iFixit Teardown Provides Look Inside iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Earlier this week, repair site iFixit took apart the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to demonstrate the new battery removal process that uses electricity for adhesive removal, and today, iFixit is back with a teardown of the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max.


Apple's ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models do not have the same simplified battery removal process as the ‌iPhone 16‌, with Apple instead using traditional stretch release adhesive for its pricier iPhones. It's still easier to get inside, though, because you can do so through the back of the iPhone rather than the display, which can be easily damaged.

Apple encased the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ battery in metal like the ‌iPhone 16‌ models, but the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max does not have the metal casing around its battery, and it's not clear why. iFixit called the decision to use the metal-encased battery in just the 16 Pro and not the 16 Pro Max "perplexing."

The LiDAR Scanner is more accessible, which makes it easier to access for repairs. In prior Pro ‌iPhone‌ models, it was under the main camera assembly. The camera modules are almost identical, but not quite interchangeable due to a different cable length and a screw positioned in two separate locations inside each model.

Apple moved the mmWave antenna to make room for the Camera Control button, and in the 16 Pro models, it's in a hollowed out space near the top of the device. iFixit says that mmWave signal could still suffer due to the titanium frame of the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models.

USB-C port removal is "massively" simplified, but iFixit points out that Apple does not sell replacement USB-C ports. The logic board can also be pulled out with only the removal of the upper speaker assembly, which is a major improvement to the design.

Notably, the teardown revealed that the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models are using a Qualcomm SDX71M modem, which is a custom version of the SDX70M modem used in the iPhone 15 Pro models. Rumors had suggested the Pro models would include the Qualcomm X75 modem, which doesn't appear to be the case.

iFixit gave the ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ models a repairability score of 7 out of 10 due to the design changes and the availability of repair manuals.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16 Pro

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

julesme Avatar
24 weeks ago
We still don’t definitively know whether the X71 is a ”custom version” of last year’s X70 modem, or if it’s something else entirely.

Qualcomm doesn’t list specs for an X71 model, and if Apple used an X70 variant in the iPhone 16 Pro, that wouldn’t explain the impressive 26% 5G speed improvements vs last year’s models (as reported by MacRumors on September 12th, from SpeedSmart data). Doesn’t the speed improvement suggest that Apple is using some variant of the X75?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
24 weeks ago

From what ive found, the Us model gets the x75 for mmWave as it's the only version that has that feature and the rest get the x71 which gives the x75 performance just without the mmWave. I assume it to be right since the speed tests even internationally so far have seen a pretty decent speed boost, so I doubt its based off the x70
No, since we know all models globally use Modem Firmware 1.0 which suggests identical modem for all models. The iFixit tear down of Pro Max clearly shows X71.

The biggest feature of X75 is 5G Advanced, but that’s missing from all iPhone 16 spec sheets. So it means no X75 in any iPhone.

Speed performance increase can be due to a number of factors including better antennas.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smittywerben Avatar
24 weeks ago
While surfing the web for information about the modem, I found a teardown from someone on Twitter (@TECHINFOSOCIALS) who claimed that Apple is using IMX 903 for the main camera, can someone confirm if it's legit?

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1BadManVan Avatar
24 weeks ago

We still don’t definitively know whether the X71 is a ”custom version” of last year’s X70 modem, or if it’s something else entirely.

Qualcomm doesn’t list specs for an X71 model, and if Apple used an X70 variant in the iPhone 16 Pro, that wouldn’t explain the impressive 26% 5G speed improvements vs last year’s models (as reported by MacRumors on September 12th, from SpeedSmart data). Doesn’t the speed improvement suggest that Apple is using some variant of the X75?
From what ive found, the Us model gets the x75 for mmWave as it's the only version that has that feature and the rest get the x71 which gives the x75 performance just without the mmWave. I assume it to be right since the speed tests even internationally so far have seen a pretty decent speed boost, so I doubt its based off the x70
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
24 weeks ago
After what happened in Lebanon last week I think right to repair needs two be revisited and modified slightly. I certainly would not allow third party parts of unknown origin and unknown supply chain provenance to be used to repair my iPhone.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
24 weeks ago
Why doesn’t the pro max get the better battery thermal cover?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)