iFixit has released its customary teardown of Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro, offering a detailed look at the device’s most prominent upgrades and uncovering a potential repair‑related weakness. The analysis spotlights a variable aperture mechanism for the main camera, an under‑display Face ID infrared sensor, a substantially larger vapor chamber for cooling, and a plastic display frame that showed damage in most of the units examined.
Camera system and variable aperture
The iPhone 18 Pro’s headline camera improvement is a variable aperture that can adjust the size of the opening to suit lighting conditions. Six miniature blades form the aperture, and each blade is driven by an electromagnet, a design that mirrors the phone’s optical image stabilization system but operates independently. During disassembly, one of the blades detached and flew out of the lens stack, illustrating how delicate the component is. iFixit warns that if the aperture mechanism were to jam, the likely remedy would be to replace the entire main camera assembly rather than attempting a blade‑level repair.
Cooling and thermal architecture
Apple’s new A20 Pro processor is paired with a redesigned cooling solution that iFixit describes as a “bigger vapor chamber.” The chip is packaged so that the silicon die sits side‑by‑side with the memory, removing the memory from the system‑on‑chip’s thermal path and allowing direct contact with the vapor chamber. Apple claimed at its “Surprise and Shine” event that this chamber offers three times the surface area of the one used in the iPhone 17 Pro. iFixit’s teardown confirms the layout, showing thermal material that presses the A20 Pro directly against the chamber, which spans a large portion of the phone’s interior.
Display frame concern and overall repairability
While the camera and cooling upgrades are noteworthy, iFixit identified a possible repair issue involving the display’s plastic frame. In three of the four iPhone 18 Pro units the team opened, the frame surrounding the screen was cracked or otherwise damaged. The same plastic frame design has been employed since the iPhone 15 Pro, but other teardown reports have not mentioned the problem, leaving it unclear whether this is an isolated incident or a broader defect. iFixit speculates that the more aggressive thermal system might draw heat away from the display as the heating pad used during assembly softens the adhesive, potentially stressing the frame.
A compromised frame could prevent the display from sitting perfectly flush after reassembly and might affect the phone’s water‑resistance rating. The teardown also notes that certain components remain difficult to access. Replacing the USB‑C port, for example, requires removal of a substantial portion of the phone’s internals, making DIY repairs challenging depending on the part in question.
Despite the frame concern, iFixit observes that the iPhone 18 Pro retains several repairability strengths from its predecessor, such as a glue‑free battery tray and modular camera assemblies. However, most major repairs still necessitate entry through the display, a step that adds complexity. Based on the current findings, iFixit has assigned a provisional repairability score of 7 out of 10 to both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max, pending further testing and parts availability.
The teardown video, which accompanies the written analysis, provides a visual guide to the disassembly process and highlights the nuances of the new hardware. As the iPhone 18 Pro reaches consumers, the highlighted issues may influence both professional technicians and hobbyist repairers as they assess the device’s long‑term serviceability.
Mitchell Landsberg is a Senior Technology Correspondent at News Raise. He covers consumer electronics, artificial intelligence, software developments, and digital privacy trends.
