iFixit, a company that is known for its teardowns of electronic devices, concluded that of the notable handsets from 2016 that they were able to take apart, one LG smartphone ruled them all.
Yes, the LG G5 is this year’s most repairable smartphone, thanks to its user-removable battery and modular components. It got a high mark of 8 out of 10. Devices are scored based on ease of disassembly, and points are added for factors such as removable batteries, modular designs, easy-to-replace screens, and standard screw types. Points are deducted for soldered components, excessive adhesives, and complicated opening procedures.
The LG G5 is iFixit’s most repairable smartphone from 2016, thanks to its user-removable battery and modular components.
The Google Pixel and the Apple iPhone 7 are not far behind, with each garnering a repairability score of seven. The former would probably be in the LG G5’s league — given that most of its internal components are modular — had it not been challenging to open without breaking the display. The latest iPhone, on the other hand, got points for straightforward battery and screen replacements, but was dragged down by one thing: Taking it apart needs four different screwdrivers.
Another Apple product, one of the devices that made it to our top seven smartphones of 2016, achieved a respectable score of six. The iPhone SE earned cookie points because its screen and battery are fairly easy to replace. However, you’d have to be careful when trying to fix it; its Touch ID cable can break easily.
Surprisingly, this year’s Samsung phones did not fare well. Before it got discontinued, the Galaxy Note 7 only managed a score of four. And the Samsung Galaxy S7? A dismal three, making it the least repairable of them all. Ouch. In the words of iFixit, “In years past, Galaxy phones have been very modular, so it’s a little sad for us to see Samsung go down the path of glued-together phones.”
Apparently, the Samsung Galaxy S7 is the least repairable of them all.
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