iPhone 15 Pro Max Teardown: Big Phone, Microscopic Scratches

[@toadlguy]

It is really too bad that Apple doesn’t realize that repairability is one aspect of superior design.

[@NickFje]

They have known that for decades already. Companies don't want you to repair anything because they earn a lot less money if you stop coming back to their overpriced repair services. It is not that they are unaware about the fact people want a phone that could easly get serviced anywhere. They just prioritize profits. The only thing that comes to mind that could change this fairly quickly is new EU regulations requiring that all phones should be serviceable without any software locks and replacement hardware should be sold to non Apple repair shops at a reasonable price.

[@ytwatcher2021]

@@NickFjeagreed

[@frozenjune83]

No incentive if they literally force people to pay 10X more for repairs or sign up for insurance while still having to pay a deductible of the manufacturing price per instance.

[@progenitor_amborella]

Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle! Without repair, you do not support a sustainable future.

[@stratonarrow]

And a massive part of being sustainable. They seriously need to stop lecturing us about carbon neutrality while not allowing simple repairs.

[@salahmed2756]

Thanks EU for the stop on Apple bs lightning that got struck out hard

[@cityplanner3063]

I don’t get why apple didn’t transition sooner tbh. They helped develop usb c

[@alex_ob1]

$$$@@cityplanner3063

[@thang1144]

​@@cityplanner3063"think different"

[@xzeuii]

Hey, now we have USB 2.0 speed type-c!

[@ItsGoFochYourself98]

Ur welcome, sadly just USB2 speeds if you choose the 15/15Plus though.

[@jimgeo1000]

Genius to use Apple’s own pro-environment video clips. Love it

[@PeterdaPanda]

Still deserves an automatic 0/10 repairability score because of parts pairing and software locks.

[@GamingWeekends1]

When parts pairing is gone, make it a 7/10

[@MizarcDev]

Well it got a -3 off the score just for that reason. The phone itself is quite easy to disassemble otherwise, that part deserves some credit.

[@MeowThingy]

You guys didn't mention that the 5G antenna is soldered to the logic board.

[@Helixur]

It isn't. The antenna is on the side of the phone and rerouted to Qualcomm modem on the board.

[@MeowThingy]

@@Helixur It's the cable you can see sticking off of it when they compare the two boards.

[@Helixur]

@@MeowThingy no there's another set on small board attached inner right side of the frame. That cable hanging out is plugged to it from the board

[@MeowThingy]

​@@HelixurWatch Zack's teardown video. It's soldered.

[@Helixur]

@@MeowThingy the modem is on the board the antenna inner frame and connects to the board take it or leave It don't believe everything these tubers tell you. Matter fact apple doesn't even call it 5G antenna it's millimeter wave or mmWave antenna

[@middleagedhack]

I'm probably the only person who thinks this, but I liked the blog-style teardowns better than the video. Seems to me it wouldn't be hard to do both at the same time.

[@hishnash]

It is worth noting pentolpe screws are no more proprietary than Philips. However they are much less likly to be damaged by using a screw driver of the wrong head size.

[@JonnyFlash80]

So is torx. Apple chose the obscure pentalobe screw intentionally because torx screwdrivers are too common, and it used to be difficult to obtain pentalobe bits before ifixit and other companies started offering kits.

[@Andy_M.S.c]

@@JonnyFlash80 And?

[@williamcarnero9595]

@@Andy_M.S.capple did it on purpose to try and keep you from repairing your own device, they could have used any other screw drive type but they chose one almost everyone wouldn’t have at hand and would need to order or buy, adding to the cost of DIY repair and deterring it

[@MegaLokopo]

Phones that are less repairable than older phones with removable batteries shouldn't be called repairable. Every modern phone especially those that use glue, should never get above a 1.

