Teardown by WekiHome (微机分), September 22, 2024

This teardown covers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Most observations apply to both models. Where they differ, the article notes it. The standard iPhone 16 teardown will be published separately.

Procurement and Release Logistics

The author purchased four units for 45,000 yuan, with an additional cost of 500 yuan per unit. The author reports that the cost was lower than the previous year's purchase.

Distributors were restricted from shipping devices before 10:00 on the release day. In previous years, distributors delivered units late at night, which required the author to work overnight to complete the teardown.

Exterior and Design

• Camera Control button: The new button is the most visible external change. The Pro models also offer new color options.
• Weight: The Pro model weighs 12 grams more than its predecessor. The author attributes the increase to the steel frame and the battery.
• Display edges: The black bezels on the front are narrower, and the screen is flat. The author describes the visual result as more comfortable.
• Screen protectors: Full-coverage protectors for the Pro series still block part of the display. The author states that the manufacturer is still optimizing this. Standard-version protectors are already available.

Display Assembly

Disassembly procedure

1. Power off the device and remove the SIM tray. The dual SIM cards are stacked. The tray is made of titanium alloy and has a dust- and water-resistant gasket on the inside.
2. Remove the two pentalobe screws at the bottom edge.
3. Heat the screen and insert a blade at the bottom edge to create a small gap.
4. Use a spudger with alcohol to cut the adhesive around the edges.
5. Open the screen from right to left. Two cables remain connected. The thinner sensor cable at the top requires particular care.
6. Remove the screws, lift the cover plate, and disconnect the connectors.

Component findings

• The screen is manufactured by Samsung and uses a new generation of Ceramic Shield coating.
• Both Pro models have screens 0.2 inches larger than the previous generation. The resolution increased slightly to maintain a consistent pixels-per-inch (PPI) value.
• Dimming uses 480 Hz low-frequency pulse-width modulation (PWM).
• Both Pro models share the same screen design, with a fully covered metal backplate and a hidden plastic bracket.
• The screen driver board has a metal enclosure. The enclosure protects the display driver IC (DDIC) and aids heat dissipation.
• All integrated circuits (ICs) on the driver board are customized by Apple. The author could not identify the specific model numbers.
• The front camera and Face ID module are held by a black plastic bracket on the screen. Foam inside the bracket prevents dust entry. A long foam strip at the bottom aligns with the telephoto periscope camera and provides shock absorption.
• The Face ID module has a metal cover plate secured by screws on the right side. The ribbon cable of the front ambient light sensor is attached to this module.
• The ambient light sensor has moved to the right side of the Face ID module.
• The heat dissipation film on the back of the screen is smaller than in the previous generation. It retains only a small area around the interface. The author states that the reduction results from changes in the body structure. The main heat dissipation film has moved to the aluminum inner frame.
• The heat dissipation film fully covers the main heat-generating areas: the rear camera, the motherboard, and the battery. Together with the aluminum inner frame, it distributes heat evenly.
• The strip in the lower left corner is an insulating black sticker, not a heat dissipation film.

Rear Cover Assembly

Disassembly procedure

1. Heat the rear cover and insert a blade to create a gap.
2. Use alcohol and a prying tool to open the cover. A wireless charging ribbon cable is still connected, so handle it with care.
3. Remove four screws.
4. Remove the cover plate, disconnect the interface, and separate the rear cover.

