The Galaxy Note7 looks elegant but is it easy to repair? To find out, the folks at ifixit has torn down a unit, giving us a better view of what ticks on the inside.
Like its predecessors, the back panel is held in place with lots of glue which requires some heating to pop the back glass open. Once that’s out of the way, replacing its 3,500mAh battery can be done easily after removing a separate backplate that houses the NFC antenna and wireless charging coils.
Majority of its internal components are modular, so replacing individual items such as cameras, headphone jack and buttons are fairly easy. Since the Galaxy Note7 is water resistant, you’ll find lots of rubber gaskets surrounding the device. Even the S Pen silo has a plastic cover glued on to keep water from entering its internal compartment. Similar to the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, there’s also a copper headpipe which helps to dissipate heat more efficiently.
Overall, the folks at ifixit rate the Galaxy Note7 with a repairability score of 4/10. That’s slightly better than the Galaxy S7 edge (3/10) but it’s just as difficult to repair as the older Galaxy S6. The usage of glass all round makes it prone to cracks and repairing it can be tricky since it is glued on with adhesives. If you need to replace the front glass, it is said to be challenging to do so without damaging the actual display. If you’re getting the Galaxy Note7, you probably want to get a case and a screen protector as well.
Watch the full teardown video or browse through their step by step guide below.
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