In context: Earlier this month, Apple announced the iPhone 15 series, bringing a ton of new features, including USB-C charging. During the launch event, the company claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max feature a more repairable internal design that includes an upgraded frame which allows the back glass panel to be easily removed. A new teardown video now seems to confirm this claim, while also revealing a few other details about the iPhone 15 Pro.
The video uploaded by YouTube channel PBKreviews shows the MagSafe charging coil, the LED flash, and the microphone connectors are all tucked away under the back glass. It also confirms earlier reports that the iPhone 15 Pro sports a 3,274 mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the 3,200 mAh unit in the iPhone 14 Pro. However, the higher battery capacity won't necessarily improve the battery life of the new phone, as Apple says the new device will also have up to 23 hours of offline video playback like its predecessor.
The video offers a look at the device's mainboard with the new A17 Pro chip. As for the motherboard, it has a dual-layer sandwich design with the processor and the RAM placed between the two boards. There's also a flex-cable attached to the backside of the board, connecting to one of the 5G mmWave antennas, while the other one is located at the back of the board.
The teardown also reveals the iPhone 15 Pro's camera assembly, which is held in place by three Philips screws. We get a full look at the device's rear-facing camera module, that includes the 48MP main sensor, 12MP telephoto shooter, and 12MP ultrawide snapper, as well as the 12MP selfie cam and the TrueDepth Face ID camera in the front.
Some of the other parts highlighted during the disassembly include the Lidar sensor and the earpiece speaker, which is held down by a Philips screw and a standoff screw. To remove the battery, there are three pull-tabs, two located at the bottom, and one at the top. The speaker assembly and the haptic feedback motor at the bottom are affixed to the chassis with seven Philips screws, and removing them gives us a good look at those components.
Overall, PBKreviews gives the iPhone 15 Pro a repairability score of 7 out of 10, which is fairly respectable by today's tech standards. However, given that this is Apple we're talking about, most parts will still be locked down, meaning even if they can be replaced, the device is going to throw up some error message if they're not genuine Apple-sourced parts.