[@BillAnt]

Especially when parts are locked down with software pairing. It serves no practical purpose other than trying to control the repair market as if they aren't making billions of dollars already selling their phones. No other manufacturer todate has this kind of anti-repair measure in place, it's totally unnecessary and malicious by Apple. Booo!!

[@vincelongman3264]

Thanks for fixing your Repairability Score to actually reflect repairing part and not just the teardown process!!

[@BillAnt]

Apple's high quality devices suffer in repairability due to they silly parts pairing method. It serves no other purpose other than trying to control the repair market as if they aren't making billions of dollars already selling their phones. No other manufacturer todate has this kind of anti-repair measure in place, it's totally unnecessary and malicious by Apple. Booo!!

[@MetalPopka]

Guys, you've done it. You've actually listened to my feedback that I made years ago regarding the repairability rubric. The serialized parts being a part of the repairability score should have been a thing. I'm glad to see it finally implemented and see you guys swapping parts around from different iPhones to see which part is serialized and which one isn't. Thank you so much, iFixIt. This is one more step closer to teaching people that serialized parts are a travesty to Right to Repair.

[@hishnash]

Technically speaking apple is not doing "parts pairing" they are just not storing calibration information directly on each part but rather storing it server side. Apples defence for this will be theft protection, by only providing the profile to your phone if that parts is not assigned to another phone they can stop you using stolen parts. Using stolen parts is not what Right to Repair is about.

[@skiks1853]

@@hishnash Apple is just trying to stop you from going anywhere to fix it but them. There is zero reason to care this much about replacing spare parts if not for blocking diy repair.

[@hishnash]

@@skiks1853 The reason they care about not using stolen parts is that this is a big selling aspect of the device. The fact that stolen iPhones have a comparably low value (compared to new or ligit second hand) is very important to consumers.

[@nunziopellegrino9689]

@@skiks1853 they obviously take advantage of this, but I I think that it’s better this way, having all those part serialized means that if you steal the phone it really isn’t worth anything. Imo if you have the money to spend on a 1000 phone you should also be able to cover the eventual repair if you damage it, there’s not only Apple in the market you can buy from everyone if you don’t like their policies

[@kalafalas246]

It seems there isn’t a plastic spacer where the SIM card slot isn’t on the US model. I would love to see a comparison of the US and international version to see what they were able to do with the extra space

[@Raja995mh33]

They did nothing of course. They just arranged some parts differently on the logic board to fill the space. But there isn't any extra hardware in the US model because that would be "unfair" and not something Apple would do. They will use this space effectively once they start selling every iPhone without that slot. But that probably takes a lot of years still

[@kalafalas246]

@@Raja995mh33 well for starters, the US model has exclusive hardware already, the mmWave antenna. Also, moving a few components around a few mm here and there can make a drastic difference in something like heat management and sustained performance

[@MegaLokopo]

@@Raja995mh33 Why would you think that? The iphone 15 has enough wasted space to put a headphone jack inside if you really wanted to.

[@FernandoAES]

​@@Raja995mh33 not true, the US models get the ultra fast 5G with the antenna. Other models do not.

[@danielkonigs2769]

@@Raja995mh33hopefully many years, while I’m happy to use an esim in my home country a local physical sim from the airport when landing is still the most cost effective way to travel rather than travellers esims which are extremely overpriced.

[@ronlevin2339]

now even back glass is serialized , at least you do not need MFI chip in a USB-C cable

[@JonnyFlash80]

To me a heavier phone feels more premium so lighter is not an advantage to me. Especially considering the added cost of titanium and its processing being less environmentally friendy than steel or aluminum.

[@cambofixing]

the back glass is easy replacement

[@ZonaiResearcher]

The pairing actually makes sense to prevent iPhones from being stolen and sold for parts on the black market. And I wouldn’t want to get parts of unknown quality for key components like the battery, display, or camera.

[@matthewmastrobuono582]

Watching you remove that back glass made me so nervous. The bend on the pro max removing it just was not there in your 15 vanilla tear down. I have the 15 pro max so my heart started to race. Thought this might be the year I’d go caseless…nope! Think I need an otter box defender series on this one.

