When you buy a refurbished mobile phone, there's a question that few ask but that should carry a lot of weight: is it easy to repair? A device where swapping the battery or the screen costs little and can be done quickly lasts longer. And that's precisely what a refurbished phone is for: reparability is, at its core, longevity.
In this article
- What reparability is (and why it matters to you)
- The easiest-to-repair iPhones
- The surprise: the iPhone 14
- And Samsung, the Pixel, iPads and Mac?
- What to do with this
- Frequently asked questions
- Which iPhone is the easiest to repair?
- Is the iPhone 14 easy to repair?
- Are Samsung Galaxy phones repairable?
- Is it worth repairing or replacing?
There's a surprise right from the start: the latest model isn't always the easiest to repair. The iPhone 14, for example, is harder to fix than the older iPhone 12. Let's look at the numbers.
What reparability is (and why it matters to you)
The two repairs people actually pay for are the battery and the screen. If a model is easy and cheap on both, it gains a long second life. The iFixit, the world-leading repair reference, gives each device a repairability score of 0 to 10 (the higher, the easier to repair). We start from that score and add our own repair costs.
The easiest-to-repair iPhones
At the top are the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 (7/10 on iFixit): among the newest and also the most repairable.
But the best value for money lies further back. The iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12 (6/10) remain easy to open and far cheaper: replacing the battery of either costs around 60 €, a fraction of the phone's price.
The surprise: the iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 has only 4/10, below the iPhone 12, despite being newer. And it's not our mistake: in September 2023, iFixit itself dropped the iPhone 14 score from 7 to 4, because of the parts-pairing from Apple (software‑paired parts that make replacement harder), a decision that specialist press followed.
The conclusion is simple: newer does not mean more repairable. Sometimes, a slightly older model is the smarter choice.
And Samsung, the Pixel, iPads and Mac?
- Samsung sits behind Apple and Google. The Galaxy S22 is among the most difficult to repair (3/10).
- Google Pixel opens well on the display, but the battery is more difficult (Pixel 8 and 9).
- Tablets are, by nature, more complicated (glued displays). Expect fewer cheap home repairs.
- MacBooks, with a single‑piece chassis, are among the most sealed. Here, buying refurbished tested pays off even more than attempting a DIY fix.
What to do with this
- Want to know the repairability of your your model? Use our repairability tool: type in the device and see the index and the guides.
- Your phone broke down and you don't know if it's worth fixing? The calculator Repair or replace? does the maths for you in 60 seconds.
- If the conclusion is to replace, a certified refurbished, with battery tested using technical software and warranty, giving you years of use for a fraction of the price of a new one.
Frequently asked questions
Which iPhone is the easiest to repair?
The iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16 (7/10 on the iFixit index). Among the cheapest, the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 12 (6/10) offer the best value for money.
Is the iPhone 14 easy to repair?
No. iFixit gave it 4/10 and lowered the score from 7 to 4 in 2023, because of Apple’s parts‑pairing. It is more difficult to obtain than the older iPhone 12.
Are Samsung Galaxy phones repairable?
Less so than Apple and Google devices. The Galaxy S22, for example, has 3/10 on iFixit.
Is it worth repairing or replacing?
It depends on the repair cost relative to the value of an equivalent refurbished device and the age of the phone. Our calculator tells you in 60 seconds.
Source of reparability indexes: iFixit (iFixit.com). The repair costs shown are iOutlet estimates.
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