September 20, 2014 at 04:41iPhone 6: disassemble in Moscow, assess maintainability and compare with iPhone 5s
Our colleagues from iFixit have already disassembled both new iPhones. We could not get ahead of them with all our will. But in the end, the iPhone 6 fell into our hands on the first day of sales and was immediately taken apart to a screw. While working on this post, we tried not to repeat what iFixit already said and not just focus on what the device consists of, but analyze its internal differences from its predecessor and evaluate (literally) maintainability in our conditions. We also filmed the parsing process on the camera, and you can see for yourself how a qualified craftsman disassembles the gadget the first time.
It was rather unexpected that the iPhone 6 is de facto moisture resistant, and the company appreciates its own engineering efforts so highly that it adorned all smartphone components with a logo.
I will say right away: the praises of the maintainability of the new iPhone should be taken carefully. Yes, indeed, many elements are strengthened and / or simplified, and getting to them is easier. However, this is “compensated” by the fact that the master requires more skill and attentiveness. For example, the iPhone 6 already has 60 screws, most of which can be viewed under a microscope. Lose or collapse them - a couple of trifles. So the knee-repair workshops are likely to return the devices after repair with empty holes. It can be traced outside, but with difficulty inside.
What is definitely pleasing is the simplification of the loop design of the Home button, combined with Touch ID. In the iPhone 5s, the fingerprint scanner was still new, and its work was provided by a long, fragile loop. He was one of the device’s weakest points, and the replacement of a button assembly, by the way, cost at least 5,000 rubles. Now there is a good chance that Home will live, if not forever, then long enough.
The button from the iPhone 5s is on the left.
In general, attention to detail is once again striking. Here, for example, is one of the many antennas. In Asian devices, it looks like another train, only shorter. Apple did this.
That is, they really sat, drew, thought.
On the lower loop, the Lightning and headphone jacks are significantly reinforced. Why bother with the latter - everyone understands. We plug the plugs roughly, the connectors break, and the tighter the better. And Lightning is also strengthened not without intent: after all, now you can also connect headphones to it, and Philips has already announced the first model. If so, the load increases, and this is not charging once every couple of days, but a constant stick-in. Reinforce!
The bottom loop of the iPhone 5s at the top
The vibromotor has increased in size. In practice, I won’t lie until I checked it, but in terms of size - I have to break through my fleece pants. And if you see a strange bouncing man in light clothes in the subway, do not be alarmed. Maybe he has an iPhone 6.
Another reason that does not allow you to miss an incoming call is the new speaker. It noticeably increased in size and became two times louder. The sound quality has also improved. Now the iPhone is competing with prolific portable speakers. Moreover, the sound goes directly, without being squeezed and not disfigured by cheap implementations of Bluetooth.
IPhone 5s speaker on the right.
The iPhone 6 camera protrudes slightly from the case, but the module itself has become a little thinner than in its predecessor.
Camera iPhone 5s on the left.
Please note that Apple first put its logo on the camera. This can be either a coincidence (in the iPhone 6 the logo appears on all components), and evidence of the presence of serious internal hardware developments in it.
The battery has increased significantly in size, but the capacity for these days is still modest - 1810 mAh. It's hard to comment on something here. Yes, I would like more. But Apple believes that this desire is wrong. You can vote in rubles for some other product. And you can put up and have fun.
Battery iPhone 5s on the left
All buttons are now separate and equipped with rubber gaskets. And - looking a little ahead - I’ll say that everything inside the iPhone 6 is equipped with moisture protection. In practice, this means a very simple thing: if you fall into fresh water with a high degree of probability, nothing will happen to the phone.
The inside of the case itself bears traces of machining, but this does not spoil it, but, on the contrary, gives brutality. And serves as a reliable mount for double-sided tape that holds the battery. The latter can only be removed using a soldering station, and even then - not without difficulty.
The motherboard has become L-shaped. This causes a lot of associations, but we decided that Apple made the move with a knight. Please note that there was a place for the Apple logo on it. Previously, he adorned only chips.
Motherboard iPhone 5s on the right
A few words about the prices for repairs.
The Home button and connectors will let us down less often. Buttons - if they suddenly fail - can be changed individually, and this should be cheaper. Drown iPhone 6 should be much less common, and this is also good news.
But the screen as it was beating, and it will be beating very easily. Replacement prices are, to say the least, inhumane. In the first months, the pleasure will cost at least 10,000 rubles, if not more (now the Chinese seem to be selling original screens at all for $ 500, but after the mass start of sales they should slightly lower the price). So it is better to immediately attend to the purchase of a cover or bumper - from sin.
I am not a supporter of device reviews for several hours of use, so I plan to write a thoughtful text in about a week. But on the internal structure, the device is of great respect. We probably don’t know - what is the turnover in the team working on the iPhone. But engineering philosophy itself remains the same. Making it easier, more reliable and ... more beautiful every time. That's the inner beauty that distinguishes Apple technology from most analogues. In my personal opinion, only top representatives of the Lenovo ThinkPad family can compare with it. Beauty itself is, of course, nonsense. But behind it is usually a deep thoughtfulness of decisions. And this is no longer trifles.
Parsing iPhone 6 recorded on the video. It is quite long - 46 minutes. But, disassembling the device, we tried to pay attention to important trifles. So, perhaps it will be no less interesting for you to watch than for us to disassemble.
