Comment by jodrellblank
21 days ago
Original iPhone SE is relatively easy to work on, two pentalobe screws and a suction cup will get you into it. It’s not waterproof so there’s no glue seals to warm and melt, it’s still mostly screwed together inside, only the battery has glue strips holding it in.
From there I’ve swapped the battery, moved the logic board and home button to a new chassis, taken the camera module out and tried to clean it, had the screen+top chassis off. It’s not for everyone but it’s not technically complex with many specialist tools, it just needs a battery replacement kit, tiny screwdrivers, workspace, and patience.
Interesting! So I shouldn't expect a similar experience fixing a 13 mini when the time comes?
I've never tried, but the original SE I'm talking about is contemporaneous with the iPhone 5 chassis and iPhone 6 internals. The 13 is 5-6 generations and years newer, and likely more hostile or complex in at least some ways.