Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro is slightly easier to repair than the iPhone 17 Pro according to repairability data Apple publishes for the European Union. The improvement is modest, but the underlying scores are useful because they break repairability into practical categories rather than treating it as a single yes-or-no question.

The overall repairability score moved up

Apple’s product information sheet gives the iPhone 18 Pro a repairability index of 3.14 out of 5 and a repairability class of C. MacRumors reports that the comparable iPhone 17 Pro score was 3.04, so the year-over-year change is positive but small.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s disassembly-depth score is 2.75 out of 5, while fasteners score 3.80, tools 2.55, spare parts 4.00 and repair information 5.00. Apple also lists a five-year minimum period for operating-system security, corrective and functionality updates in the EU product sheet.

Why the component scores matter more than the headline number

A single repairability score can hide the reason a device is easy or difficult to service. For a repair shop or a buyer planning to keep a phone for several years, parts availability, documentation, fastener design and the number of steps required to reach a failed component can all affect the real cost of ownership.

Apple receives a strong score for repair information and spare-part availability in the EU framework. The weaker scores are in areas such as disassembly depth and required tools. The battery is still listed as not user-replaceable.

A small improvement is still worth tracking

For the secondary market, small repairability changes can matter over millions of devices. A phone that is easier to open, diagnose or obtain parts for can be more economical to keep in service rather than retire after a damaged screen, worn battery or failed component.

That is also why Right to Repair debates are not only about whether a repair is technically possible. Access to parts, documentation, diagnostics and reasonable service steps all influence whether a repair makes economic sense. Techable’s Right to Repair background page looks at those issues from the resale and repair side of the market.

Sources

Apple: iPhone 18 Pro product and EU energy information. MacRumors: Apple Rates iPhone 18 Pro Slightly Easier to Repair Than 17 Pro.