14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to release in just a few days and teardown videos already started surfacing, showing the internals of the new smartphones and revealing their repairability degree.
The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have low repairability degrees, while the battery inside the larger model seems to be “virtually identical” to the one in the late Galaxy Note 7. The device recorded a 4 out of 10 score on the repairability scale, where 10 is the easiest to repair.
The smartphone’s front and back glass are held in place by strong adhesive, but the fact that they’re made out of glass means that there’s a higher chance of cracking them. Because the display is slightly curved, it’s extremely difficult to replace the front glass without damaging the screen, and in case the display cracks, the phone could be taken to a service provider.
The battery inside the Galaxy S8+ is difficult to replace
Still, most of the other components are modular and can be replaced independently. One such component is the battery, which has tough adhesive, just like on the Galaxy S7. The battery is glued to the back panel, making it quite difficult to replace.
It’s also worth mentioning that the battery voltage, capacity and design tolerances in the Galaxy S8+ are “virtually identical” to the Galaxy Note 7, according to iFixit. Even the battery unit came from the same manufacturer that produced the Galaxy Note 7 battery, namely Samsung SDI.
Aside from this, the Galaxy S8+ features a 13.48 Wh (3500 mAh at 3.85 V) battery, the same capacity as on the Note 7 and a little less than the Galaxy S7 edge’s 13.86 Wh. In addition, the battery capacity is higher than iPhone 7 Plus’ 11.1 Wh (2900 mAh at 3.82 V).
Although the battery is similar to the Galaxy Note 7, that doesn’t mean that it will have the same fate as the disconnected smartphone. In the meantime, Samsung has announced an 8-step quality assurance program for testing new smartphones and discovering any issues early in the production process. Samsung’s officials also recently emphasized that the Galaxy S8 is safe for use.