Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is out in the wild now. Experts are conducting all kinds of tests to assess every aspect of the device. We have already seen Galaxy Note 7 drop tests. Folks at DisplayMate carried out exhaustive tests on its display, and found that the Note 7 has the world’s best display ever. And now experts at iFixit have taken apart every single component of the Note 7.
It’s better than Galaxy S7 and Nexus 6P on repairability
The iFixit experts said Samsung’s latest phablet is pretty difficult to repair, scoring 4 out of 10 on repairability. By comparison, the Galaxy S7 had received 3/10 and the Nexus 6P received a 2 out of 10. The experts noted that having glass both on the front and back made for “double the crackability.” Replacing the front display was almost impossible without breaking it due to the curved nature of the display.
The tough adhesive on the rear glass makes it difficult to gain entry into the phablet. Once you have removed the back panel, the removable Phillips screws secure the wireless charging coil. Once taken out, you’ll get access to the battery and speaker. You can remove the battery without having to pull the entire motherboard out of its place. But strong adhesives make it difficult to remove the battery.
Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner is a two-part system
According to iFixit, the battery was “fortified by walls” that gave it structural integrity and some water protection. The Note 7 shares a few innards with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge including the Sony IMX260-based camera sensor and a tiny pipe that does the same thing as the liquid cooling copper heat dispersal apparatus. The iris scanner was a two-part system: an infra-red blaster lights up your eyes and a sensor that captures an image of your eyes.
On the positive side, the iFixit experts noted that several components in the Galaxy Note 7 were modular and easily replaceable. The improved cable routing means that its charging port assembly can be removed without taking the screen off.
