Quick Summary
It’s been confirmed that despite its removable back, the CMF Phone 1 is middling for repairability.
Some had hoped that it would be easier to get into, but it’s relatively typical.
Just a short time on from its release, it’s been confirmed by an enthusiastic investigation that the CMF Phone 1 isn’t the repairability win that you might have assumed when its removable back was first shown off.
While the back of the excellent affordable phone can indeed be removed and replaced with a few other colours, and it has the option to also screw on a few accessories thanks to its interesting and unique dial on the bottom corner, this doesn’t mean you can easily access its battery, for example.
Rather, the YouTube channel PBKreviews conducted a prompt teardown that confirmed similar adhesive seals and tamper stickers internally as many other handsets use. While removing the back gets you a lot closer to the battery than many other phones would allow, you still can’t get to it without voiding your warranty.
There are various tiny screws to release before the battery can be removed and replaced, including one that the channel made sure to point out for its almost hidden location under that accessory dial.
All this led it to give the phone a 6.5 out of 10 rating where repairability is concerned, which isn’t exactly setting the world alight (albeit it’s also far from embarrassing).
Still, there will be some observers who feel disappointed that a phone which purports to let you open it up is nonetheless not a dream for repairs.
It also means that Fairphone, and the likes of its Fairphone 5, is still heads and shoulders above the rest, making repairability a central part of its offering and ensuring that replacement batteries can be easily sourced and slotted in without any training or particularly special tools.
The aim there, after all, is to help people replace their phones less often by making them easier to keep in top nick, and its back can be popped off without any screwdriver needed.
Falling short of that mark is no disgrace, but it’s still worth understanding before you opt for the CMF Phone 1 that its looks might be a little deceiving.
