Sensitive camera blades and thermal chainmail surface in iPhone 18 Pro teardown

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are very repairable devices, but while the new variable aperture camera is interesting to look at, it does make for a tricky repair.

After the introduction of new iPhone models on the market, the inevitable teardowns start to surface. In one of the more detailed of its type, repair outfit iFixit took a very close look at some of the components inside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Big aperture, small parts

The headline feature of the iPhone 18 Pro line is its variable aperture camera, which came under close scrutiny. Taking apart the component, the mechanism is shown to consist of six overlapping polymer-composite blades, occupying the same camera footprint as the iPhone 17 Pro.

The movement of the blades is handled by magnetism, which pushes around each blade. Those blades are each almost as thick as a human hair.

However, to keep the blades moving in the right way, each has a series of slots and holes that work with pins on the driving mechanism.

The extremely thin and small nature of these components mean it probably isn't something that most repair enthusiasts will be able to fix, iFixit believes. Due to the tight tolerances and the glues involved, it's deemed to be near impossible to fix, making a replacement the more favored repair.

That said, the access to the camera assembly is relatively simple, with it being modular in nature. While it's hard to repair, swapping the part is more "painless" than usual.

Gaining access

Getting into the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max uses the same front-entry method as the iPhone 17 Pro, which is viewed as a disappointment. The back glass panel can be removed, but aside from the wireless coil, there are no serviceable parts there.

To access the battery fro replacement, you have to remove the glued-down display, which is apparently problematic to remove. Even if the display panel survives, the plastic frame cracked or pulled away, damaging the overall assembly.

Beyond the screen, the disassembly is more straightforward. That includes a metal battery tray held down by screws, instead of glue.

The battery cell is still glued into the tray, but it's releasable with an electric current.

Mainboard and chain mail

The logic board has been updated to a new design, to match the refreshed layout of the A20 Pro and the shifted memory. The packaging change now means the A20 Pro is on the outside of the board sandwich.

There's also a pad above the A20 Pro that contains a thermal chainmail. The idea is that it creates a consistent contact with the cooling assembly, that is the much larger vapor chamber.

However, the changes now mean that the NAND storage sits inside the logic board sandwich. Accessing it requires more surgery, making it a harder component to get to for data recovery.

As previously spotted, the C2 modem is missing in the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Display

The Face ID infrared camera has gone under the display, and is barely visible as a dimmer circle of pixels on the panel. It's clearer on a microscope, which shows the gaps in the display to allow the infrared camera to function.

Further helping that camera is an infrared pass filter that lies just below the display.

That assembly can be disconnected and lifted out without dealing with screws, let alone glue, which was a surprise. Less so was the USB-C port, which uses a flex cable on the side of the casing to reach the logic board, while dealing with many obstructive elements.

Overall, iFixit gives the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max a "repairability" score of 7 out of 10.

The main hit to the score is the display, which increases the risk of further damage due to it being the main entry point into the iPhone. Meanwhile the battery tray and removable camera assemblies are big positives for repairs.

The score is provisional, however, and is subject to change after iFixit concludes its parts availability and software pairing checks.