iFixit has published its traditional iPhone 18 Pro teardown, which shows the variable opening mechanism up close and explores a potential issue related to screen repair. Watch it below. iFixit Concerns About Potential Screen Frame Issue iFixit’s iPhone 18 Pro teardown is now available, exploring not only the variable aperture, this year’s biggest camera upgrade, but also the device’s larger vapor chamber, the new under-display Face ID camera, and more. When it comes to the variable aperture mechanism, iFixit notes that its six small blades are controlled by electromagnets, much like the optical image stabilization system, although the two mechanisms work independently. During disassembly, one of the small aperture blades flew off as iFixit dismantled the lens stack, underscoring how impractical a component-level repair would be. The group says that if the aperture becomes stuck, the entire main camera assembly will likely need to be replaced. Another highlight of the new iPhone 18 Pro is its under-display Face ID infrared camera. For this year’s Pro devices, Apple moved the IR camera below the display, while keeping the selfie camera and IR dot projector inside the smaller dynamic island. Under a microscope, iFixit discovered that Apple hides the relocated infrared camera by removing every other row of pixels above the sensor. iFixit notes that the effect fades towards the edges and that there is an infrared pass filter under the OLED layer to block visible light. Interestingly, the filter does not extend to the edge of the aperture, creating what iFixit describes as an “eclipse effect” under certain microscope settings. As for the iPhone 18 Pro’s larger vapor chamber, the teardown offers a closer look at Apple’s redesigned cooling architecture. As the company explained during its “Surprise and Shine” event, the A20 Pro uses a new package that places the silicon chip next to the memory, removing the latter from the SoC’s thermal path and allowing the chip to connect directly to the vapor chamber. Apple also said that the new vapor chamber has three times the surface area of the iPhone 17 Pro. iFixit’s teardown allows us to see that setup up close, including the thermal material that presses the A20 Pro directly against the vapor chamber and the camera itself that extends across much of the phone’s body. Now for the worrying part: iFixit says the plastic frame around the screen was damaged on three of the four iPhones its team opened. While the group notes that other iPhone 18 Pro teardowns have not found the same issue and that Apple has been using this same plastic frame since the iPhone 15 Pro, it says it’s too early to tell if this is an anomaly or a broader repairability issue. iFixit also suggests that the device’s improved thermal system may be pulling heat away from the screen as the thermal pad attempts to soften the adhesive. Be that as it may, in practice, as iFixIt explains in the video, a cracked frame means that the screen may no longer be perfectly level after reassembly and could compromise the phone’s water resistance. Add to that the fact that some components remain difficult to reach – particularly the USB-C port, which iFixit says requires removing much of the phone’s internal parts to replace it – and iPhone 18 Pro DIY repairs can prove challenging depending on which component needs replacing. All in all, iFixit says the iPhone 18 Pro has many of the same repairability strengths and weaknesses as last year’s model, including the glueless battery tray and modular camera assemblies, but also the need to enter through the screen for most major repairs. For now, the group has given both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max a provisional repairability score of 7 out of 10 while it waits for parts, conducts further testing, and sees whether the screen bezel issue proves widespread. Watch iFixit’s full teardown below: Once you’re done, be sure to check out 9to5Mac’s review of the iPhone 18 Pro. Have you ever repaired an iPhone yourself? Let us know in the comments. Worth checking out on Amazon FTC – We use automatic affiliate links to generate income. Further.
