iPad Air Tear Down Shows Abysmal Repairability Score
Based on a new report by J.D. Power, there's a good chance you'll be satisfied with the iPad Air, should you decide to grab one. Samsung ranks highest in customer satisfaction among tablet owners, but Apple isn't far behind. However, should something break out of warranty and you find yourself tempted to perform an autopsy, well, best of luck.
The folks at iFixIt grabbed themselves an iPad Air and went straight to work disassembling the device in its latest teardown analysis. The unfortunate reality is that most slates aren't real great about promoting DIY repair, and the iPad Air isn't an exception. On the plus side, its "Repairability Score" of 2 out of 10 isn't the worst we've ever seen.
Image Source: iFixIt
So, what makes the iPad Air such a bear to work on? For one, the front panel is glued to the rest of the device. What that means is there's a good chance you'll crack the glass during repair if you're not super careful. The tablet also got dinged for using "gobs, gobs, and goblins of adhesive" holding everything in place, with the battery proving especially difficult to remove, more so than in any previous iPad.
There's more. The iPad Air's LCD uses foam sticky tape to adhere to the front panel, which increases the risk of it shattering during disassembly, and you can't access the front panel's connector until you remove the LCD.
It wasn't all sour grapes. iFixIt found the LCD easy to remove once the front panel is taken off, and the battery isn't soldered to the logic board, so at least there's that. Still, if you're concerned about longevity, you may want to look into an extended warranty, either direct from Apple (AppleCare) or through a third-party like SquareTrade.
The folks at iFixIt grabbed themselves an iPad Air and went straight to work disassembling the device in its latest teardown analysis. The unfortunate reality is that most slates aren't real great about promoting DIY repair, and the iPad Air isn't an exception. On the plus side, its "Repairability Score" of 2 out of 10 isn't the worst we've ever seen.
Image Source: iFixIt
So, what makes the iPad Air such a bear to work on? For one, the front panel is glued to the rest of the device. What that means is there's a good chance you'll crack the glass during repair if you're not super careful. The tablet also got dinged for using "gobs, gobs, and goblins of adhesive" holding everything in place, with the battery proving especially difficult to remove, more so than in any previous iPad.
There's more. The iPad Air's LCD uses foam sticky tape to adhere to the front panel, which increases the risk of it shattering during disassembly, and you can't access the front panel's connector until you remove the LCD.
It wasn't all sour grapes. iFixIt found the LCD easy to remove once the front panel is taken off, and the battery isn't soldered to the logic board, so at least there's that. Still, if you're concerned about longevity, you may want to look into an extended warranty, either direct from Apple (AppleCare) or through a third-party like SquareTrade.
