Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have earned a repairability score of 7/10 from iFixit, matching the iPhone 17 Pro.
iFixit says most internal repairs on both models require removing the glued‑down front display, which often damages a white plastic frame around the screen. The team cracked that same frame on three of four teardown units, and Apple doesn’t sell the frame as a separate part, so you can’t repair it yourself if you damage it. This pushes repairs toward full display replacements, even if the OLED panel still works.
Inside the phone, the battery sits in a metal tray held by 13 screws, making it easier to swap the whole tray than to pry out a glued cell. The battery uses electrically releasable adhesive that works well with the right tools. The 18 Pro Max has a 5,567mAh battery in eSIM models, the biggest in an iPhone ever. But regardless of the screws used, to access the battery, you still need to remove the display first, which means there’s a risk of damaging the screen.
The worst part is that the main camera’s six-blade variable aperture poses a major repair issue. The mechanism is impressive, but the company says it can’t be repaired at the component level. If a blade sticks or breaks, you must replace the entire main camera assembly, which will likely cost more than the 17 Pro’s camera module.
Replacing the USB-C port is complicated as well because it requires extensive internal disassembly, including the processor, which makes repairs harder.
For now, iFixit’s 7/10 score is provisional, with final repairability depending on part costs and how common the frame damage proves in the field.
