iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus Feature Removable Back Glass for Easier Repairs

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models are equipped with a removable back glass panel for easier repairs, according to TechCrunch and CNET. This makes these iPhone models the first that can be easily opened from the back side of the device since the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 14 and 14 Plus Newsroom
To replace the back glass on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers need to open the device from the display side, disassemble components, and install an "iPhone Rear System" part, which is an iPhone enclosure with all components except the display and rear camera. This part gets affixed to the customer's original display and rear camera, so long as those parts are not damaged too.

For the iPhone 11 and older models with cracked back glass, Apple-authorized technicians simply replace the entire device. The new method for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be less expensive for Apple and more environmentally friendly.

Early teardowns of the iPhone 14 show that the device can still be opened from the display side as well, so screen repairs should not be impacted by this change. Reviews did not make any mention of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max having an easily removable back glass panel, suggesting that the change is limited to the standard models.

In the United States, Apple Stores will charge $169 and $199 to replace damaged back glass on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, respectively, for both parts and labor. If the customer has AppleCare+ coverage for the iPhone, the fee is reduced to $29 for both models. These fees may vary at Apple Authorized Service Providers.

iPhone 14 orders will begin arriving to customers this Friday, while the iPhone 14 Plus will be available starting October 7.

Related Roundup: iPhone 14
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...

Top Rated Comments

Crossmax Avatar
30 months ago
So obviously the repair cost will be much, much lower, right?

(yeah, right)
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sebosz Avatar
30 months ago
This isn't you, Tim!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
30 months ago
And just like that, an aftermarket custom back glass cottage industry is sprouting up as we speak.

I'm skipping this year, but I'd leverage this to add my condo's access fob to the inside of the glass if it has 1mm to spare. I did this with my iPhone 4, and tapped my phone to get into my building, years before ApplePay or Wallet were a twinkle in Apple's eye.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
notabadname Avatar
30 months ago
Complaint for years: It needs to me more repairable and accessible!!!!

iPhone becomes more repairable a accessible.

Complaint: there’s an evil ulterior motive: they are only doing this to reduce warranty work, or, they are using inferior parts and know they will have to access more, or . . . . . . . . . Darn you Apple and Tim!!

It seems there is truly no reasonable way to satisfy the consumer
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iZac Avatar
30 months ago
A red one with a black (aftermarket) back panel would look pretty cool
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chrjy Avatar
30 months ago
I dropped my iPhone 12 Pro a few weeks ago....an extremely rare occurrence for me and cracked the back glass. Thought I would get it replaced but Apple were charging £640 ($740) I changed my mind and purchased an iPhone 14 Pro! :eek:
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)