normal use . This is a constituent that frequently need to be bushel .
In other respects iFixit was move by the iPhone 16e . It commend , for exercise , a new metal trapping that protects a flex cable on the back housing and prevents repairers from accidentally severing it when opening up the casing from that direction . ( The cables connecting the concealment are not protected in this way and must be treat with caution . ) The site concluded that the overall experience had been a positive one – but those issues with the USB - C port March what could have been a standout carrying into action .