Tomorrow, more precisely today, we will open the iPhone 6 Plus.
The author thanks the My-Apple-Store.ru online store for the iPhone 6 provided for parsing and the Tech-Town.ru service center for help in creating materials.
Important update: iPhone 6 Plus is already parsed . If interested, welcome to read and watch.
PS My review of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus can be found here .
It was rather unexpected that the iPhone 6 is de facto moisture resistant, and the company appreciates its own engineering efforts so highly that it adorned all smartphone components with a logo.
I will say right away: the praises of the maintainability of the new iPhone should be taken carefully. Yes, indeed, many elements are strengthened and / or simplified, and getting to them is easier. However, this is “compensated” by the fact that the master requires more skill and attentiveness. For example, the iPhone 6 already has 60 screws, most of which can be viewed under a microscope. Lose or collapse them - a couple of trifles. So the knee-repair workshops are likely to return the devices after repair with empty holes. It can be traced outside, but with difficulty inside.
What is definitely pleasing is the simplification of the loop design of the Home button, combined with Touch ID. In the iPhone 5s, the fingerprint scanner was still new, and its work was provided by a long, fragile loop. He was one of the device’s weakest points, and the replacement of a button assembly, by the way, cost at least 5,000 rubles. Now there is a good chance that Home will live, if not forever, then long enough.
The button from the iPhone 5s is on the left.
In general, attention to detail is once again striking. Here, for example, is one of the many antennas. In Asian devices, it looks like another train, only shorter. Apple did this.
That is, they really sat, drew, thought.
On the lower loop, the Lightning and headphone jacks are significantly reinforced. Why bother with the latter - everyone understands. We plug the plugs roughly, the connectors break, and the tighter the better. And Lightning is also strengthened not without intent: after all, now you can also connect headphones to it, and Philips has already announced the first model. If so, the load increases, and this is not charging once every couple of days, but a constant stick-in. Reinforce!
The bottom loop of the iPhone 5s at the top
The vibromotor has increased in size. In practice, I won’t lie until I checked it, but in terms of size - I have to break through my fleece pants. And if you see a strange bouncing man in light clothes in the subway, do not be alarmed. Maybe he has an iPhone 6.
Another reason that does not allow you to miss an incoming call is the new speaker. It noticeably increased in size and became two times louder. The sound quality has also improved. Now the iPhone is competing with prolific portable speakers. Moreover, the sound goes directly, without being squeezed and not disfigured by cheap implementations of Bluetooth.
IPhone 5s speaker on the right.
The iPhone 6 camera protrudes slightly from the case, but the module itself has become a little thinner than in its predecessor.
Camera iPhone 5s on the left.
Please note that Apple first put its logo on the camera. This can be either a coincidence (in the iPhone 6 the logo appears on all components), and evidence of the presence of serious internal hardware developments in it.
The battery has increased significantly in size, but the capacity for these days is still modest - 1810 mAh. It's hard to comment on something here. Yes, I would like more. But Apple believes that this desire is wrong. You can vote in rubles for some other product. And you can put up and have fun.
Battery iPhone 5s on the left
All buttons are now separate and equipped with rubber gaskets. And - looking a little ahead - I’ll say that everything inside the iPhone 6 is equipped with moisture protection. In practice, this means a very simple thing: if you fall into fresh water with a high degree of probability, nothing will happen to the phone.
The inside of the case itself bears traces of machining, but this does not spoil it, but, on the contrary, gives brutality. And serves as a reliable mount for double-sided tape that holds the battery. The latter can only be removed using a soldering station, and even then - not without difficulty.
The motherboard has become L-shaped. This causes a lot of associations, but we decided that Apple made the move with a knight. Please note that there was a place for the Apple logo on it. Previously, he adorned only chips.
Motherboard iPhone 5s on the right
A few words about the prices for repairs.
The Home button and connectors will let us down less often. Buttons - if they suddenly fail - can be changed individually, and this should be cheaper. Drown iPhone 6 should be much less common, and this is also good news.
But the screen as it was beating, and it will be beating very easily. Replacement prices are, to say the least, inhumane. In the first months, the pleasure will cost at least 10,000 rubles, if not more (now the Chinese seem to be selling original screens at all for $ 500, but after the mass start of sales they should slightly lower the price). So it is better to immediately attend to the purchase of a cover or bumper - from sin.
I am not a supporter of device reviews for several hours of use, so I plan to write a thoughtful text in about a week. But on the internal structure, the device is of great respect. We probably don’t know - what is the turnover in the team working on the iPhone. But engineering philosophy itself remains the same. Making it easier, more reliable and ... more beautiful every time. That's the inner beauty that distinguishes Apple technology from most analogues. In my personal opinion, only top representatives of the Lenovo ThinkPad family can compare with it. Beauty itself is, of course, nonsense. But behind it is usually a deep thoughtfulness of decisions. And this is no longer trifles.
Parsing iPhone 6 recorded on the video. It is quite long - 46 minutes. But, disassembling the device, we tried to pay attention to important trifles. So, perhaps it will be no less interesting for you to watch than for us to disassemble.
Tomorrow, more precisely today, we will open the iPhone 6 Plus.
The author thanks the My-Apple-Store.ru online store for the iPhone 6 provided for parsing and the Tech-Town.ru service center for help in creating materials.
Important update: iPhone 6 Plus is already parsed . If interested, welcome to read and watch.
PS My review of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus can be found here .