Samsung smartphones are usually pretty easy to take apart. The back snaps off and the battery typically pops right out. Last year the Galaxy S4 earned an impressive eight out of 10 for repairability from iFixit, but the company apparently took a different approach with the Galaxy S5. The new Android flagship earned a pretty pathetic five out of 10, while even Apple’s iPhone 5s did slightly better with a six out of 10 for ease of repair.
iFixit notes that the battery still comes out extremely easily, but that’s about the only good news from the report. Replacing any other hardware now requires removing the screen, which could cause damage to the display. Once you get under the hood individual modules are relatively easy to switch out, but that wasn’t enough to earn the Galaxy S5 a passing grade in this teardown.
If ease of repair is an important factor for you, the Galaxy S5 may not be your best option. The Galaxy S4 is still a great phone, and it’s definitely due for a price drop as soon as the S5 hits the market. Of course, the iPhone 5s is also an option, though diehard Android fans probably don’t care that Apple”s smartphone is slightly easier to repair.
Check out a few pictures from the Galaxy S5 teardown below.
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