[@world_production]

I wouldn’t want any other company in the world to touch my iPhone. If you don’t understand then just buy a Nokia 🤣🤣🤣

[@heyspookyboogie644]

Surprised iFixIt went through the front to remove the battery. Everyone else I’ve seen do it removed the back at the same time and just pushed the battery out through the center hole.

[@ph0nexpertsunlockrepair604]

hey Thanks brother

[@flowsolo]

Thank you for this!

[@bresciapcsrl]

Very good, this mean that we will repair many iPhone 15 series for next years 😂

[@jmccapturingmemoriesandjou1060]

Wow! I have a new appreciation for electronics in general. So cool to kind tiny pieces and parts put together

[@PCBmanufacturer1]

Best teardown video!❤

[@furkan9549]

What? That can't be a bug! It must be straight up software lock to prevent third party repair.

[@armanke13]

4 is good enough for apple, but man, jerryrig's shattering the back glass is unexpected.

[@BGTech1]

Bruh what happened to the old fashion teardown page? Now it’s only on video?

[@krkavinsandron]

Thanks

[@eddyindia7007]

excellent as always

[@DahakePL]

3:00 oh dang... so many damaged pads

[@MrSoundChaos]

The tetra prism lens is not periscope though. Different tech than other phones periscope lenses.

[@DungHoang-i7e]

I don't know if anyone noticed, when shaking the iPhone 15 Pro Max while placing it near your ear, you can hear the sound of details inside, but if you turn on the camera while shaking, nothing will be heard

[@grouchyfluff]

any teardown wallpaper? just upgraded from my 12 pro and i need to replace that wallpaper in my collection

[@赵子康-w5o]

Was the internal frame of previous iPhones made of aluminum alloy?

[@rockanroleropr3467]

Does the parts serialization affect the repairability or does it assure that you obtain functional parts? You’re not the EU, guys…

[@humain_humain1465]

We are still waiting for the 15 pro and regular 15 ... Where are you guys ?

[@monkeystation]

Now I want to know what happens when you swap the Pro Max motherboard into a regular Pro!?

[@RadDadisRad]

Now we need RtR to get passed through the House that we can repair broken devices.

[@philipp594]

Drop tests are not so easy, if you drop it on a corner it will shatter. The edges are rounded now and less protected. But the phone is lighter, so less impact energy too absorb. The removable backglass makes it easier to break, but cheaper to repair.

[@hishnash]

you mean a highly stochastic process cant be evaluated by just dropping a single phone?

[@Ebalosus]

In theory, because while I like that replacing a broken back is much less of a chore on them, what you’re saving in labour costs will likely be made up in a more expensive midframe due to the titanium and aluminium construction.

[@philipp594]

@@hishnash Thre problem is that the phone is not in a fixture and the colision speed is not constant. So essentially is not repeatable or comparable.

[@hishnash]

@@philipp594 you can drop 100+ and then compare results...

[@xaviercostar6554]

0:30 looking goofy cause being cute wasn't an option:) love you !

[@franciscoayon9470]

Where would be the best location for putting a Phone Cooler Fan?

[@xerlapis]

the red oneplus cable is so iconic

[@meneguzzo68]

did you understand which kind of storage uses iPhone 15 ? UFS 4.0 ?

[@Drew1218s]

iPhone 15 base model tear down coming?

[@HugoWiffen]

"It must suck to be reliant on a single manufacturer for all your parts." We see what you did there.

[@sr5187-i1g]

Does iPhone 15 pro max have cooling systems like graphene , vapor chambers etc ?

[@cnicolo]

Thank you very much for your time 😊

[@nathangabriel2707]

Would have loved to see the Esim chip on the Motherboard.

