When you buy a refurbished phone, there is one question few people ask and it should matter a lot: is it easy to repair? A device where replacing the battery or screen is quick and affordable lasts for more years. And that is exactly what refurbished is for: repairability is, at heart, longevity.
In this article
- What repairability is (and why it matters to you)
- The easiest iPhones to repair
- The surprise: the iPhone 14
- What about Samsung, Pixel, iPads and Mac?
- What to do with this
- Frequently asked questions
- Which iPhone is easiest to repair?
- Is the iPhone 14 easy to repair?
- Are Samsung Galaxy phones repairable?
- Is it worth repairing or replacing?
There is a surprise right from the start: the newest model is not 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 repairability 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 affordable on those two, it gets a long second life. iFixit, the global reference for repair, gives each device a repairability score from 0 to 10 (the higher it is, the easier it is to repair). We start with that score and add our own repair costs.
The easiest iPhones to repair
At the top are the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 (7/10 on iFixit): among the newest and also among the most repairable.
But the best value sits a little further back. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 (6/10) are still easy to open and much cheaper: replacing the battery on either of them is around 60 €, a fraction of the phone’s value.
The surprise: the iPhone 14
The iPhone 14 has only 4/10, below the iPhone 12, even though it is newer. And this is not our mistake: in September 2023, iFixit itself lowered the iPhone 14 score from 7 to 4, because of Apple’s parts-pairing (software-paired parts, which make replacement harder), a decision that the specialist press covered.
The conclusion is simple: newer does not mean more repairable. Sometimes, a slightly older model is the smarter choice.
What about Samsung, Pixel, iPads and Mac?
- Samsung sits behind Apple and Google. The Galaxy S22 is one of the hardest to repair (3/10).
- Google Pixel opens well through the screen, but the battery is harder (Pixel 8 and 9).
- Tablets are, by nature, more complicated (glued screens). Count less on cheap repairs at home.
- MacBooks, with a unibody chassis, are among the most closed. Here, buying tested refurbished is even more worthwhile than risking DIY.
What to do with this
- Want to know the repairability of your model? Use our repairability tool: type in the device and see the score and guides.
- Has your phone broken and you do not know whether it is worth fixing? The Repair or replace? calculator does the maths for you in 60 seconds.
- If the conclusion is to replace it, a certified refurbished device, with a battery tested using technical software and a warranty, gives you years of use for a fraction of the new price.
Frequently asked questions
Which iPhone is easiest to repair?
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 (7/10 on the iFixit score). Among the cheaper ones, the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 (6/10) offer the best value.
Is the iPhone 14 easy to repair?
No. iFixit gives it 4/10 and lowered the score from 7 to 4 in 2023 because of Apple’s parts-pairing. It is harder to fix than the older iPhone 12.
Are Samsung Galaxy phones repairable?
Less so than Apple and Google. The Galaxy S22, for example, has 3/10 on iFixit.
Is it worth repairing or replacing?
It depends on the cost of the repair compared with the value of an equivalent refurbished device and the age of the device. Our calculator tells you in 60 seconds.
Source for repairability scores: iFixit (iFixit.com). The repair costs shown are iOutlet estimates.
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