Apple had announced that the iPhone 16 range was much more repairable, which our friends at iFixit did not fail to verify. After taking apart the standard iPhone 16, DIYers got their hands on the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. But what about the two tops of range ? You will see, they are not in the same boat as the basic models.
A battery less accessible than on iPhone 16
Indeed, the two iPhone 16 Pro variants do not have the same simplified battery removal process as the standard iPhone 16 (or iPhone 16 Plus), with Apple instead using a traditional stretchable adhesive for its more expensive models. However, it is still easier to access the interior, because you can do it from the back of the iPhone rather than through the screen, which is more fragile.
The way this phone opens is a great example of what Apple does. Just like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, this phone opens on the front and back. We’re excited to see that the “open front and back” design is now available on all iPhone models.
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Now, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have been designed so that most of the important parts – battery, cameras, speakers – are accessible through the cheaper and less fragile rear glass. This is a big win for repairers, especially those doing home repairs for the first time.
Metal protection prohibited for the Pro Max
As seen previously, Apple has wrapped the iPhone 16 Pro battery in a metal casing, similar to the iPhone 16 models. Oddly enough, the iPhone 16 Pro Max does not have this metal casing around its battery, without that we really know why, which confused iFixit.
Why wasn’t the Pro Max equipped with the electric release adhesive or the aluminum coated battery? Maybe next year. Apple likes to test changes on a subset of the product family before rolling them out to all models. It is not uncommon for small modifications to be introduced to a model before being generalized to the entire range.
Camera
On the photo block side, the LiDAR scanner is more accessible, which makes it easier to replace. In older iPhone Pro models, this sensor was located under the main camera module.
The rest has changed very little since the iPhone 15 Pro. The camera modules are almost identical, but not quite interchangeable due to a difference in cable length and a screw placed in two separate locations inside each model.
5G modem
As on iPhone 16, Apple moved the mmWave antenna (on US models only) to make room for the camera control button, and in 16 Pro models it sits in a hollowed-out space near the top of the device. iFixit says the mmWave signal could still be affected due to the titanium frame of the iPhone 16 Pro models. But without really providing any proof.
In contrast, the teardown revealed that the iPhone 16 Pro models use a Qualcomm SDX71M modem, a customized version of the SDX70M modem used in the iPhone 15 Pro models. Rumors had suggested that the Pro models would include the Qualcomm X75 modem, which does not appear to be the case.
USB-C port
Another notable improvement is that removing the USB-C port has been made “tremendously” simpler, but iFixit notes that Apple does not sell replacement USB-C ports.
Motherboard and chip
The motherboard can also be removed simply by removing the top speaker, which is a major improvement to the internal design. Again, iFixit DIYers are happy with the design developments;
If the complete identification of the chip has not yet been carried out by our colleagues, we nevertheless learn that the A18 Pro system-on-chip is located in the center of the “sandwich” of the motherboard. This SoC contains a 6-core CPU, a 6-core GPU and a 16-core neural engine, under 8 GB of LPDDR5 SDRAM.
On the reverse side we have the 128GB Kyoxia NAND flash storage, which is the minimum capacity available on the 16 Pro. Surprisingly, a Chinese technician posted a YouTube video allowing the storage capacity to be increased to 1 TB.
The repairability rating
In the end, the iPhone 16 Pro does much better than the iPhone 15 and as well as the iPhone 16, although it is better in terms of battery. iFixit gave the iPhone 16 Pro models a repairability score of 7 out of 10.
Overall, we’re impressed with the progress all phones in the iPhone 16 line have made when it comes to repairability. The pros and cons of repairability are quite similar across the range. The dual-entry design is remarkable, especially since even the Pro models are built so that most repairs are possible without removing the screen.
The adhesives still pose some issues accessing the interior, and the heat required to open the phone means it probably doesn’t yet comply with future EU battery regulations. Additionally, the complexity and variety of screws hurts the phone’s rating.