iPhone 5 Teardown
Teardown
Teardowns provide a look inside a device and should not be used as disassembly instructions.
Behold, the sixth generation of iPhone! We shall call it…iPhone 5! Buckle down for the iPhone 5 teardown: the biggest thing to happen to teardowns since teardowns.
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Step 1
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iPhone 5 Teardown
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The dawn of another day in the Land Down Under brings us what we've all been waiting for: the new iPhone 5!
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A big thanks to MacFixit Australia for letting us use their digs in Melbourne for this teardown. They stock Mac and iPhone upgrades/accessories, and also carry our iFixit toolkits.
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Step 3
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There won't be any mistaking an iPhone 5 for an iPhone 4 or 4S. A lot has changed on the outside of the iPhone.
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The most obvious alteration to the bottom of the phone is the exchange of the large 30-pin dock connector for the diminutive Lightning connector.
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The headphone jack is now on the bottom of the iPhone, right next to the updated
speakermicrophone grille—a series of holes rather than a mesh-covered slot. -
Other notable differences are the slate bezel, as opposed to the stainless steel that wrapped around the 4S, and the chamfered edges between the bezel and the front/rear cases.
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Step 4
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Pesky pentalobes! Good thing our 5-Point Drivers still work on them.
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It's incredibly convenient that Apple used the same pentalobe screwhead that they've been using for the past two years on the iPhone 4 and 4S. Unfortunately, the screw shafts are slightly different from the screws in our iPhone Liberation Kit…for now.
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The unibody back case is reminiscent of the iPhone 3GS, while still retaining the square (though now chamfered) edges of the iPhone 4.
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Step 5
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What's this? A suction cup? We haven't needed a suction cup to get into an iPhone since the 3GS!
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Because the iPhone 5 is opened front-to-back, replacing a cracked screen is going to be easier than ever. Thank you, Apple!
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Compare this to the iPhone 4S, where it took 38 steps to isolate the display assembly, and this iPhone may be the most repairable iPhone we've seen in a while.
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Step 6
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The display connector is held firmly to the logic board by a few simple Phillips screws.
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Our spudger makes quick work of prying up the display connector, and poof! the display is free.
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We're having iPhone 3GS flashbacks with the easily accessible display assembly.
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Screen crackers and screen fixers rejoice!
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Step 7
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The iPhone 5 ditches its lid to show us all of the juicy bits inside.
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So, what can we see from here? A bigger battery? Antenna connections? A single speaker? Cameras? Vibrators? Home buttons?
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Never fear, our faithful iPhone delivers; we'll be sure to take a closer look at each of these components as we remove them.
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Step 8
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As always, we disconnect the battery first to prevent electrifying anything, including ourselves, as we dig deeper.
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Three Phillips #00 screws and a metal bracket hold the battery connector to the logic board.
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Hmm, this is beginning to feel very familiar.
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In the 3GS, the display assembly was easy to take out, but the battery was a pain. In the 4 and 4S, the display assembly took 38 steps to remove, while the battery was a breeze. We like to think that Apple has started tailoring to our preferences in allowing us to remove both the display assembly and the battery in only a couple of steps.
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