iPhone 18 Pro Teardown Reveals Better Repairability—and a Major Camera Weakness

iFixit has completely disassembled the new iPhone 18 Pro to examine how its components fit together and identify which parts may be easier—or harder—to repair.

In its teardown report and disassembly video, iFixit explains how to take apart the latest iPhone models and what repairers should know before attempting a fix.

iPhone 18 Pro earns a 7/10 repairability score

The iPhone 18 Pro received a 7 out of 10 repairability rating, largely because the camera and battery assemblies are relatively easy to remove. That is an improvement over the iPhone 17 Pro repairability evaluation released in 2025. However, the score does not mean repairing the iPhone 18 Pro is simple.

The variable-aperture camera could be difficult to repair

The iPhone 18 Pro’s potential repairability weakness is its new variable-aperture main camera. The 48-megapixel camera is the first iPhone camera with a variable aperture, although the feature has appeared on other smartphones.

The system uses six rotating aperture blades, each roughly the width of a human hair, to provide different apertures for photos and video.

Adding moving parts creates more potential points of failure. Because the aperture blades are extremely small and tightly integrated, iFixit says repairing an individual blade would be nearly impossible. If the camera mechanism fails, owners will probably need to replace the entire camera assembly rather than a single component, which could make repairs more expensive. The assembly itself, however, is easy to remove.

Replacing the battery still requires removing the screen

Battery repair presents a different challenge. The iPhone 18 Pro’s glued-on screen must first be pried up. Once the display is removed, the battery is not glued in place and is held by screws, making it relatively easy to take out.

Overall repairability has improved

Overall, iFixit found the iPhone 18 Pro easier to repair than iPhones have been in years. It is not an effortless repair, but the removable camera and battery assemblies represent noticeable improvements.

The findings come amid Apple’s long-running and contentious relationship with right-to-repair advocates. The company has also faced European Union laws intended to make its products easier to repair.

Apple’s repair program has faced criticism

Apple introduced its self-repair program in 2021. The program got off to a rocky start after the company restricted access to some tools or made them difficult to obtain. Under pressure from U.S. state legislatures, Apple made iPhone repairs somewhat easier and eventually introduced Repair Assistant, which allows users to complete parts of the repair process.

Even so, right-to-repair group PIRG gave the iPhone 17 a D- repairability rating earlier this year.