iFixit’s iPhone 8 teardown shows that you really don’t want to crack that glass back

The iPhone 8 has finally arrived, and iFixit got a jump on its teardown of the updated device by traveling to Sydney, Australia to pick it up a bit early. Its examination of the phone shows that while it’s similar in some respect to the iPhone 7, you really want to make sure that you don’t break that glass back.

Apple claimed that the glass in the phone’s back is really strong, but now that it’s out in the hands of users, we’ll get a good idea of how durable it really is when people start dropping it. It’ll be worth making sure that it doesn’t break: the company confirmed yesterday that repairing the phone’s glass back will be more expensive than the screen under AppleCare+.

Image: iFixit

iFixit’s teardown shows why. It’s really difficult to get to if you need to replace it. The phone’s wireless charging coil is attached to a reinforcement panel, which is securely glued to the back. The team notes that their efforts left the backing plate “a bit bent out of shape.”

iFixit points out that despite the upgrade, there’s a lot in the phone that looks like an iPhone 7, with some similar components. Ultimately, the phone ranks a six on iFixit’s ranking, lower than the iPhone 7 teardown score. It’s jam-packed with stuff, but it does score higher than Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8, which got a four, and the Essential Phone, which earned a one.