HTC One: Great Build Quality but Almost Impossible to Repair

The HTC One gets the iFixit teardown treatment and it’s not quite a walk in the park if you’re into DIY smartphones repair.

The device surgeons at iFixit not that it is virtually impossible to open the device without damaging the rear case making repairs and component placement very, very difficult. This is compounded by the manner in which the HTC One is assembled.

iFixit noted that:

• The battery is buried beneath the motherboard and adhered to the midframe, hindering its replacement.
• The display assembly cannot be replaced without removing the rear case—this will make the most common repair, a damaged screen, nearly impossible.
• Copper shielding on many components is difficult to remove and replace.

On the upside, iFixit say that the HTC One is indeed a top-notch device that combines impressive quality build with lasting durability.

So what this means to you? The HTC One can take a beating but it’s best be avoiding considering repairs are difficult and as a result, expensive.

Other notable HTC One componentry past the jump.

• Elpida BA164B1PF 2 GB DDR2 RAM + Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core 1.7 GHz CPU
• Samsung KLMBG4GE2A 32 GB NAND flash memory
• Qualcomm PM8921 power management IC
• Qualcomm MDM9215M 4G GSM/UMTS/LTE modem
• Synaptics S32028
• TriQuint TQM7M9023 multi-band power amplifier
• Broadcom BCM4335 single-chip 5G WiFi™ 802.11ac MAC/baseband/radio with Bluetooth 4.0+HS & FM receiver

More on the HTC One:
VIDEO: HTC One vs iPhone 5 Drop Test
By the Numbers: HTC One vs Everyone
MWC 2013 Hands-On: HTC One
Hands-On: HTC One
Sample Photos: New HTC One
HTC One coming to Malaysia by end April, priced at RM2,299
Close up on the HTC One UltraPixel Camera
HTC One – Big on Display, Sound and Camera in an aluminium body

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