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The folks at iFixit have torn apart HTC’s latest flagship, and they have one piece of advice: don’t try this at home. Any self service to be performed on the phone is not for the faint of heart. The HTC One’s solid, gapless construction creates quite a few issues when it comes to getting inside the device to take a look around. The first warning sign: iFixit had to literally pry the device apart, and it sounds like it was no easy task.
The innards of the one are no easy task, either. HTC has plastered everything together in a way that doesn’t make it all that easy to get at individual components. Even the screen, which would likely be the most common repair attempted at home, has connections routed on the motherboard in a way that still requires the entire phone to be cracked open, likely resulting in permanent damage to the phone’s aluminum case.
It looks like in accomplishing the feat of design that is the HTC One, some sacrifices had to be made when it comes to serviceability. That could just end up being One big headache.
[via iFixit]
HTC One Repairability Score: One out of 10
so get insurance. got it
Lives up to its name
This type of design seriously ups the chance that, if you send your One in for repair, you will simply receive a refurbished unit back.
“One big headache”
With the capital letter… I see what you did there :-)
You would think it was built by Apple
I’ve had about 15 mobile phones. Not one has needed a service. Granted the ones that had broken screens were insured, so i got those replaced. If you care about servicability and cannot afford insurance, a cheaper phone is probably the best option.
Batteries on these phones frequently wear out (i.e., don’t hold a charge as well) after about a year, and need to be replaced.
I didn’t know you had the HTC One since last year. I thought it just came out. /s
^^^ Reading comprehension fail. The poster above me was discussing “mobile phones” and whether they needed service. The subject was not the HTC One, which in your attempt to be clever you didn’t recognize, did you. Reading is fundamental—try it some time.
I think my reading comprehension is just fine seeing as how I managed to comprehend and link the correlation between your comment, the person above you and the article at hand which is in fact regarding the HTC One.
Shiny versus practical. The debate continues…
you don’t know if it’s impractical until you hold a drop test
So I shouldn’t expect it fixed if I send it to get repaired should something happen, and instead expect a whole new unit? Well, a backup a day to keep the headaches away, I guess…..
By the time the battery is showing signs of wear, I’m ready for a new phone. Seriously, how many people actually get their phone serviced instead of getting a new one? I bet apple wouldn’t be doing it if it doesn’t work.
Most contracts with carriers require at least 2 yrs. It’s not easy to replace a phone without recurring some penalty.
Also, if you stored a valuable data (Eg. Photos, Notes, and Video recordings) and you wanted to retrieve it from a broken phone; it will become a nightmare scenario for a phone with ONE life.
Backup is possible and just as necessary for phones.
it’s very easy to replace a phone without penalty if it’s not a user induced issue like battery not holding a charge
Who needs upgrades? On the Mac when it’s time to upgrade just pick it up, throw it away and go buy another one. Now, that’s convenience.
This makes me want to see the full process of how this phone (or part of it) is saved if it’s ever sent in for repair. Like will they disassemble it with magic or their powers of innovation and persuasion? It seems more likely that they’ve already accepted the fact that they’ll trash most of the phone in favor of getting back its most succulent juices (metal body, camera sensor, etc). Those are probably carried away on royal litters while the rest is tossed onto a conveyor belt of shame and despair.
I love a design ethos for sure… but practicality in the design of a daily needed device, should still reign supreme