From WIRED · Boone Ashworth · · 1m 20s
iPhone 18 Pro scores 7 out of 10 for repairability
iFixit's teardown reveals easier battery and camera removal, but a new variable aperture lens creates repair headaches.
In brief
iFixit's teardown reveals easier battery and camera removal, but a new variable aperture lens creates repair headaches. The iPhone 18 Pro is moderately repairable with some improvements, but its innovative variable aperture camera is nearly impossible to fix without replacing the entire assembly. Originally reported…
iFixit tears down iPhone 18 Pro
The repair company disassembled Apple's latest flagship to understand how it's built and what breaks easily. They gave it a 7 out of 10 repairability score.
Battery and camera are easy wins
The iPhone 18 Pro earned points for removable camera and battery assemblies. The battery requires prying open the glued screen first, but then comes out with simple screws.
Variable aperture is the problem
The iPhone 18 Pro's new variable aperture lens uses six rotating blades thinner than a human hair. If it breaks, you must replace the entire camera assembly instead of fixing individual parts.
“trying to fix the individual blades an almost-impossible task”
Full camera replacement gets pricey
If the variable aperture breaks, you'll pay more to replace the whole camera assembly than you would for individual parts. The good news is the assembly itself is easy to remove.
Apple's repair progress remains mixed
Apple launched a self-repair program in 2021 and added a repair assistant, but advocacy groups still give iPhones poor marks. The company faced EU pressure to improve repairability.
The bottom line
The iPhone 18 Pro is moderately repairable with some improvements, but its innovative variable aperture camera is nearly impossible to fix without replacing the entire assembly.