[@nitholx917]

Idk why Apple call A17 "pro" when there's nothing pro in that chip except the name 😂😂

[@cvrtechcorn]

Do scratch test and break videos

[@ShadowLightStudio]

Does anyone know what the silver color curving things on the Main camera, Taptic Engine, and the speaker work for? Never seen this design before on any other smartphone

[@jairohumbertobayonanavarro1526]

*CANAL REPARATUMISMO,,, CARLOS MALLORCA?

[@electromega3077]

About 10 years ago, amost all phones, including smartphones had removable back cover as standard. Now Apple is praised for having a "removable" back cover as if they had made an outstanding innovation and set a new standard.

[@UmbroKhan]

Is the screen display panel 12-bit?

[@ataahmadi]

How apple name their iPhones: Iphone 14 + 1 = ipayforthesameshiteverysingleyear 15 pro max

[@muhammadhassan3022]

have you measured the back glass thickness of iphone 15 pro max and compared it with 14

[@4paapii]

What's the closest focusing distance for telephoto lens

[@marvelousvids.9600]

My iph 15 pro max started to overheat like crazy, in approx 10 min normal use with no gaming it starts to be very hot and the entire things starts to move very slow (similar when you put your ph in lower power mode), never had this issue with 13 pro max

[@JeromeDemers]

so just unpluging parts create all those bugs!? Also you said the back is easy to repair, well not sure, break it and try again, it will be much harder like Jerry rigs everything

[@gabor1991]

Parts paring needs to be even tighter, because it makes lives difficult for thieves. 🙏 Best thing would be if there were not only functionality issues, but if salvaged parts didn't work at all on a different phone.

[@WiseNoobCrusher]

Why is that a good thing? So if a repair shop needed to repair said part, what then? They can't...

[@gabor1991]

@@WiseNoobCrusher Its a good thing because it messes up the business of phone thieves who can sell locked phones for parts. If you want your phone repaired, go to your manufacturer. Easy.

[@WiseNoobCrusher]

​@@gabor1991Why? If I go to the manufacturer, I may as well buy a new phone with how outrageous the price is lmao. Stop being a sheep bro, there is 0 reason the calibration stuff shouldn't be local and that device pairing should exist except for money.

[@alessandrofois4214]

Found a small scratch on my iphone 15 pro on the top right corner… bought one week ago and kept with cover since

[@ChairmanHehe]

what strikes me watching this is how incredibly commoditized these devices are these days - did a battery replacement on an old pixel 4 and so much of it looks identical -- for all the marketing we're only incrementally improving technology wise - i look forward to a future where this enables us to escape the gravity of android/apple software play stores / trash user hostile ecosystems

[@NinPossible]

Please compare the sensor’s size of 15 and 15 Pro main cameras.

[@Spartan720-l3f]

So its quality issue? Hmm

[@Guuzaka]

0:30 LOL at that pretty boy. 😆 1:25 10 screws?! 😰 4:05 Yes, thank you European Union. 🌍 6:04 Lucky to get a 4 out of 10! 😂🤣 And you said it so dryly too! 😆 But for real though: software locked parts is ridiculous and should not be a thing. 😬

[@adrickwong7277]

Wondering if the screen could come off without getting the screw off underneath? Because it doesn't seems it locks any part of the screen.

[@ztechrepairs]

Yall butchored those board layer pads. lol. Great teardown though.

[@iFixitYourself]

Yeah sorry. We were in a rush :D

[@ztechrepairs]

@@iFixitYourself It happens. Great video regardless!!!!

[@wanderer2246]

ENviromental friendliness of metal production, any metal, depends on responsibility of producers, how they use water, how they install and check filters, etc. Aluminum can be produced in a dirtier way than burning leaves.

[@DJAYPAZ]

Hmmm, you seem to struggle with the disassembly. Other reviewers appear to be more adept at disassembly.

[@windmacher]

This guy has mad good enunciation.

