I hold the team at iFixit in a position of utter respect — they meticulously tear apart gadgets to learn what’s inside and how they work, then they publish their findings as teardown reports.
But iFixit takes another step and turns what they learn into repair guides — free guides that everyday humans can use to repair their devices. Case in point? iPhones: The case-cracking geniuses at iFixit have done it again — they have posted an amazingly detailed and easy-to-follow guide to iPhone 6 repair.
Already.
But that’s not all, iFixit also acquires reliable parts and creates the specialized tools you’ll need to crack an iPhone case — and then they sell them at reasonable prices. They seem to have a helluva lot of fun and a helluva lot of integrity, too. If you’re wondering why they do what they do — beyond finding a way to pay the bills — check out their Self-Repair Manifesto.
The iFixit iPhone 6 Repair Guide
iFixit says they have already gotten requests from “butter-fingered iPhone 6 owners” who need to repair their newly broken phones. As of right now, iFixit has posted four different repair guides:
Each guide shows you which tools you’ll need to get into your iPhone 6, some of which iFixit has invented or manufactured, like a Pentalobe Screwdriver for the notorious and tiny pentalobe screws. My favorite is the iSclack, which is like a reverse clamp that uses two suction cups to pull off the front display, preventing you from shearing off ribbon cables that are attaching things insides.
So if you run into a repair issue, make iFixit your first stop. You might find a cheaper — and more satisfying — way to fix a broken iPhone 6 or replace an aging battery.