iPhone 16 Pro Teardown: Battery Removal Diverges, Pro Max Surprisingly Lacks Metal Housing

iPhone 16 Pro Teardown: Battery Removal Diverges, Pro Max Surprisingly Lacks Metal HousingEarlier this week, repair site iFixit took apart the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, revealing a new battery removal process that uses adhesive removal with electricity. Today, iFixit has dissected the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Teardown: Battery Removal Diverges, Pro Max Surprisingly Lacks Metal Housing

Earlier this week, repair site iFixit took apart the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, revealing a new battery removal process that uses adhesive removal with electricity. Today, iFixit has dissected the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Unlike the simplified battery removal process employed in the iPhone 16 models, the iPhone 16 Pro models stick to the traditional adhesive-release method.

Apple, like the iPhone 16 models, has encased the battery of the iPhone 16 Pro in metal, but the iPhone 16 Pro Maxs battery lacks this metallic housing, and the reason remains unclear. iFixit calls the decision to use metal-encased batteries only in the 16 Pro and not in the 16 Pro Max "baffling."

Apart from the battery removal divergences, here are other notable teardown highlights from the iPhone 16 Pro models:

• LiDAR scanner easier to remove: Its now situated beneath the main camera assembly, making it more repair-friendly.

• Camera modules nearly identical, but not fully interchangeable: Primarily due to different cable lengths, and the fact that screws inside each model are located in two different positions.

• Location of the mmWave antenna changed: To make room for the camera control buttons, it's now located in a hollow space closer to the top of the device. iFixit notes that the mmWave signal might still be affected due to the iPhone 16 Pro models' titanium frame.

• Simplified USB-C port removal: The process has been "drastically" simplified, but iFixit notes that Apple doesn't sell replacement USB-C ports.

• Qualcomm SDX71M modem: The teardown reveals the iPhone 16 Pro models are using the Qualcomm SDX71M modem, a customized version of the SDX70M modem found in the iPhone 15 Pro models. Rumours of a Qualcomm X75 modem in the Pro models appear to be untrue.

iFixit awards the iPhone 16 Pro models a repairability score of 7/10, thanks to design changes and the availability of repair manuals.

Overall, the teardown of the iPhone 16 Pro models reveals adjustments by Apple in battery removal methods, LiDAR scanner position, mmWave antenna location, and USB-C port removal. These changes could be positive for both repair technicians and users. However, the differentiated application of metal casing for batteries, the unexpected absence of it in the Pro Max, and the lack of the Qualcomm X75 modem all raise questions about Apple's design intentions.