All articles tagged with #ifixit
iFixit's teardown of a Galaxy Z Fold 8 shows that foldable OLEDs, despite IP-rated water resistance, are vulnerable to dust ingress in the hinge. UV-dust testing reveals grime crawls into the hinge causing crunching noises and eventual hinge failure, while the display halves remain relatively clean—highlighting a fundamental cleanability challenge for foldable designs.
iFixit’s teardown of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 assigns a repairability score of 4/10, with hinges being the main issue and the IP48 ingress rating allowing dust into the hinge, meaning fixes could require replacing the whole assembly; the foldable also lags behind rivals offering IP6X dust resistance.
iFixit’s teardown of two Chinese smart glasses reveals a repair-friendly design: both feature an external clip-on battery and accessible internals, with Rokid’s model being particularly easy to service thanks to light glue and a user-friendly internal layout. The video also critiques glued-in batteries and notes EU right-to-repair exemptions, arguing wearables should have user-replaceable batteries to reduce e-waste.
Valve says iFixit will have Steam Deck replacement batteries back in stock by next week, using the same OEM parts sourced through Valve’s partners; earlier reports that Valve would discontinue the battery were reversed. If Valve ever sunsets the part, iFixit commits to sourcing from an aftermarket supplier. Replacing the battery remains a challenging, glue-bound process, reflecting ongoing repairability debates and evolving regulations around user-replaceable batteries.
Valve has started sunsetting the official LCD Steam Deck battery, with iFixit noting Valve isn’t planning to restock and is seeking alternatives. The change mainly affects the LCD model (OLED is unaffected), and while Valve shifts focus to the OLED version, iFixit says third‑party and aftermarket batteries are now the repair route for LCD units, with no confirmed restock timeline for official or third‑party batteries.
Valve is reportedly sunsetting OEM Steam Deck LCD spare parts, with iFixit confirming it will stop stocking OEM LCD batteries and is seeking alternatives. The OLED Steam Deck model appears unaffected, and the move has sparked online backlash over repairability and planned obsolescence. Third‑party marketplaces may offer substitutes while iFixit searches for replacements, highlighting ongoing tensions between device repairability and business decisions.
Trump Mobile’s T1 Phone is drawing criticism for a cheap yellow-plastic build, despite a promotional push and a free charging brick included in the box. The device, which features midrange specs (6.8-inch display, 50MP cameras, 5,000mAh battery, 512GB storage, 30W charging, 3.5mm jack) and a hybrid SIM/SD tray, has been labeled by iFixit as essentially a clone of the HTC U24 Pro. After a delayed launch and a backlog in reservations, Trump Mobile is marketing the price as “promotional” and touting under $1,000, with a $499 tag, while customers share videos criticizing its plasticky build and ongoing questions about value.
Installer No. 135 spotlights the iFixit Megalodon Driver Kit as the perfect compact toolkit for tiny repairs, and rounds up other gadget picks (Nothing Earbuds 3A, Ugmonk Analog Card Pack, GPT-Live, Apple USB-C EarPods) plus a peek at Ian Bogost’s Homebridge setup and community recommendations.
iFixit released a $34.95 Megalodon Driver Kit aimed at household repairs and DIY projects, featuring a swivel-cap Megalodon driver that spins for quick screw removal and locks for torque, plus 16 long 2-inch bits for reaching recessed fasteners, all packaged in a foam tray inside a plastic case for organizing appliances, furniture assembly, and general tinkering.
Trump Mobile has started selling its T1 Phone to the general public even as a large pre-order backlog (roughly 600,000 deposits totaling about $60 million) remains unfulfilled, drawing criticism for skipping the queue. The move follows recent PR turbulence and a teardown by iFixit that suggests the T1 is essentially a clone of the HTC U24 Pro, while Trump Mobile also rebranded its marketing from 'Made in America' to 'Assembled in America'.
iFixit’s teardown shows Trump Mobile’s T1 is effectively a rebranded HTC U24 Pro, with only cosmetic changes to differentiate it; the two share the same 6.8-inch display and mainboard, and even the same camera layout, with the T1 swapping in a different memory package and a larger 19.35Wh battery but a slower 30W charger versus the U24 Pro’s 17.23Wh battery and 60W charger. Pricing places the T1 at $499 as an “introductory” tag while the U24 Pro commonly sells around $470–$557, suggesting reduced hardware costs and a branding stance that may be more marketing than reality than patriotic claims.
A teardown by iFixit shows the Trump Mobile T1 is essentially the HTC U24 Pro in disguise, with near-identical design and likely built by an ODM rather than being made in the USA; HTC’s mobile division was sold to Google years ago, and the T1 is expected to use the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, matching the U24 Pro’s specs.
iFixit’s teardown finds the Trump T1 Phone is essentially a clone of the HTC U24 Pro, sharing the same board and most specs with minor differences in battery origin and small hardware tweaks, implying a common third‑party manufacturer and raising questions about where the Trump phone is made.
iFixit teardown finds Apple’s budget MacBook Neo to be the most repairable MacBook since 2012, with a screw-in battery and modular components accessible after removing the bottom cover. The improvements are tied to Right-to-Repair pressure, especially in the EU, which spurred Apple to adopt easier-to-service design choices, though the overall repair score sits around 6/10. The story highlights a shift toward repairability in the face of policy changes and contrasts it with the vendor’s ongoing balance between price, design, and repairability.
Apple's latest M5 MacBook Pro features a minor improvement in battery repairability, allowing battery replacement without removing the trackpad, but the process remains complex and costly, with a repairability score of 4 out of 10.