iPhone 8: sluggish sales, 6 points on the iFixit maintainability scale

The new iPhone from Apple was introduced recently. And as it usually happens, many bloggers, journalists and geeks just tried to get this device first. Someone just in order to be the first and enjoy it on social networks. Someone - in order to write a review of the device. Well, the guys from iFixit purchased this device in order to disassemble it and understand how repairable it is.



The project team dismantled the smartphone on Friday, and almost immediately laid out the results of the analysis of the "entrails" and their conclusions about how easy it would be to disassemble and repair the device. As it turned out, the difference with the iPhone 7 is not too big. iPhone 7 Plus received in 2016 7 points from iFixit. The reason why the iPhone 8 got less points is too much glue and difficulty separating the glass back wall.







Actually, there are several reasons why the phone received less points than its “ancestor”, but this one is one of the main ones. As for the changes in the design, they are not so much. This is a modified Lightning connector, the addition of wireless charging and a couple more things. By the way, both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 8 have the same degree of protection against external factors - IP67.







The display connects to the motherboard in a manner similar to previous models. Everything can be quickly turned off, and voila - the display is now in the hands of the master separately from the case. The edges of the display are slightly glued to the case, so that before the separation the screen should be heated. IFixit has a special “hot water bottle”, but you can get by with a hairdryer, both soldering and most common.







The battery is glued to the case using the same material as the previous models. Removing the battery is as easy (well, or difficult - as anyone). It is necessary to remove the sticky ribbons, which, by the way, are strongly stretched, and that’s all, the battery can be removed from the case. The battery in the "eight" is not too capacious - 1821 mAh. True, since energy-efficient chips are installed in the system, there are no problems with the duration of work - the iPhone 8 will run on battery without recharging as much as the G7 worked.



The camera sensor is larger than the iPhone 7, but the resolution is the same - 12 MP.



The iFixit team got the A1863 model of the iPhone 8. It has, in particular, a Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE communication module. This probably means that the phone supports the gigabit speeds of the updated LTE standard. In the US, the updated LTE is already being implemented by operators, respectively, and there are devices that support this standard. Actually, this is not news - this kind of separation has been supported by the Cupertino company for a very long time.







By the way, Apple releases two versions of each of the new iPhone models. One is with the LTE module mentioned above, which can work in CDMA networks of Sprint and Verizon operators.







But let's leave the topic of LTE, better recall that the new Apple phone models are now made of glass. More precisely, the back cover of the device is covered with glass (the fact that the screen is also covered with glass seems to be clear).







The corporation has previously stated that the glass on the lid is strong, so strong as to withstand a strong blow in the fall. And it would be better if it were true, since repairing a broken phone with a whole screen and cracks on the back is more expensive than replacing the screen. It's about the program AppleCare +. In general, owners of service centers are already rubbing their hands in anticipation of additional profits.



Disassembling iFixit shows why things are this way. The fact is that the wireless charging coil is attached to a special panel, which, in turn, is glued to the cover of the phone. And to separate all this from each other is quite difficult. When disassembling, iFixit engineers successfully separated the back panel from the case, it did not crack. But the metal frame still hesitated.



The photo clearly shows something like snail tracks. In fact, it is glue. A lot of glue. He managed to cope with it by heating the lid. Oh yes, the glass, it turns out, is arranged in layers, there are seven of them.







Presumably, repair shops will find a way to separate the glass panel from the case. The main thing is that there shouldn't be any problems with replacing the battery or display - here it is almost as simple as in all previous models of Apple phones.















On the other hand, no matter how durable the glass on the back of the phone is, it still breaks. So we can assume that the replacement cover will be one of the most sought after services in repair shops for Apple phones.



The process of disassembling iFixit showed on the video.





Interestingly, Apple seems to be using planned obsolescence. This period is longer than the gap between the release of two different models of devices, but it is. As for the repair, the company receives quite a lot of money from the sale of its AppleCare + service and original spare parts for its devices.



Regarding the maintainability of the company's phones, Apple’s vice president for environmental and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson, recently commented. She stated the following : “I do not think that maintainability means durability. I often say: if you repair, repair seems to be the answer. But in fact, you need to design [devices] for the life cycle. And Apple’s [devices] are designed for reliability for some time (Apple has designed for some time around durability), with the idea that we can produce the latest and greatest product, and your old product still works and has value. ”

Well, what about sales?

Here everything is not the best way for Apple. Earlier, on the day of the release of new models of phones or tablets, a queue of hundreds eager to purchase a device lined up in front of the doors of stores, now this has not happened. So, in Sydney in line stood only 30 people. Actually, this is not a queue. In other stores, including California, USA, there was no one at all at the time of opening.





In Canada, about the same situation.





True, in New York there were still queues, and very significant ones. But this is still not what it was before. There seems to be little excitement among buyers. Some media reported a large number of buyers in Singapore, but as it turned out, only 50 people came to the local Apple Store on the first day. In London, and even less - only seven. There were no registrations in the queue and on duty at the shops in the tents.





Maybe the problem is that in November the corporation will start selling another model - the iPhone X. It is very different from the current models, it has more functions and features. Maybe people just save money to buy "dozens". There are all signs that the iPhone X is affecting the current level of G8 sales.



Various media are also trying to find the answer to the question of why there is no hype among Apple lovers. There are several answers here. First, there are almost no innovations in the iPhone 8, as discussed above. It is very similar to the previous two models, the "seven" and "six." Yes, it is faster, but these models have no “brakes” either. Yes, wireless charging also appeared here, but is it worth paying so much money for it? After all, there are covers that allow you to charge the iPhone almost any model without wires.



Secondly, competitors do not sleep either. The same South Korean company Samsung or Chinese Huawei are releasing innovative devices with a greater number of new functions than Apple. Apple still has something to surprise their fans, but this is clearly not an iPhone 8. =



As a result of sales sluggish, Apple stock prices are falling. In just a week, the corporation's capitalization decreased by almost $ 50 billion. However, in previous years, stock prices also declined after the presentation, but then they quickly restored to their previous values ​​and even set records. Let's wait a bit and see what happens this time. You will probably have to wait until November, when the iPhone X comes out and it becomes clear how well it is for sale.