Component findings

• The glass rear cover is produced by a cold carving process. A thick glass panel is machined to create a raised area for the camera decoration.
• The sapphire lens cover provides very high hardness. It also causes lens flare, a problem that has affected users for several years. The three rear cameras this year have anti-reflective coatings, but lens flare persists.
• The internal layout of both Pro rear covers is identical apart from size.
• The previous generation covered only the wireless charging coil with a heat dissipation film. The new film extends outward from the coil and covers approximately 60% of the rear cover area.
• The metal reinforcement plate beneath the film now covers the battery and motherboard areas, in addition to the rear camera decoration area. The author states that this change theoretically reduces the 15 Pro series' known problem of full rear cover shattering after slight impacts below the LiDAR sensor. The reinforcement plate also works with the film to enlarge the heat dissipation area.
• The wireless charging coil in the center supports up to 15 W in China.
• Foam for dust prevention surrounds the three rear cameras. Three conductive foam pads for electrostatic protection are attached to the corners of the main camera.
• The wireless charging ribbon cable integrates the rear microphone and the adaptive True Tone flash. The new studio-grade microphone is noticeably larger than the previous standard microphone.
• After the iOS 18 update, the adaptive True Tone flash adjusts both brightness and dispersion angle.

Main Body and Battery Layout

• The two Pro models share the same rear camera module, Face ID module, and motherboard.
• The main difference is the battery. The Pro model uses a metal-encased battery. The author states that this aligns with Apple's consistent design approach.
• The iPhone XS, released in 2018, was the first iPhone with an L-shaped stacked battery. All later iPhones with L-shaped batteries use a single-cell stacked design. The dual-cell design of the XS Max has been discontinued.
• Apart from regular adhesive, the author found no additional adhesive designs around the main body.
• The camera control button added a new arrangement for the millimeter-wave antenna. It moved to the right side of the rear camera module. The Chinese version does not use this antenna. Apple placed a small plastic filler piece in this position, stacked above the speaker. The millimeter-wave antenna interface below shows no output.

Mainboard and Midframe

Disassembly procedure

1. Remove three screws and the connector cover.
2. Pry open the battery connector to power off the battery.
3. Disconnect all connectors on the mainboard.
4. Remove all screws that fix the mainboard and the upper speaker.
5. Remove the upper speaker.

Upper speaker and acoustic components

• A liquid crystal polymer (LCP) antenna is fixed at the upper right corner of the speaker.
• A rubber ring inside the sound outlet provides dust and water resistance.
• The sound chamber projection size of both the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max is larger than that of the 15 Pro series.

Mainboard findings

• The mainboard uses the traditional dual-layer stacked design. A plastic insulating partition sits beside the battery.
• The motherboard layout is identical to the previous generation. Models are distinguished by identifying resistors.
• The upper heat dissipation film differs visually from the previous generation.
• All connectors are protected by cushioning foam. All small components are sealed with glue.
• The Chinese and U.S. versions use the same motherboard design. Only the SIM card-related materials differ.
• The author states that changing the SIM card in the U.S. version is significantly easier than in the previous generation. The author also suggests that AI features may increase the number of U.S. users.

Midframe motherboard area

• The previous design, which sandwiched a cable in the middle, has been replaced.
• A heat dissipation film now covers the core heat-generating area of the motherboard.
• No thermal gel was added. The 16 Pro also lacks thermal gel.
• In the core heat-generating area, foam wrapped in heat dissipation film has been added. Foam also appears above the card slot.
• The author states that heat dissipation has improved. The author also notes that the absence of a vapor chamber (VC) thermal plate is a disappointment for users who expect more refined thermal materials.
• The author removed the thermal materials with a heat gun to separate the layers.

Chip findings

• Micron's 8 GB LPDDR5X 7500 RAM is packaged with the A18 Pro SoC using package-on-package (PoP) stacking.
• The internal code name of the A18 Pro is APL1V07. The chip shows only the logo, with no silkscreen model information.
• The ultra-wideband chip is on the left. The in-house power management IC is on the right.
• The SoC sits between two layers of the motherboard. The baseband chip and the SoC face each other. The ROM on the back partially overlaps the SoC.
• The ROM is manufactured by SK Hynix and uses the NVMe protocol.
• The WiFi/Bluetooth module does not show usable silkscreen information. The author expects it to be a Broadcom solution.
• The external baseband chip is Qualcomm's X71. The author considers it likely a minor update to the X70.
• The RF IC is unchanged and still includes two SDR735 chips.
• The motherboard's projection area has decreased further. The chip distribution changed from dual-layer, three-sided to dual-layer, four-sided. The author describes this as a more extreme use of PCB space.

