Samsung has launched its latest flagship smartphone – the Galaxy S4 in many countries, and the phone packs a punch, at least technically. But what many people wonder is that: Is the Galaxy S4 easy to repair? iFixit does the hard work for us and tells us that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is indeed easy to repair, and the phone gets a very good repairability score compared to HTC One and iPhone 5.
As we know, iFixit tears down the latest gadget in town and gives us a look inside the phone to let us know if broken things in the device can be fixed easily or not. Apple’s products have always received a very low repairability score, but what about the latest Android devices in the market – the HTC One and the Galaxy S4?
What surprised many is the fact that HTC One gets 1 out of 10 repairability score which is the worst score a device can ever get, whereas the Galaxy S4 received a superb 8 out of 10 repairability score in the iFixit teardown.
So yes, the Galaxy S4 is much easier to repair because it comes with a removable battery, and access to most of the components can be reached easily from the back. There are only 11 screws in the entire device, all standard Phillips #0, with proprietary sizes. The only drawback is that if you want to replace the display panel, then it is fused to the glass and display frame, which just increases the repair cost.
The site says that the Galaxy S4 has “very similar, if not identical” internal construction to its predecessor, the Galaxy S III, which also scored very good on repairability.
Here’s the conclusion from the tear down of the Galaxy S4.
- The battery can be replaced in seconds, without any tools.
- Very easy to open and access internal components.
- There are only 11 screws in the entire device, all standard Phillips #0 (no proprietary or security sizes).
- Most of the smaller components are modular and can be replaced individually, but several of them are adhered in place, increasing replacement difficulty.
- The glass is fused to both the display and the display frame, increasing repair costs.
- You’ll have to go through the entire phone in order to replace the front panel, since everything is built into the back of it.
Samsung has done a good job making the phone repairable. 8 out of 10 score is a really good score, and the Korean company has made it easy for consumers to repair it when the need arises.
