Secret upgrade hidden inside millions of iPhones – and it could save you money

MILLIONS of iPhone models have received a huge upgrade – but it’s hidden from sight.

Apple quietly redesigned the interior on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, but you’d never be able to tell from the outside.

AppleThis is an iPhone 13 – this view with the components is only accessible if you remove the display, increasing the cost of repairs[/caption]

AppleThis is an iPhone 14 – the left view is what you see if you take the display off. On the right, you can see the new view from the back, giving you access to all of the components for far cheaper repairs[/caption]

It’s only once the case is opened up that you can see some of the magic.

Apple says that the new innards allow the device to dissipate heat better, helping to keep the handset cool for maximum performance.

But it also means the iPhone is much easier (and therefore cheaper) to repair.

To understand how the changes work, you need to go all the way back to the iPhone 5.

When the iPhone 5 came out, Apple used a single-enclosure “bucket” design.

This is still true even with 2021’s iPhone 13.

So if you want to repair a component inside the iPhone, you need to remove the display module – and potentially other pieces too, if the broken part is closer to the back glass.

With the iPhone 14, the back glass is separate from the aluminium enclosure.

And the interior has completely changed.

If you remove the display, you’ll find a central structural frame that serves as an internal “backbone”.

For a start, this helps to dissipate heat – so the iPhone processor can offer better performance while staying cool.

If you flip the iPhone over and remove the back glass, you can now access most of the components.

Ultimately, the new central “frame” that replaces the bucket means that key parts of the iPhone can be accessed from either side.

Apple says the brand new design means that the iPhone can be lighter than the previous year’s model, 15% more powerful, and far more repairable.

The last bit is important, because it means that Apple will charge you far less for some repairs.

Apple doesn’t have to remove the display module for every repair, for instance.

In the US, for instance, back glass repairs are far cheaper – because it can be individually repaired.

So an out-of-warranty repair has been discounted from $449 on iPhone 13 to just $169 on iPhone 14.

And for Brits, the same repair drops from £369 to £169.

That means it’s far cheaper to hold on to your iPhone for longer – allowing you to potentially avoid a costly upgrade.

The only catch is that the new internal redesign is only built into the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

That means owners of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max still have the more traditional “bucket” design.

But it’s entirely possible that Apple will switch more future models to the new interior, bringing repair savings to even more iPhone fans.

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