Performance and Thermal Behavior

• The author reports a significant CPU performance increase. The author states that the A18 Pro is currently the strongest in both single-core and multi-core performance.
• GPU performance also improved.
• The author did not test mid- and low-load gaming scenarios.
• In a half-hour Honkai: Star Rail test, the Pro Max showed a significant improvement over the previous generation. The Pro model performed more conservatively.
• The author attributes the results to strong power consumption control. The test used a higher rendering resolution.
• Frame stability is limited by heat dissipation.
• The author concludes from the temperature distribution that heat distribution has improved significantly over the previous generation. The author expresses the hope that Apple will not reduce heat dissipation materials, which would limit the SoC's performance.

Face ID and LiDAR Modules

• Face ID components have been adjusted in cable style and housing only. Component configuration and order are unchanged.
• From left to right, the modules are the array projector, distance sensor, infrared camera, and front camera.
• Removing the rear camera module requires removing all fixing screws. The LiDAR sensor separates from the module.
• The LiDAR cable style and housing have also been adjusted. The receiver remains Sony's IMX591.
• The measured projection pattern is essentially identical to the previous generation.

Camera Modules

• The three rear cameras are fixed in a metal anti-roll frame. Multiple cushioning foam pads are attached to the back of the module.
• The anti-roll frame is CNC machined. The author states that the metal strength is considerably higher than that of Android competitors.
• The camera components are a full Sony package.
• The main camera and the ultra-wide sensor have been upgraded. Their size is unchanged.
• The 16 Pro telephoto lens matches the Pro Max. Both provide 5x optical zoom.
• Image quality in the 3x to 4.9x zoom range is lower than on the previous Pro model.
• The author states that current Android flagships produce better photos for most average users.
• Video capabilities have been expanded. The devices support 4K recording at 120 fps.
• 4K120 Log (LOG) footage can currently be recorded only to an external drive. In testing, a 2 TB external drive recorded 73 minutes of 4K120 LOG video. The drive's expansion dock supported a microphone and power connection. The author reports no instability during use.

Sub-board, Speakers, and Ports

Disassembly procedure

1. Remove all surface screws on the sub-board area.
2. Remove the cover plate. All device cover plates are metal. Some carry the Apple logo and the words "TAPTIC ENGINE."
3. The inner side of the cover plate has cushioning foam and conductive foam.
4. Gently pull the cable from its connector.
5. Remove the screws securing the motor, then remove the X-axis linear motor.

Findings

• The X-axis linear motor is unchanged in size from the previous generation. It remains larger than Android equivalents. The largest component is the CSA0916.
• The lower speaker is similar to the upper speaker. Its sound chamber projection is larger than in the previous generation.
• Upper and lower speakers include acoustic enhancement materials.
• The lower microphone module sits next to the USB Type-C port. It has three small holes, from left to right: a pressure relief hole to balance internal and external air pressure, the microphone pickup hole, and a vent hole for the pressure sensor. A white waterproof breathable membrane covers the inside.
• The tail connector cable integrates a USB-C port with a 10 Gbps transfer speed. The port supports DisplayPort (DP) video output.
• The injection-molded port is brown to match the frame. All pins are plated with inert metal to resist oxidation and corrosion. Waterproof adhesive is applied at the corresponding frame position.
• The device has an IP68 rating. The manufacturer rates it for submersion up to six meters for 30 minutes.
• The lower LCP antenna is partially pressed under the battery.

Battery

The author documented two batteries. The Pro Max battery is an L-shaped single-cell battery. The Pro battery has a metal-encased design.