[@rowanyuh6326]

I suspect the 48mp one might be stacked because they said it takes in twice the light but Im not sure

[@benbunch4159]

Does it have parts pairing for the back glass? If not could see aftermarket panels of different styles being really fun.

[@ejp1]

It does

[@Paul-by1cm]

Why you are tearing-down a US version? (No sim tray, with mmWave ant.)

[@michae1601]

Apple should say why bother doing anything. the IFixit team should be able to do it all.

[@MH_6160]

The should have used Cerakote on the frame.

[@qbks]

Actually, which iPhone is gonna be more resilient to scratches when using without a case: iPhone 15 pro in natural titanium or regular iPhone 15 in black?

[@KB0parsi]

Hypocrisy of Apple is just out of this world.

[@29kalel]

Correction. These are not bugs. You are ifixit you should know when these parts are replaced they have to be married to the phone they are going into via software registration.

[@maxoo._]

I've not succeeded in seeing if it has a vapor chamber cooling system 🌬️🔥...

[@Sals-Clips]

Does anyone know where the iphones 15 celluar antenna is located?

[@cvrtechcorn]

Videos are very good and technical. Why there are no huge views. Change anchors to get views

[@Read_Heat_]

You can push the batterie by removing the back glass and pushing

[@LennonBossa]

Bring video iPhone 15, please!

[@conpa18dany]

This video made the decision for me. I will stay with my iPhone 12 Pro Max for another 3 generations at least

[@timsonxx]

2:06 from 3.3x to 5x not from 2x

[@djtomoy]

it's a fantastic product, I'm delighted with mine!!! super easy to fix too!!!

[@The.JZA.]

3:22 Apple isnt the only company that relies on Qualcomm for modems.....

[@winmarkesconde5651]

i will score it 1. atleast screw are interchangeable/ swappable , waiting for the day when apple serialize even the screw.

[@FelipeCosta83]

The scratching part gives me the creeps!!! 4:39

[@ylihao]

I want the X-ray wallpapers pleaseeeeee

[@AdrianRiveraSantiago]

Si hablas de la batería a mi me tienes que decir los miliamperios de capacidad.

[@hismerecry]

What’s the mAh of the pro batteries?

[@oladrolahola]

4000 something or so Jerry said, in his teardown video

[@GangsterDolphins]

it’s on google search it

[@leduyquang753]

4441, to be precise.

[@hishnash]

mAh is not a messument of capacity. Wh is the unit of energy storage (or J). mAh is a messument of current flow and without knowing the voltage it means nothing.

[@leduyquang753]

@@hishnash The current is known.

[@progenitor_amborella]

Did anyone see Louis Rossmann’s video about the tool someone made that allows independents to calibrate the sleep sensor in Macs? Stupid that even has to be a thing. Let the unauthorized calibrations begin!

[@robocobrabot]

Good point on the odd choice of titanium in light of the environmental message. It's cool they are using 100% recycled cobalt in the batteries though :)

[@gudelauneee]

i don't know why they didn't upgrade to usb c by themselfs. my backups take forever with lighting /usb 2.0... and 15 and 15 plus are still usb c with usb 2.0... thats pretty sad

[@dannnnn809]

Information, there is no A17 Pro logo in China. Meanwhile, the version outside China has the A17 Pro logo

[@borisdg]

Fake.The picture says "APL1W10" which is the codename of A16. It's just photoshopped. You can see even in this teardown, there is no "A17". Nobody will make 2 different markings.

[@dirtysouthvideos9720]

Better to remove battery from the back

[@skvwalker]

This man is truly an intelligent creation from the Lord and that is video is a blessed learning experience, you give me so much insight into upgrading my device and I thank Allah for you!

[@paparoti4006]

Jerry done already

[@wokzhongson]

Apple has made the back glass more fragile on the 15 pro max, as JerryRigEverything's durability test shows, presumably to convince people that making parts repairable make it less durable.

[@Charlenry]

15plus plz