When PBKRevewis after tearing down the Zenfone 9 last year, the phone scored a below-average repairability score of 4.5/10. Now that Asus has had a year to work on it, has the Zenfone 10 become easier to maintain? The latest teardown video explores just that.
Just below the polycarbonate back is one of this year’s major upgrades: the Qi charging coil (up to 15W). This assembly, which also contains the NFC antenna, easily detaches to give access to the motherboard.
All three cameras are mounted on the motherboard. The video has an interesting close-up of the 50MP main camera showing how far the lens can rotate – this is 6-axis gimbal stabilization version 2.0 (this is at the 3:25 mark).
Like its predecessor, the Zenfone 10 has a small amount of thermal paste on the Snapdragon chipset that drives heat into the vapor chamber which then carries it to the display. Here’s a closer look:
Vapor chamber comparison: Zenfone 9 vs Zenfone 10
So, has the Zenfone 10 design changed to allow for easier repairs? Unfortunately no. Screen replacements still require an almost complete teardown of the phone. Changing the power button or fingerprint reader is also tricky, as their flex cable runs under the battery, so you have to pull it out (it has working tabs). In the end, the Zenfone 10 achieved the same repairability score of 4.5/10 as the 2022 model.
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