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iPhone 18 Pro Teardown: What Changed Inside?

iFixit

326,661 views

Apple just put a mechanical iris inside the iPhone.
We tear down the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to see how Apple's new variable-aperture camera actually works—and what happens if those tiny aperture blades ever fail.
But the camera isn't the only major change inside. We find a redesigned logic board built around the A20 Pro, a much larger vapor chamber, Apple's new C2 modem, an under-display Face ID camera, larger batteries, and the return of Apple's excellent screw-in battery tray.
Unfortunately, getting to all of it means going through the display, and our teardown revealed a potentially concerning problem with its plastic frame.
So how repairable are the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max? For now, we're giving them a provisional 7/10 repairability score.

Chapters
0:00 iPhone 18 Pro's Variable Aperture
0:42 How the New Camera Works
2:47 iPhone 18 Pro Teardown Begins
3:14 The Display Problem
4:13 Glue-Free Battery Replacement
5:36 Face ID Goes Under the Display
7:03 Tearing Apart the New Camera
8:44 Inside the Variable Aperture
9:07 USB-C and Internal Components
10:03 A20 Pro and Logic Board
10:58 Apple's Bigger Vapor Chamber
11:48 Apple's C2 Modem
12:43 iPhone 18 Pro Repairability

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20 Comments

@borisdg 2 weeks ago

The OLED screen is so beautiful under microscope. Crazy engineering

@viktorepo 2 weeks ago

Aperture Science!

@MattDeezly 2 weeks ago (edited)

When I remove a water tight phone’s screen, I ALWAYS assume its no longer water tight.

@41istair 2 weeks ago (edited)

Director Feng shows how to disassemble the screen properly, without damage; worth watching how a professional should do it.

@mythichh 2 weeks ago

it'd be sick if they would put the battery in a separate compartment underneath the back glass so that you could replace it without taking the screen out.

@LoganCableTech 2 weeks ago

Having an aperture of F1.48, from a guy who isn’t an avid photographer but has quite a few lenses, is astounding. My favorite lens is a 50mm super takumar f1.4 from whenever they still used thorium in lenses for its refractive index.

It’s wild to see it done like this, on a thing in your pocket. I’m genuinely blown away.

Thanks, iFixit for the tear down and seeing the mechanism. Mostly for taking one for the team.

@JamesR624 2 weeks ago

Considering your new partnership for this review, will you be also reviewing the repairability of the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device or the usefulness of the Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube?

@TGG-55 2 weeks ago

it's not quite rocket science it's more like a sort of... Aperture Science

@kyotosunsetdreams6105 2 weeks ago

You need to heat the phone from the side with apples heated display fixture, heating from the screen does not transfer almost any heat to the PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive), it has been like this for many many years. The 17 and 18 both have a new PSA that is much stronger, when we repair phones (AASP), we never have this issue.

@rakibkronos 2 weeks ago

Ha, a Portal reference.
You monster.

@Rackmaster9K 2 weeks ago

I wait for these videos before watching the JerryRigEverytrhing teardowns cause I always feel like I need to decompress after watching him tear his phones to shreds

@Good.Evening.Mr.Worldwide 2 weeks ago

Guys not everything needs to be repairable 😭 You don't need to replace your apperature blades LOL

@NinetiesKiddd 2 weeks ago

Many people get screens off without damaging the white bezel

@joehopfield 2 weeks ago

Once again, unnecessarily superb.

@PMX 2 weeks ago

7:34 That 250 USD replacement camera does list a 60 USD credit if you return the broken part though

@smxkcher 2 weeks ago

Incredible how much tech is stuffed into this small package.

@bioches 2 weeks ago

These videos are so much better than jerry scratching glass

@FubyRigEverything 2 weeks ago

Best review/ tear down
I want that digital vernier caliper and pro tool kit

@ThePandaPhotographer 2 weeks ago

you guys are so thorough. I just felt like I just got a cavity search by federal agent 😂

@TheAnoniemo 2 weeks ago

With only half the pixels in front of the FaceID camera, I wonder how they will last. I imagine they need to be twice as bright to make up the difference and will burn in over time, making the "hole" more visible over time.