Is the iPhone 16 Apple’s most repairable phone?

The iPhone 16 launch was Apple’s chance to strut its stuff whilst proudly shouting about all the innovations that iOS 18 has unleashed inside its latest handset.

It’s a long list of goodies. A new A18 chip, telephoto 48MP Fusion cameras with Camera Control software and an Action button for, well, actions. Apple Intelligence, Apple’s much-hyped AI system, wasn’t available at launch but still hogged a sizable chunk of Apple’s press release. Keep scrolling and you’ll spot that at the bottom, below everything else, was Apple’s environmental declaration for the iPhone 16.

Why hide it? The iPhone 16’s battery contains 100% recycled cobalt, twice that of Samsung’s S24 Ultra, whilst the recycled lithium content is – for the first time in Apple’s history – over 95%.

We should applaud Apple for these and other sustainable landmarks in the iPhone 16. In typical Cupertino fashion, only Apple’s left hand can celebrate a sustainable achievement because the right hand is busy punching itself in the nose.

After all, what’s the point in having a sustainable battery if it’s a nightmare to replace?

Once again, we need to talk about Apple’s attitude to repair.

Why the iPhone 16 has impressed iFixit

iFixit gave the iPhone 16 a 7 out of 10 rating for repair, noting its improved internal layout compared to the iPhone 15 (4 out of 10). An improved layout makes repair and replacements easier and safer by allowing a repairer to get to straight to components. Being able to access a faulty charging port is less risky when not having to remove a pile of other components first.

In June 2024, Apple released a stack of documentation for all the iPhones going back to the first version. Sadly, only the iPhone 12 (released 2020) and newer have repair information, but this is still a cause for a mini-celebration.

The iPhone 16 is the first model to ship with an official Apple repair manual. Well done Apple, keep it up.

Genuine Apple spare parts: on sale now!

You may not have ever considered what makes a good repair manual, but Apple has nailed it. It’s publicly available for free with useful diagrams, instructions and part numbers to get spares.

As if things couldn’t get any better, Apple now sells spare parts for iPhone 12 through to iPhone 15 (iPhone 16 parts will come later). A genuine Apple battery for my iPhone 12 mini came in at a robust £85, but Apple would credit me £40.80 if I returned my old battery. Not only does this make the repair cost much more attractive, but ensures that Apple can recycle and reuse elements in the battery. This closed-loop recycling is a useful source of cobalt and lithium to repurpose within the iPhone 16. It’s circularity in action.

Is the iPhone 16 easy to repair?

Easier than other iPhones, but it’s not up to Fairphone’s industry leading repairability.

Although the iPhone 16 has an improved component layout, getting through the layers of adhesives remains a (literal) barrier.

For example, the official Apple Repair Guide states that to get the screen off the iPhone 16 requires the use of Apple’s Heated Display Removal Fixture tool which is essentially a pizza oven for phones to loosen the adhesive.

To replace the screen, Apple recommends the use of a display press. This is akin to a George Foreman Grill, gently squeezing the screen back into position once the repair is complete.

Although Apple makes these tools available via a rental scheme (for around £50), it greatly adds to the cost and duration of the repair whilst also highlighting how much Apple needs to catch up in the repair-space.

In contrast, iFixit’s guide on how to change the display on an iPhone 16 substitutes bespoke tools with a hair dryer and coffee filters.

The reason I and many others bang the drum for Right to Repair is to make it easier for everyone to repair, reuse and refurbish in order to tackle e-waste and reduce the need to mine for raw materials.

Repair needs to be frictionless. iFixit understands this. Apple does not.

I need to do what with the battery?

The process for replacing the iPhone 16’s battery perfectly exemplifies this friction. It requires the use of a 9V battery and some clips to hot-wire an innovative de-bonding process.

After 90 seconds of 12V, the battery can be removed without the traditional tugging of adhesive strips dowsed in isopropyl alcohol.

As a technical innovation, Electrically Induced Adhesive Debonding has potential (that one is for the TechFinitive electricity-pun fans). iFixit doesn’t believe that this method is multi-use and I have to agree. Apple’s repair manual shows that the adhesive residue from with the iPhone’s case must be removed with isopropyl alcohol before inserting the replacement battery, then squeezing it into place using another bespoke tool.

Is it a step forward? YouTube superstar Hugh Jeffreys thinks so. His repair videos have been viewed over 200 million times since 2011 and he knows his way around the insides of iPhones. “I genuinely think Apple’s new battery removal process is better than the previous stretch release adhesive method found in iPhones since the iPhone 5s,” he told TechFinitive.

