A lot of people buy iPhones, and there are just a few models of iPhones (relative to, say,Android phones). That’s good for repair: an iPhone with a busted board might still have a working camera, display, speaker, and much more that can be harvested for repairs.
Unless Apple goes out of its way to stop you from swapping parts between iPhones. Which, increasingly, they do.
So we’ve gotten in the habit the last few years of testing which parts you can swap between iPhones. We test between the same models (iPhone 13 to iPhone 13, 13 Pro to 13 Pro) and across the “Vanilla”/“Pro” divide (iPhone 13 to iPhone 13 Pro). We’ve previously tested theiPhone 11and thesecond-generation iPhone SE against the iPhone 8(its almost identical predecessor).
Last year we tested the iPhone 12, which shipped witha rear camera that could not be swapped, while Apple provided documents to its techs suggesting that was intentional. Later software updates made the cameras work, but addeda warning about a non-“genuine” camerainside.
Now that we’vetorn down an iPhone 13 Pro, we’re facing yet another early-days parts-swapping conundrum. As of this post’s publishing, replacing the screen on your iPhone 13disables Face ID entirely. This could change, or it could be a turning point in Apple’s campaign to lock out repair outside its purview.
In the meantime, we kept picking up iPhone 13 parts and putting them in other 13 units. To set expectations: unlike the 12 series, there are far fewer similarities between the “Pro” and “Vanilla” models of the 13 line, so what we’re hoping for is portability inside the same models. Here’s what we can report back:
Display
- Vanilla/Pro swaps:No(connectors are incompatible)
- Same-model swaps:Yes, butwithout Face ID, True Tone, or auto brightness, and with a “genuine” warning
Asnoted in our teardown, the 13 series adds a new downside to DIY or independent repair shop display fixes (and cost the phone one point in our repair score): Face ID no longer works. A repair tech friend reports that Apple’s support told them that this will be fixed in a future iOS software update. It seems an odd coincidence that a parts-pairing bug would happen to be the one that didn’t get fixed before launch, for two major iPhone releases in a row.
If this problem sticks, it’s the most concerning sign yet of Apple’s intent to bring all repair under its authorized-only roof. Appletook away battery health and statisticsfor all batteries installed withoutApple’s in-house software tools, but the battery still worked. Giving iPhone owners a choice between a replacement screen for which Apple sets the price, and a third-party screen (even a genuine screen harvested from other phones) that disables numerous features, including your ability to avoid typing in a passcode with every phone unlock? That’s something else, and it’s something worthfighting over.
Battery
- Vanilla/Pro swaps: No, physically impossible (size/shape)
- Same-model swaps: Yes, but “genuine” warning and no battery health or performance options.
As has become the new normal, any battery installed in an iPhone without the use of Apple’s repair software is seen as not “genuine.” It displays a warning that starts on the lock screen, then migrates to the Settings app. And it removes your ability to see your battery health, a useful marker for when you need to replace. It’s not great, Bob. But at least you can get juice out of the thing.
Cameras
- Vanilla/Pro swaps: Boots, but no function
- Same-model swaps: Yes, but “genuine” warning present
This is how Apple wanted a swapped camera to function: working, but with a warning. It’s nearly ridiculous, as there are almost no third-party iPhone cameras (we’ve looked). Any camera you install in an iPhone was made by Apple; the “genuine” issue is that Apple didn’t see any repair revenue from your swap.
Selfie camera and sensors
- Vanilla/Pro swaps: Physically impossible
- Same-model swaps: Yes on Vanilla and Pro, but without Face ID (explicit warning)
Beyond the issues we found with selfie camera replacements, Hugh Jeffreys found other things that can possibly go wrong in this swap, especially after a few tries. We’re keeping an eye on this as future software updates are released.
Earpiece speaker, main speaker, Taptic Engine
- Vanilla/Pro swaps: Physically impossible
- Same-model swaps: Verified yes for main speaker and Taptic; most likely yes for earpiece.
SIM tray and reader
- Vanilla/Pro swaps: Yes for tray, No for reader
- Same-model swaps: For Pro models: Yes for tray, No for reader; iPhone 13 vanilla readers can be swapped.
You can remove the metal tray that holds a SIM card in place and move it between any iPhone 13 model. But the pins that read the contacts on a SIM card are now built directly onto the logic board on the Pro models. If that goes, you’re out of luck (unless you can use an eSIM). The standard iPhone 13 SIM reader remains a modular part held on by a press connector.
Not yet tested: wireless charging, Lightning assembly, logic board, LiDAR
We’ll have updates on at least some of these parts as we compile repair guides for the iPhone 13, mini, Pro, and Pro Max. For now, godspeed fixers, the waters are getting choppy. Maybe we can do something about that?
