Tags: DIY Repair »»»» Right to Repair »»»» iPhone Repair
I have an old iPhone 4S that I'm preparing to sell on eBay and one issue was that the battery had died. At iFixit a whole repair kit, battery plus tools, cost only $16 so I took the plunge to see about replacing the battery. I came away hugely impressed at the value, if only because the included tools are flat out excellent.
Replacing the iPhone 4S battery is nothing short of trivial. Why aren't current iPhones as easy to replace the battery? Oh, right, Apple thinks thinner is better. Bah. Repairable is better.
Anyway the process is
- Use the Pentalobe tip on the screwdriver to undo two screws at the bottom of the case
- Slide the back of the phone upwards
- Pop off the back
- Unscrew the screws holding down the connector for the old battery
- Lift out the old battery, dealing with the glue holding it down
- Insert the new battery, squdging the ribbon cable so the connector goes in place
- Screw in the screws holding the connector in place
- Slide the back on
- Screw in the screws holding the back in place
That's a lot of steps, but none of it is difficult. Well, other than the screws are incredibly tiny and easy to lose.
But I'm here to talk about the iFixit service, not the project itself because almost nobody is interested any longer in replacing iPhone 4S batteries. But anyone looking to fix anything could do well to take a look at iFixit for repair guides and parts and tools.
This is the kit, focusing on the included tools.
I've bought several repair kits from a variety of sources such as to replace MacBook Pro battery packs. The included tools are usually the cheapest grade possible, because the kit seller wants to keep their profit margin as big as possible.
iFixit must be aiming to get me as a repeat customer, and the quality of these tools sure has my attention. What I bought is iPhone 4S Replacement Battery, and for the battery alone the cost is $13.99, and the so-called "fix kit" is $16.99. For that additional three dollars you get all those tools on the right.
Three dollars for ... An excellent screwdriver with three excellent tips, an excellent suction cup, an excellent spudger, an excellent pair of tweezers, and another excellent tool that I'm not sure what it's for but I think is called "opening tool".
Three dollars. Amazing.
