Apple took a different approach with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus when its internal design was concerned, with earlier reports stating that both models were easier to disassemble and take apart. Now, Apple’s Senior Director of iPhone product design, Richard Dinh, sat down in an interview, talking about why this decision was made.

Dinh claims that the internal design change of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus allowed the models to feature notable upgrades, such as camera hardware improvements

Talking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Dinh says that previously, if any repairs had to happen on any model prior to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus launch, the display had to be removed first and carefully. This was due to the glass back that was permanently attached to the metal chassis, which no doubt made for a frustrating teardown experience.

“Since iPhone 5, we’ve used a single enclosure design, what we call a bucket design, and then since iPhone 8 with the introduction of wireless charging, we added the back glass, which was permanently affixed to the aluminium housing. This meant that any repairs to these internal components needs to happen by removing the display first, and potentially any other pieces, to access the internals, especially the ones located towards the back glass.”

As MacRumors reports, the internal design change not only improved the disassembly process, which now opens like a book but also allowed Apple to use the available space to cram in additional upgrades, such as a larger camera. For those that do not know, both handsets sport a larger main camera than the iPhone 13 Pro Max. This new change also allowed improved heat dissipation, preventing both iPhones from quickly reaching their temperature limits.

“This central structural plane helps to dissipate more heat across the entire surface more consistently. This design also introduces our first four-sided stacked main logic board [which] really condenses all the iPhone 14 components in a smaller space and allows us to access the board from either side, for improved repairability.”

In the iFixit teardown video given above, the host also notes the internal design changes that Apple introduced, which was a welcome shift as it allowed easier repairs. Whether or not the technology giant will retain this approach with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, none of us know, but if it does, it should make the entire process easier, not just for customers but also for the person doing the repairs.

News Source: The Sydney Morning Herald