Just like we enjoy having full control of the software in our smartphones, some of us at XDA also prefer to do our own device repairs as well. When a new smartphone or tablet gets torn down by iFixit, you typically see us writing about it. Not only is it interesting to us, but we feel these teardowns are an invaluable tool for the entire Android community as well. iFixit recently released a ranked list that includes some of the biggest smartphones of this year.
iFixit gives each of their official teardowns a repairability score. This score can be used as a quick way of learning how easy, or difficult, a smartphone can be to repair. We're told the team gives points based on modular designs if/when they're used, removable batteries, standard screw types, and when a screen is easy to replace. These are generally the pain points for smartphone repairs, so it's nice when an OEM has gone the extra mile here.
iFixit also takes points away when they feel an excessive amount of adhesives have been used inside the phone. They also don't like to see soldered components, or complex opening procedures either. So this published list is short, but it does a good job at highlighting some of the best and worst smartphones released this year as far as repairability is concerned. At the top of the list we have the LG G5. It might not have sold as many units as LG had hoped, but iFixit appreciated the removable battery and modular design.
Next up is the Pixel XL from Google (and HTC), as it was praised for having many modular internal components. However, the Pixel and Pixel XL are difficult to open without breaking the screen. Then at the bottom of the list we have the Galaxy Note 7, with the Galaxy S7 right below it. They felt the Galaxy Note 7 was tough to open, and the battery was more difficult to replace than it should have been. They described the Galaxy S7 as a glass and glue sandwich, which made it difficult to open and repair.
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