Skip the upgrade? iPhone 18 Pro aperture about as unrepairable as it gets, iFixit finds
Repairability improvements can't lift last year's score as camera complexity and screen-frame concerns remain
iFixit has scrutinized the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, revealing significant repairability concerns. Apple's latest iPhones present repairability tradeoffs despite certain improvements. The 18 Pro series' main camera features an aperture with six minuscule blades, each as thin as a human hair, making repairs difficult and potentially expensive.
The camera assembly is a single replaceable unit, but its cost remains prohibitive, likely to rise with the new variable aperture. Apple has not released the camera assembly parts yet, but the 17 Pro's version was already priced at $249. The aperture's impact on picture quality is minimal, as the small sensor and short focal length limit background blur.
Battery replacement remains feasible, but the screen assembly poses challenges, as the frame can break during disassembly, potentially leading to a full display replacement. This frame issue, present since the 15 Pro, has not caused significant damage to the overall score, as iFixit waits for additional teardowns to confirm the failure rate.
The team grants the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max a 7 out of 10 repairability score, similar to the 17 Pro. While the score remains unchanged, the iPhone 18 Pro seems generally less repairable due to the screen troubles and the high cost of camera repairs. iFixit advises against upgrading unless absolutely necessary, emphasizing that the most sustainable choice is to keep the current phone.
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