Teardown Finds iPhone SE and iPhone 5s Displays Interchangeable

Yesterday, Chipworks' teardown of the iPhone SE confirmed that the new device uses a potpourri of components from several past iPhones, including the iPhone 5s. iFixit has completed its own teardown of the device, and its findings show that the new device includes several components that are interchangeable with iPhone 5s parts.

ifixitiphonese
iFixit found that the iPhone SE's speaker, chassis, vibrator, SIM tray and display assembly, which includes the LCD, digitizer, front camera, earpiece speaker and proximity sensor are the same parts used in the iPhone 5s. According to iFixit's testing, the components are easily swappable and work in a "plug and play" fashion.

The non-swappable parts include the logic board, rear-facing camera, Lightning connector assembly and battery. The iPhone SE's battery comes in at 1,624 mAh, which is up from the iPhone 5s' 1,560 mAh battery. However, iFixit notes that the SE's battery comes with a different battery connector, so iPhone 5s users hoping to install a larger battery in their phones are out of luck.

The camera on the iPhone SE also comes with a different connector, using far fewer pins than the connector on the iPhone 5s' camera. Other differences include a Lightning connector that's a little different from the iPhone 5s' Lightning connector, failing iFixit's compatibility test. The power button bracket also has a contact cable "doohickey," likely for grounding.

iFixit awarded the iPhone SE a repairability score of 6 out of 10, with 10 being the easiest to repair. While the iPhone SE's similarities to the iPhone 5s make it easier to repair, it's still difficult to open because of the Pentalobe screws on the device's exterior. Like most iPhones, the Touch ID cable is also easily damaged if a user is not careful when opening the device.

Top Rated Comments

Nevaborn Avatar
104 months ago
It's never fails to stagger me how people can be such hypocrites. How many in this thread alone have said the 5S is the best iPhone ever made.

Now you find out that the new phone has a lot of the same internals suddenly it's junk.

The SE takes everything that was great with the 5S and gives you more. Better camera, better battery, better processor etc. People clambered for a 4" iPhone and now you have one with the same processing power as the flagships you complain.

Reusing parts is not only common sense but it makes financial sense and is good for the environment when we do live with limited resources.

Instead of deriding Apple lets applaud their sensibility
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1Zach1 Avatar
104 months ago
Quick, everyone act surprised!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nathan.l.larsen Avatar
104 months ago

I would've used the term "vibration motor," but that's just me ...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RDeckard Avatar
104 months ago
So everything that I'm reading about SE is that it's just a omelette of spare iPhone parts that Apple had laying around, possibly from customer returns, and repackaged into a "new" phone. I guess the redeeming point is the lower price point at a current technology level. Yay or nay?
So, you truly believe that the SE is basically a phone just made out of spare parts just laying around from customer returns?

The intelligence of some here continues to amaze me.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mayerkim87 Avatar
104 months ago
So everything that I'm reading about SE is that it's just a omelette of spare iPhone parts that Apple had laying around, possibly from customer returns, and repackaged into a "new" phone. I guess the redeeming point is the lower price point at a current technology level. Yay or nay?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
12vElectronics Avatar
104 months ago
So this should mean you could swap the chassis and get the beautiful polished chamfers with all the new tech. That's pretty cool.
If this thing ran iOS 6, I'd already have one.
iOS 6 was the best OS ever. I held on as long as I could but eventually caved and had to get ios7
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...