Teardown shows the new Apple TV 4K is easy to repair, but Siri Remote is a pain

Given that the revamped Apple TV 4K looks identical to the last model, we figured that it would be similarly easy to repair. And according to iFixit’s teardown video, that’s precisely the case. The site was able to tear right through the set-top box’s case, thanks to a bit of prying and standard screws. In a unique twist, Apple also used metal contact pins to connect the ATV’s large fan to its logic board. That makes it easy to remove without worrying about breaking any cables.

Beyond that, the Apple TV 4K is basically a sandwich of easy to remove components. And just like before, its sleek black case is also entirely IR transparent, which allows it to shoot infrared commands to other devices in your home. (In my home theater, the Apple TV remote also changes the volume on my A/V receiver.) iFixit ultimately gave the new Apple TV 4K an eight out of 10 when it comes to repairability. It’s the sort of thing even a novice user should be able to dive into (not that there’s much to add inside the case).

The revised Siri Remote — the real star of the show, to be honest — is another matter entirely. After removing two screws near the Lightning port (similar to the iPhone), iFixit ended up prying off all of the face buttons manually before encountering another screw to remove. After that, the site was able to slide out all of the remote’s internals, which revealed a small 1.52 Whr battery on the bottom and the rest of its circuity up top. There aren’t any big surprises, but just about everything required some force to remove. Basically, you’ll most likely be buying a new Siri Remote in a few years if the battery dies on you.