Category: How Tech Works

Explainers on how certain gadgets, features, or scientific concepts work in the context of everyday tech.

Why’d Apple Bother Making Its Own Modem?

When the iPhone 16e arrived at iFixit HQ today, we immediately sent it in for some intense surgery. For the first time ever, our teardown day started with a little…

February 28, 2025

by Charlie Sorrel - iFixit

Legislation

Why Your Laptop Batteries Are Still So Tiny

No matter how fast powerful laptops get, and no matter how ridiculously big and beefy a portable gaming rig might be, their batteries will never be any bigger than they…

November 18, 2024

by Charlie Sorrel - iFixit

How Tech Works

How To Stop Your Devices From Being So Annoying

Home appliances and portable devices all contribute to a kind of notification pollution. Our gadgets are too annoying, and it's time to make them stop.

November 16, 2024

by Charlie Sorrel - iFixit

How Tech Works

What Is mAh and Why Is It Bad for Measuring Battery Capacity?

tl;dr: If you’re comparing smartphone batteries, the mAh values will usually work. Otherwise, look for a battery’s watt-hour (Wh) value to get a more universal capacity rating. This is the…

September 19, 2024

by Arthur Shi - iFixit

How Tech Works

Why Is Your Old Phone Battery Swollen?

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You just got a shiny new phone! Your old phone still works, so you chuck it in a drawer as “backup” and promptly forget…

August 1, 2024

by Arthur Shi - iFixit

How Tech Works

How Lawn Mowers Work

If you want to dip your toes into engine repair, fixing lawn mowers is a great place to start. They’re simple machines and make for great stepping stones toward tackling…

July 24, 2024

by Craig Lloyd - iFixit

Right to Repair

Banning Parts Pairing Won’t Lead to More iPhone Theft

We’re well on the way to solving the biggest problems with repair access: Manufacturers selling in New York need to provide customers with parts, tools, and documentation—and soon in California…

February 23, 2024

by Elizabeth Chamberlain - iFixit

How Tech Works

Why Charging Your Gadgets Over 80% Is Such a Bad Idea

Charging your phone’s battery to 100% is drastically shortening its useful life. But the fix is easy, and while auto companies have known about this and mitigated its consequences for…

February 14, 2024

by Charlie Sorrel - iFixit

Brain Candy

Anodizing the iPhone 15 Pro

Apple has used aluminum and stainless steel phone frames since the iPhone 2G’s introduction in 2007. However, last year’s iPhone 15 Pro got something new. A lightweight metal used in…

January 19, 2024

by Chayton Ritter - iFixit

How Tech Works

One Major Way Smartphone Batteries Can Catch Fire—and How to Prevent It

Lithium-ion polymer batteries, also known as lithium-polymer, or li-po for short, are awesome little pouches of energy that power our beloved smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Any portable gadget that requires…

November 17, 2022

by Arthur Shi - iFixit