DJI Mavic Air 2 iFixit Teardown Would Put Smartphones To Shame

iFixit is perhaps best known for taking apart phones, tablets, and laptops but, from time to time, it also tries to take a peek inside that other marvel of consumer technology, commercial drones. The launch of DJI's latest flying robot and the free time that iFixit experts now have on their hands seems like the perfect opportunity (or excuse) to revisit that process. Suffice it to say, they really wish smartphones were this easy to repair.

Of course, phones and drones are completely different things but if you presumed drones like the Mavic Air 2 are simplistic, you definitely haven't seen one inside. Still, it's not as compact and cramped as modern smartphones but, once upon a time, mobile phones weren't either.

Popping off the battery was easy as pie, especially since such batteries were designed to be easily replaced even if, like smartphone batteries, they're meant to be recharged while attached as well. Standard screws hold almost everything in place and, save for a few hidden ones, taking the Mavic Air 2 apart is pretty trivial.

It's not perfect, though, not by a long stretch. Particularly problematic are the wires for the motors that are soldered at the very tips. Considering these are the ones that are most likely to break first on impact, it might take a bit more effort to get them replaced than any other part of the drone.

All in all, the DJI Mavic Air 2 scores a 6 out of 10, a grade that few smartphones of late have been able to reach. Then again, these drones are expected to get a beating more than a smartphone so it would definitely be preposterous if they couldn't be repaired easily.