There’s no need to remove the screen to access it.
The new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have glass backs that can be removed without disassembling the phone, in contrast to so many iPhones that came before it.
According to reports from TechCrunch and CNET, certain exact iPhones’ rear glass can now be changed more readily than it has in the past. In fact, the amazing iPhone 4S was the last iPhone to so readily give up its glass back, as MacRumors points out.
TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino noted the change, saying that “the iPhone’s back glass can now be replaced without having to disassemble the phone, something that was not possible before.” Early teardowns have also shown the same thing, too.
It isn’t immediately clear why Apple has made this particular change, however. It’s possible that Apple switched things around to make it easier for people to repair broken back glass, but so far, we haven’t heard mention that the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are so easily repaired. If not, that would mark another major difference between iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.
As easy as this will likely make swapping the glass out, we’d still suggest considering picking up AppleCare+ or at least wrapping your brand-new iPhone in a case. Both options mean that you’re more likely to avoid spending upwards of $169 to get a new glass panel fitted, no matter how easy it might be to do.
In a few hours, the new iPhone 14 series will be on sale and is already available for pre-order. The Dynamic Island, Always-On Display, and 48-megapixel camera of the iPhone 14 Pro help set it apart from the regular iPhone 14 as the greatest iPhone to come out of Cupertino.