You’ve checked out the prices, you’ve seen the review, now you’re interested in getting a look at what’s under that metal and glass body. Ifixit has just posted their Galaxy Note 7 teardown, complete with a breakdown of what’s good or bad about the phone in terms of repairability and hardware.
First the good, it’s got an improved S Pen that can’t get stuck, it’s more ‘pocketable’ and of course has a better sensitivity than its rivals with 4,096 levels of sensitivity. As a bonus that S Pen, just like the Note 7 itself is also waterproof with an IP68 rating. The phone also features modular, independently replaceable components, and has imprived cable routing that will let you remove the charging port without pulling out the display.
The not so good is that the 3500 mAh battery is glued in with some tough adhesive that’s hidden behind a rear panel that’s similarly glued on. The good news is that you don’t have to remove the motherboard before removing the battery.
The bad, is that the front and rear glass on the phone adds a double risk for cracking when any internal repairs are made. The curved screen also makes replacing the front glass without destroying the display.
Ifixit has also gotten a good look at one of the headline features for the Note 7, the iris scanner. According to Ifixit:
It’s actually a two-part system: a nearby infrared blaster invisibly lights up your eye, while the sensor captures an image that’s said to be more secure than a fingerprint.
All up, the phone scored a fairly dismal 4 out of 10 for repairability, making it worthwhile to get a really good case for your phone so nothing gets broken accidentally. If you want to check out all the phone porn, head over to Ifixit for all the pics and teardown info.
