crwdns2933803:04crwdne2933803:0
crwdns2933797:0Jeff Suovanencrwdnd2933797:0crwdne2933797:0
crwdns2936043:0crwdne2936043:0 crwdns2933505:0crwdne2933505:0 Jeff Suovanen
- crwdns2933769:0crwdne2933769:0
- crwdns2933771:0crwdne2933771:0
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crwdns2933807:0crwdne2933807:0
| - | [* black] Our iOpener was nearly made irrelevant by the heat wave here on the west coast. We easily could've left the phones outside for a few minutes to soften up the adhesive. |
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| - | [* black] Next, some careful [product|IF145-243-1|iSclack|new_window=true] and opening pick action. |
| - | [* black] And just like that we've got these things wide open. You can't tell from this photo, but one of them was Note-ably less stressful to open, thanks to its polycarbonate (read: plastic) back door. |
| - | [* black] You can debate in the comments about whether or not a $1,000 phone should be made with plastic, but one thing's for sure: plastic rear covers make for painless opening procedures, and they're cheaper to replace! |
| + | [* black] Our iOpener was nearly made irrelevant by the heat wave here on the west coast. We probably could've just left both phones outside for a few minutes to soften up the adhesive. |
| + | [* icon_reminder] While the adhesive remains annoyingly tough, the stakes are a little lower with the plastic back on the vanilla Note 20—it feels more pliable and less likely to accidentally shatter under stress. |
| + | [* black] You can debate in the comments as to whether a $1,000 phone should be clothed in plastic, but repairability-wise, it's probably a net win. |
| + | [* black] That said, check your heat gun settings carefully. Glass can take a lot of heat, but this plastic will soften and warp if you're not careful. |
| + | [* black] Next, some careful [product|IF145-243-1|iSclack|new_window=true] and opening pick action—both back covers are mercifully free of booby-traps. With that, this teardown is officially underway. |