Disassembly shows that the iPhone 13 screen has chip certification

Apple’s restrictions on the replacement of equipment parts have always been well-known. Some are based on safety considerations, but some may just prevent unauthorized repairers from performing private repairs.

For example, since the iPhone 5S, Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint recognition module has a security mechanism, and the fingerprint recognition modules of different devices cannot be exchanged.

Previously, after replacing the battery with an unauthorized repairer, such as the user, the battery health of the iOS system did not display the battery percentage, which was actually not certified.

There are also functions such as the inability to enable the original color after the screen is replaced and the system prompts that the screen is not original, which restricts unauthorized repairers from repairing Apple devices.

Of course, Apple has its own statement about this, users repairing equipment or replacing non-certified equipment at an unauthorized repairer may affect the user experience or have quality problems.

Earlier, it was reported that if users replace the screen of the iPhone 13 series with an unauthorized repairer, it may cause the FaceID face recognition function to be unavailable.

If you want to use the function normally after replacing the screen, you need to repair it through Apple. Of course, the original display and repair costs provided by Apple are relatively higher.

Image: ifixit

The well-known disassembly website iFixit conducted a disassembly study and found that Apple had reserved a controller on the screen. For maintenance, Apple’s proprietary software must be used to read and write the controller.

Apple after-sales and authorized repairers can obtain proprietary software to update the serial number, but other repairers cannot read and write the controller, so the usage will be affected after replacement.

The disassembly research found that it is not impossible to update the microcontroller, but the update method is very troublesome and that is to weld the old screen controller and re-solder.

For this reason, unauthorized repairers or users must own a microscope, electric soldering iron, and soldering station. After carefully removing the controller, you can install it on a new screen.

If soldered properly, the new screen can be certified and use the face recognition function, but this work becomes very complicated and takes more time.

From the disassembly video, soldering chips may not be difficult for professional repairers, but the process takes more time and more, and the cost is that the fee will be higher.

So in the final analysis, the ultimate victim is still the user. If the user is unwilling to pay a high price for Apple’s after-sales service, it will have to spend more money to find an unauthorized repairer.