The Samsung Galaxy S9 has gone through the customary teardown process and it seems that it's just as tough to repair as its predecessor.
Each time a new flagship hit the scene, the folks over at iFixit can't wait to tear it apart. The Galaxy S9 just got the treatment and it looks like the new Samsung flagship is not just similar in design to the Galaxy S8, it's also similar in terms repairability.
Last year, when the Galaxy S8 first made its debut, iFixit's teardown revealed that it was a nightmare to repair. The firm has a repairability scale ranging from one to 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. The Galaxy S8 got a score of four out of 10 on this repairability scale, which means it's difficult to fix should anything go wrong.
Samsung Galaxy S9 Teardown
It's a new year, a new Samsung flagship, and a new teardown, but the same discouraging repairability score. Just like its predecessor, the Galaxy S9 scored a four out of 10 on the repairability scale.
With that score, even Apple's latest flagship smartphone, with its intriguing display notch, is easier to repair than the Galaxy S9. The iPhone X got a repairability score of six out of 10 on iFixit's scale.
Galaxy S9 Repairability: The Good And The Bad
The folks over at iFixit further note that the Galaxy S9's glass design, while a "welcome respite," doubles the risk of cracking in. In addition to increasing the risk of breaking, the glass design on both the rear and the back of the smartphone means that repairs are quite hard from the very beginning. Strong adhesive, meanwhile, makes it tough to reach the internal components of the device.
The good news is that many of the components inside the Samsung Galaxy S9 are modular, which means that they can be independently replaced. The smartphone's battery is not removable for the user, but replacing the battery unit is "technically possible."
However, iFixit adds that reaching the battery is an "unnecessary challenge." As for the display, which can crack or break if the handset takes a tumble, replacing it would be a nightmare.
"Replacing the screen requires removing the glass rear panel and disassembling the entire phone while battling tough adhesive," iFixit warns. The same goes for the Galaxy S9+, which got its own teardown and revealed the same.
That said, it's still recommended to seek assistance from professionals when your phone needs fixing, regardless of whether it has a high or a low repairability score. At the same time, tougher repairability might also translate to higher repair prices.
