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Beauty of the iPhone 14 rеdesign is on the inside as $500 repairs are no more

Updated: Sep 27, 2022, 3:49 AM

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Great news, people, Apple will no longer charge you for nearly a whole iPhone when you crack its glass back! At least with the iPhone 14, that is, as what it lacks in exterior redesign has translated into a case of the "beauty is on the inside" axiom.

The teardown specialists from iFixit took the iPhone 14 apart and were taken aback how easy it was. Apple is using a new midplate that separates the screen assembly from the rest of the internals, increasing torsion rigidity and making iPhone 14 screen swaps a cinch.

The iPhone 14 display still costs $279 to replace out of pocket, just as the panel on the iPhone 13, but it is much easier and more straightforward to do it now.

iPhone 14 from Apple: save $30-$630 with a trade-in

You can buy the new iPhone 14 at Apple, where the device is sold at its regular price. If you wish to save, opt for a trade-in. Trade-in discounts vary between $30 and $630, depending on your device and its condition.

$630 off (90%) Trade-in

$69

$699

Buy at Apple

iPhone 14 Plus from Apple: save $30-$630 with trade-in

You can get the iPhone 14 Plus from Apple as well. You can save with an eligible device trade-in, with credit amounts to as much as $630.

$630 off (79%) Trade-in

$169

$799

Buy at Apple

AT&T iPhone 14 (256GB) at Walmart: save 23% right now

The iPhone 14 is now available to order with a carrier plan by AT&T Walmart. Prices for this device start at $21.64/month for 36 installments. The phone comes with 256GB of internal storage space. Currently, all color variants are available.

$200 off (20%)

$779 ⁰⁴

$979

Buy at Walmart

Verizon iPhone 14 Plus: get it FREE with a new line activation

Get the iPhone 14 Plus for $00.00/mo with Verizon. This offer requires a new line activation and a select Unlimited plan.

$25 off (100%)

$0 /mo

$24 ⁹⁹

Buy at Verizon

Easiest to repair iPhone

In fact, iFixit gave the iPhone 14 their highest repairability score of 7/10 since, well, the times of the iPhone 7. The culprit? Apple's complete internal redesign to make the iPhone 14 assembly more modular in nature and with much easier access to the separate components.

After you heat and pry open the display assembly, you only need to remove the cable connectors and swap the panel if cracked. Moreover, coming from behind is now possible, too, and you can remove the rear glass with shattering it in pieces. This would immediately reveal the battery for a quick replacement, if needed.

Next are the camera kits and motherboard with the A15 processor and the custom Qualcomm Snapdragon X65 5G modem version with the e n53 frequency band that Globalstar - Apple's Emergency SOS partner on the iPhone 14 series - uses for satellite connectivity service.

The iPhone 14 X65 modem with Globalstar satellite connectivity support

It's much cheaper to repair a broken iPhone 14 back now

Instead of having a cracked rear glass plate fall under the "Other" repair category for which Apple charges up to $599, the one on the iPhone 14 will only set you back $169 if you drop it and break the back of the handset.

The glass backplate can be pried open as easily as the iPhone 14's display panel at the front, marking a watershed moment for iPhone repair prices as this would be the case with the iPhone 14 Plus as well, whose rear assembly replacement costs $199 instead $499.

Call it Right to Repair Act or upcoming European Commission legislation, but for the first time since it started making glass sandwich iPhones, Apple has a separate "Back glass damage" replacement category that is much cheaper than its "Other" category where back panel replacements resided so far.

Unfortunately, this privilege is only reserved for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, whereas the more complex on the inside 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max models will still net you $499 and $549 for rear glass repairs out of pocket, as Apple simply replaces the whole body. Thus, for the iPhone 14 Pro models, we'd recommend taking advantage of the now-unlimited AppleCare+ repair count.

(AT&T) iPhone 14 Pro: get at Walmart and save $200

You can buy the iPhone 14 Pro AT&T-locked from Walmart. Starting at $26.37/month for 36 installments. The sold device comes with 256GB of storage. Get it now and save.

$200 off (17%)

$949 ³²

$1149

Buy at Walmart

(Straight Talk) iPhone 14 Pro Max: Get at Walmart now

You can get a Straight Talk-locked iPhone 14 Pro Max at Walmart. The model with 128GB of internal storage in Gold is currently available without any discounts.

$1099

Buy at Walmart

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.