Apple iPhone SE gets iFixit teardown treatment

The new 4-inch iPhone is just as difficult to repair as the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c with new water-resistant seals around certain components.

Ronald Tiefenthäler/ Allen Ngo, 04/03/2016

Apple iPhone

The iFixit team has dismantled the Rose Gold (A1662) iPhone SE to give final impressions on the smartphone's repairability and ease of end-user maintenance. While the Chipworks disassembly has shown us the core components, the iFixit procedure should tell us how the build and procedure compare to the previous iPhone 5s.

Unsurprisingly, the iPhone SE uses the same Pentalobe screws as the iPhone 5s. Additionally, users must again be careful not to tear the cable off of the Touch ID sensor when separating the panels.

Stronger battery for the iPhone SE

Compared to the 5.92 Wh battery in the iPhone 5s, the new SE model carries a stronger 6.21 Wh module. The new model also includes the same water and dust resistant seals that are used for the iPhone 6s, though Apple has cut corners on where the sealant is applied. Whereas the iPhone 6s has it around the camera, display, battery, Lightning port, and volume key connectors, the iPhone SE has the sealant only around the camera and volume keys.

iPhone SE Repairability Score: 6 out of 10

After taking into account the sealant and screws, iFixit is awarding the iPhone SE a score of 6 out of 10 to be in line with both the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.