“There is no longer the risk of snapping the adhesive, which would leave you to fight with the battery to get it out. So long as you have some wire and a 9V battery, the new removal process is quite straightforward. I wouldn’t mind seeing this technology come to other devices”.

Like Hugh, I applaud Apple’s innovation with the 12V battery release. With a small tweak, it could be genuinely useful rather than merely interesting.

What if Apple shifted the Electrically Induced Adhesive Debonding mechanism to the display module and back glass? Instead of hiring an Apple-approved pizza oven for the weekend, a quick dab of 12V inside a Pentalobe screw hole takes care of the adhesive, making internal access much simpler. You’re welcome Apple!

Spares are only part(s) of the problem

Frustratingly, repairing an Apple iPhone 16 doesn’t end when the parts have been swapped and it has been reassembled.

In Apple-land, paying with your own money for spares and repair tools isn’t enough to get the device that you paid for up and running. You need to ask for Apple’s ‘special’ permission.

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook is a Techno-Pope and you’ll need to kiss his ring before a repaired iPhone 16 regains full functionality.

Apple is one of many companies that use a process called Parts Pairing or Serialisation. A simplified example is the screen inside an iPhone. It has its own serial number paired with the handset’s serial number. Swap the screen of an iPhone 16 for one with a serial number which doesn’t match and Apple disables functionality like True Tone and FaceID.

We don’t have space here to discuss why Apple and others do this. Whatever their reasons, it blocks device repairs.

For many years, the resolution to this Apple-induced trauma was to take your device to an Apple Authorised Service provider. After regulatory pressure, Apple introduced a painful ‘Self Service’ option but Apple’s latest software update, iOS 18, makes it possible to manage parts pairing on the handset.

Repair Assistant, iOS 18 and Parts Pairing

Repair Assistant is a new feature for iOS 18 that manages the parts pairing process. Almost.

When iFixit tried the process in early September 2024, it reported that the process was lumpy and still required a visit to Apple support. Hugh Jeffreys has also given Apple Repair Assistant a rigorous workout. Hugh told us: “Apple’s new ‘Parts and Service’ system is an improvement but it still doesn’t allow for third-party parts, currently these will only work in a reduced capacity like we have seen with previous models.

“However, I found when using a genuine display it must have its original light sensor flex cable connected or the screen will not pair. My biggest concern is with it being a server-based system things could change in the future.”

Hugh has created a fabulous (and beautifully produced) video covering all the repair aspects of the iPhone 16. I heartily encourage you to watch Hugh at work and see just how needlessly complicated it is to repair an iPhone 16.

Despite these complications, Hugh is also minded to give the iPhone 16’s battery replacement a good repair score. “I would say 7/10. This is because you need some extra pieces to complete the removal. But I believe it to be better than the previous removal method as you no longer have to remove the speaker and Taptic Engine to access the stretch release tabs.”

On the face of it, Repair Assistant seems like a positive step – but it does nothing to wean Apple off its addiction to controlling the repair process with parts pairing.

Particularly when Apple’s Activation Lock comes into play.

Activation Lock vs Repair Assistant

If you’re not familiar with Activation Lock, then here’s the official word from Apple:

A feature that’s designed to prevent anyone else from using your iPhone or iPad if it’s ever lost or stolen. Activation Lock turns on automatically when you turn on Find My on your device.

It’s a security mechanism which is a necessary and reassuring feature should your iPhone fall into the wrong hands. In a separate tech note Apple says this:

If you reuse a battery, display, TrueDepth camera, or Touch ID sensor from an iPhone or iPad that’s protected by Activation Lock (the part is still linked to the previous owner’s Apple Account), you need to authenticate with the Apple Account used with the previous device to finish the repair.

Apple designed Activation Lock so only the configurator or Apple can remove it. Suppose you accidentally buy an Activation Locked iPhone screen for repair. Repair Assistant will block its use unless someone removes Activation Lock from the source device.

That’s a lot of potentially genuine spare parts which are difficult to use.

John Bumstead is a skilled tech repairer and refurbisher who has handled thousands of Activation Locked devices. He explained the legitimate reason why these devices are a dream for security but a nightmare for repair.

