If you want to repair your iPhone 15 Pro Max yourself, you will encounter difficulties. The design makes parts easy to access, but software issues arise when replacing parts.

Since 2021, Apple has offered the option of repairing your iPhone yourself if something is broken: you can buy iPhone parts via the self-service service (since the end of 2022 also in Belgium). Apple highlighted this sustainable aspect very prominently when announcing the new iPhone 15 models: none other than Mother Nature came by to personally give her blessing in a commercial that was as original as it was frightening. However, there are limitations to the repairs you can make yourself.

iFixit has broken down the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Like their predecessors, all iPhone 15 models have a subtle dividing line between the front and back, which makes opening the device easier. Caution is advised: The parts are placed behind the front display, so care must be taken during repairs to ensure that the display is not damaged.

One part is easier to remove than the other, as we see in the video. The cameras can be removed from the device quite easily, but the battery requires a little more fiddling. The battery towbars are hidden under the audio and vibration motors.

Parts not recognized

No insurmountable problems so far. These can occur when you remove parts from the device and insert new ones. For example, in the video from iFixit we see that replacing the lidar sensor causes the camera app to crash. Other repairs also result in error messages stating that the new parts are not recognized, which can result in apps not working.

Apple doesn’t give you complete freedom when it comes to repairing your iPhone. For security reasons, Apple wants you to only purchase repair parts or have repairs performed through approved channels such as Self Service. In addition, you must inform the iPhone manufacturer’s technical department of the repair you want in advance so that they can approve it in the software.

This policy makes repairing the iPhone 15 and other models significantly more difficult than Apple claims. The European Union wants to tighten its policy for sustainable electronics and require manufacturers to communicate much more transparently to consumers about how they can repair their devices. The Dutch smartphone brand Fairphone has been trying to be a trendsetter here for years; The Finnish Swappie collects old iPhones to resell them.

Fragile titanium

Another much-discussed design change is the titanium frame of the iPhone 15 Pro models instead of aluminum. This material makes your iPhone lighter and reduces the environmental impact of iPhone production. However, “crash tests” show that it makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max more sensitive to fall damage and scratches on the casing. So it’s best to wear your kid gloves when holding the iPhone 15 Pro Max.