The FCC Just Accidentally Leaked the iPhone 16e Schematics
So, the FCC just did something Apple is probably furious about. They published the iPhone 16e schematics, and not the cleaned-up, public-friendly version either. I’m talking full-on internal design docs with “CONFIDENTIAL” stamped all over them. Apparently, this wasn’t supposed to go live, but due to a publishing error, it slipped through.
For context, Apple has always been intensely protective of its schematics. They don't want third parties to have this information because it makes independent repairs easier, it can potentially give competitors an edge, and it may pose a slight security risk. Usually, these documents only live in Apple’s internal systems, or if you’re lucky, you might catch a low-quality leak from a shady parts supplier. But this time? The FCC itself handed it out.
Why This Is Huge for Repair
This might not sound like a big deal to the average iPhone user, but for anyone who repairs phones, this is basically a treasure map. With official schematics:
Tracing faults on the board becomes 10x easier.
Component-level repair is more accessible.
Future aftermarket repair guides are going to be way more accurate.
The iPhone 16e is shaping up to be one of Apple’s more repair-friendly devices already, and now with schematics floating around, fixing these things just got a whole lot more realistic outside Apple’s official repair network.
Apple’s Worst Nightmare
Apple has been fighting against the Right to Repair movement for years, so this FCC slip-up is about as bad as it gets for them. The schematics were never supposed to be public, but now that they’re out there, you can bet they’ll spread across repair forums and communities faster than Apple can file takedown requests.
Final Thoughts
The FCC may have “screwed up,” but for independent repair techs, this is nothing short of a goldmine. Apple’s headache is our blessing, and the iPhone 16e just became one of the most repairable iPhones we’ve seen in years.
Why did the FCC employee get fired? Because they couldn’t keep it together.
See you in the next article!
