The iPhone 18 Pro Is Tricky to Repair According to an iFixIt Teardown
A teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max shows that most repairs require removing the screen, which has a delicate plastic frame backing.
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, unveiled with minimal differences to their predecessors, boast improved specs such as larger batteries, a novel A20 Pro chip, increased vapor-cooling capacity, and intricate mechanical aperture blades in their primary camera lenses. Tech reviewer Zach Nelson showcased these enhancements through teardown videos on his YouTube channel, JerryRigEverything, highlighting the device’s durability and repairability.
iFixIt joined the teardown efforts, focusing on the iPhone 18 Pro's construction. While the back glass panel proved relatively simple to remove, the repair journey faced hurdles. Three out of four tested units saw the plastic frame behind the display break, a component Apple does not offer for replacement. Consequently, users would need to replace the entire display module if damage occurs. This plastic lining, a feature since the 15 Pro, has not proven problematic in prior years.
Liz Chamberlian and Carsten Frauenheim, iFixIt's sustainability and repairability expert, cautioned that assessing failure rates requires further testing due to variables like adhesive strength and heating. They also suggested using isopropyl alcohol for smoother display removal, but more trials are necessary to confirm its effectiveness.
Nelson's and iFixIt's analysis, alongside Apple's official site, provided comprehensive insights into the battery capacities and SIM configurations of the new iPhone Pro models. The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max also introduce a dual-lens main camera with a variable aperture system, comprising six mechanical blades. This feature, while innovative, complicates potential repairs since a malfunctioning aperture may necessitate a full camera assembly replacement.
Despite these challenges, iFixIt awarded the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max a repairability score of 7 out of 10, mirroring the scores of their predecessors, the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, and 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. The detailed findings of iFixIt's teardown are available in their comprehensive video teardown.
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