iFixit Teardown of iPhone 18 Pro Shows Variable Aperture, Flags Display Frame Damage

The variable aperture, the biggest camera change on this year's model, uses six tiny blades driven by electromagnets, similar to the optical image stabilization system but operating independently of it, according to iFixit. During disassembly one of the blades flew out of the lens stack, which the group cited as evidence that component-level repair is impractical; a stuck aperture would most likely mean replacing the entire main camera assembly.

iFixit also examined the infrared camera that Apple moved beneath the display for this year's Pro models, leaving the selfie camera and the IR dot projector inside a smaller Dynamic Island. Under a microscope, the group found that Apple hides the relocated sensor by removing every other row of pixels above it, an effect that fades toward the edges, with an IR-pass filter beneath the OLED layer to block visible light. The filter does not reach the edge of the opening, producing what iFixit describes as an eclipse effect under certain microscope settings.

The teardown also shows the redesigned cooling system. Apple said at its "Surprise and Shine" event that the A20 Pro uses a package placing the silicon die alongside the memory, moving the memory out of the chip's thermal path so the die connects directly to the vapor chamber, and that the chamber has three times the surface area of the one in the iPhone 17 Pro. iFixit's images show thermal material pressing the A20 Pro against the chamber, which extends across much of the phone's body.

The group's main concern involves the display. The plastic frame surrounding the screen was damaged on three of the four iPhone 18 Pro units iFixit opened. The group said other teardowns have not reported the same problem and that Apple has used the same plastic frame since the iPhone 15 Pro, so it is too early to say whether the damage was an anomaly or a wider repairability issue. iFixit suggested the improved thermal system may be drawing heat away from the display while the heating pad softens the adhesive. A cracked frame can leave the display sitting unevenly after reassembly and may compromise water resistance.

Other components remain difficult to reach. Replacing the USB-C port requires removing much of the phone's internals, iFixit said.

iFixit concluded that the iPhone 18 Pro carries over many of the repairability strengths and weaknesses of last year's model, including a glue-free battery tray and modular camera assemblies, alongside the need to enter through the display for most major repairs. The group gave the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max a provisional repairability score of 7 out of 10 while it waits for parts, runs more tests and tracks whether the display frame problem proves widespread.