“If your device is one of the tens of millions of unstolen Apple devices that are locked because they have been dumped to recyclers by institutions without bothering to remove them from iCloud, or de-register them from remote management, then Apple almost certainly will not unlock for you.”

He’s right. IT departments often fail to properly deactivate corporate, enterprise and education devices. This leaves them Activation Locked. Recyclers trade these locked devices by the pallet load.

“Most of these millions of devices get scrapped as a result. A simple Activation Lock alert is the indication to a recycler that the device should be scrapped.”

Will Apple unlock an Activation Locked device?

Apple will unlock Activation Locked devices, but it’s at their discretion.

“If you have an original receipt that meets certain criteria, and you are the first or second owner of a device, there is a chance Apple will unlock it for you if you go to an Apple Store,” John Bumstead told us.

Apple’s case-by-case approach may seem viable for individuals and home users. For refurbishers and repairers who buy in bulk, it’s a problem.

“If you don’t have an original receipt, or you are too far removed from the original purchaser of the device, the procedure almost certainly won’t work,” said Bumstead.

Apple doesn’t have a mechanism to remove Activation Lock for certified refurbishers. Note this important point: Removing Activation Lock requires erasing the device. You must then reset the device before returning it to service. Removing Activation Lock doesn’t give access to the machine’s data.

Bumstead’s opinion of Repair Assistant probably won’t come as a surprise. “Apple’s new scheme is a step backwards disguised as a step forward. In the past, a locked device could be used as a parts machine, with only the logic board remaining unusable. Now, thanks to parts pairing technology, Apple has stated that other parts will be locked and therefore un-pairable.”

If you’re still on the fence between the need for security and the need to reuse parts, then Bumstead hopes to bring some clarity.

“The overwhelming majority of locked and managed devices are not stolen but simply were never de-registered by previous owners, and this new step means that all those devices, down to every part, will be condemned to death and no longer usable,” he said.

“Apple simply trumpets its greenwashing anthem, forever perpetuating the belief that Activation Locked devices are stolen.”

What is next for Apple and Right to Repair?

Although Apple has made these changes in a way it perceives will be a benefit to their customers, we must not forget that Right To Repair legislation now determines that Apple must make parts, tools and documentation available in certain parts of the world.

Additionally, certain regions prohibit companies from restricting repairs due to Parts Pairing.

Apple redesigned the iPhone 16 and introduced Repair Assistant to comply with regulations. iFixit was impressed and gave a good mark. What about an independent repairer like John Bumstead?

“The older a phone gets, the more likely a user is going to buy a low-cost third-party battery which results in a phone that is imperfect due to Apple degrading its features. You can’t sell phones if they are not fully functional, so basically all phones past their first life, needing a third-party battery will not be eligible for a marketplace.”

John added: “In my view, the 1-10 scale is for repairs that are a success. Repairs resulting in a phone that is not even repaired is simply not a success at all and the rating does not deserve to be on the scale.”

We can’t yet determine how Repair Assistant will react when users install non-Apple parts into the device. Kewin Charron, Back Market’s Senior Lead Refurbishment Operations Manager, recently announced on LinkedIn that they’d found that iOS 18.1 (Beta 5) will now correctly display the capacities of third-party batteries. Hopefully, this feature will make it to the release version later in the year.

So, is the iPhone 16 Apple’s most repairable phone?

No. Anything prior to the iPhone 12 was much easier to repair.

Apple is clearly making progress, but it needs to improve quickly. Several pieces of legislation are working through the EU which (should) mandate that phone batteries are user-replaceable by 2027. That means no pizza ovens or 9V Frankenstein decoupling. For clarity, Samsung, Google and virtually every other phone manufacturer also have this problem to solve. Or they could just look at Fairphone.

Changing the Fairphone’s battery takes less than 15 seconds. You don’t need to remove any glue. You won’t warm up a pizza oven, and you won’t risk shorting the device by mis-wiring two batteries together.

Related reading: Fairphone 5 vs iPhone 15: which is more ethical?

It’s such a simple process that Fairphone will often ship a free battery with new handsets. Why worry about battery life when swapping one takes moments?

You see Apple, that’s how you do it!

Although Apple makes sensational products, in an increasingly eco-aware market, buying an iPhone 16 is not the sustainable thing to do. As the company continues to swim against the tide of legislative change washing over the sector, it’s losing ground to rivals that understand the repair space. Companies such as Fairphone, HMD and Lenovo.

It’s no wonder Apple is still hiding its sustainable developments at the bottom of a press release.