Apple’s limited repair options for the iPhone 16 Pro means you could end up paying $750, even for a tiny scratch

Now that consumers are finally getting their hands on the Apple iPhone 16 series, both the good and the bad are coming to light. Early feedback has shown a wide mix of opinions. The performance and thermal management of the device have been better than expected. While the recent DxOMark rating puts it below the recently launched Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (currently $1,199 on Amazon) in terms of photography, its teardown reveals a quick-remove battery - a notable upgrade over its previous iPhone iterations. However, the new capacitive side camera button - which is the highlight this year - has generated some kickback, especially considering the following info. 

Introduced as a key feature in the series, this capacitive button has haptic feedback and simulates 'two-stage pressing'. However, some users have reported that the button's placement makes it uncomfortable to use, particularly when held vertically, where it feels too low. One could attribute that to a preference-based opinion, sure. But that's not the only issue of concern here.

The repair costs for the device's components have raised eyebrows. Official repair estimates show that replacing merely the capacitive button could cost you RMB 4,399 (~USD 615.86 / ~EUR 571.87) for the iPhone 16 and RMB 5,299 (~USD 741.86 / ~EUR 688.87) for the iPhone 16 Pro. This high cost is likely due to Apple’s limited repair options, as the company tends to offer full device repairs rather than individual component repairs. Any damage to the camera button falls under the "Other damage" category, meaning users may face higher costs even for minor repairs - such as replacing the lock button or the volume button, say. 

Furthermore, as per the iFixit teardown of the iPhone 16, the camera control button seems to be laser-welded to the frame, making it even harder to repair/replace. The higher repair cost of the Pro and Pro Max models can also be attributed to the fact that only the base iPhone 16 series (not the pros) have the "ionic liquid battery adhesive" that makes battery removal/replacement easier. 

This issue has been discussed widely by several digital experts, including Digital Review Era (数评时代) (machine translated from Chinese), a popular online channel with over 1.14 million followers on Baidu. Recently, users were also complaining about the screen freezing issue on the iPhone 16 Pro, likely caused due to a palm rejection sensitivity issue. This issue also has a high possibility of being linked to - you guessed it - the new camera button on the device, as per MacRumors forums.

Apple will allow developers to integrate the capacitive button into their apps in the future, which could improve the overall user experience. For now, users should treat the new camera button (and other components) on the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro a little more carefully, unless they're willing to spend a OnePlus 12R's worth of cost ($699.99 on Amazon) solely on repairs.