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Step 22

• The Lightning connector assembly is comprised of the headphone jack, Lightning connector, and a few antenna connectors.

• Cable packages like this are great in terms of space-saving, but not-so-great when your headphone jack decides it doesn't like being pulled on every day.

Step 23

We turn our focus to the top of the rear case enclosure, where a plethora of antennas await. These antennas prove to be no match for our trusty tweezers though.

Step 24

• As we near the end of the teardown, we come across both the power button ribbon cable assembly and the volume button ribbon cable assembly.

• Both assemblies consist of tiny components strung on thin, fragile cables like twinkle lights.

Step 25

• We're button-pushers around here, so we took particular interest in this fancy new rubber gasket surrounding the power button.

• Similar gaskets surround the volume buttons. Altogether, this seems to represent a move toward increased water/dust resistance, and therefore improved durability.

Step 26

• We have slain the giant. The iPhone 6 Plus earned a respectable seven out of ten, an improvement over the iPhone 5s. Here's why:

• Continuing the trend from the iPhone 5 series, the display assembly comes out of the phone first, simplifying screen repairs.

• The battery is straightforward to access. Removing it requires a proprietary pentalobe screwdriver and knowledge of the adhesive removal technique, but is not difficult.

• The fingerprint sensor cable has been re-routed, fixing a significant repairability issue with the iPhone 5s and making the phone much safer to open. (On the 5s, the cable is easily torn if a user is not careful while opening the phone.)

• The iPhone 6 Plus still uses proprietary Pentalobe screws on the exterior, requiring a specialty screwdriver to remove.

• Apple does not share repair information for the iPhone 6 Plus with independent repair shops or consumers.

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