Pro Max battery

• Before removal, the battery's top edge and the position of the battery protection board on the right side were inspected. The author observed considerable space redundancy. The author describes this as a conservative safety design compared with domestic Android devices.
• Three pull tabs are rolled and pulled with tweezers to remove the battery.
• The battery uses a single-cell, single-interface L-shaped design made with a stacking process.
• Capacity is 4685 mAh, an increase of 263 mAh over the previous generation. The manufacturer is Desay.
• Estimated energy density based on package size is approximately 733 Wh/L. The previous generation measured 736 Wh/L. The author states that the difference of less than 1% falls within volume measurement error.
• iPhone batteries list a rated value, which is the minimum value. Other phones typically list a typical value, which is the average. The author notes that iPhone energy density calculations use rated energy, which appears less favorable on paper.

Pro battery

• The metal-encased battery has greater hardness and resists deformation during disassembly.
• Pressure relief notches are located at the right angles. The battery protection board includes a pressure relief valve.
• Weight increased by 7.1 grams over the previous generation.
• Capacity is 3582 mAh, an increase of 308 mAh over the previous generation. The manufacturer is Desay, and the cells are from ATL.
• Estimated energy density based on package size is approximately 764 Wh/L. The previous generation measured 739 Wh/L.
• Internal cells fill nearly the entire enclosure, especially at the corners. The author states that space utilization is clearly higher than in soft-pack batteries under the same safety requirements.

Charging and battery life

• Battery life improved over the previous generation. The author attributes the gain to the larger capacity and iOS 18 optimizations.
• The measured peak charging power was 31 W. The author states that this peak lasted only briefly. Charging typically stabilized at about 27 W.
• Charging from 1% to 100% takes nearly two hours.
• The author states that the conservative charging strategy has not produced a significant improvement in battery lifespan. Combined with the relatively high cost of battery replacement, the author considers the battery experience unfavorable.

Antennas and Microphones

• Removing all screws fixes the lower LCP antenna. The lower antenna integrates a second lower microphone above it.
• Removing the side antenna requires removing all securing screws. The side antenna integrates a top microphone, which captures sound through the earpiece.
• The devices include four studio-grade microphones. The author states that both the number and quality of microphones rank among the industry's best.
• The microphones reduce wind noise. A mixing feature has also been added.

Camera Control Button

Disassembly procedure

1. Peel off the insulating protective sticker from the inside of the Camera Control button.
2. Remove one screw and the interface cover.
3. Separate the touch interface.
4. Remove two screws securing the button backplate.
5. Pull the touch ribbon cable from the backplate.
6. Remove the remaining screws and extract the button ribbon cable.
7. Grind off the solder points to separate the metal plate from the keycap. Remove the button body.

Findings

• The Camera Control button does not use a clip mechanism like the power button. It is fixed by welding. The keycap and inner metal plate are permanently bonded. The author concludes that the button can only be disassembled destructively.
• The author states that, under Apple's after-sales policy, a failed button likely requires replacing the entire device.
• The backplate contains a pressure sensor for light presses. A dome switch inside the backplate handles firmer presses.
• A capacitive touch layer under the keycap's sapphire cover detects sliding gestures.
• The keycap interior is filled with sealant.
• The button integrates an Analog Devices AD7149 touch IC.
• A touch ribbon cable less than 1 mm wide exits from the side. The author describes its inline connector as the smallest the author has encountered.
• The author states that the button's complexity implies significant cost. The author also notes that current functionality appears limited.

Midframe Assembly

The final midframe connects the titanium alloy frame and the aluminum alloy inner frame using nano-injection molding and solid-state diffusion technology.

Assessment

The author states that the internal structure and overall user experience of the iPhone 16 Pro series improved significantly for Apple. The author describes the result as unsurprising for consumers and expresses disappointment. The author describes the pattern of small annual improvements as an established norm for the iPhone line.

For owners of the 15 Pro series, the author does not recommend upgrading. The author cites three reasons:

1. The overall device weight increased.
2. Charging, signal, and heat dissipation show no significant improvement.
3. The Camera Control button currently offers limited practical value.