A teardown published in both article and video formats offers a detailed look inside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, confirming battery capacities for eSIM-only models and highlighting several hardware changes that affect cooling, camera components and repairability.
iPhone 18 Pro teardown: battery capacities and eSIM markets
The teardown confirms battery capacities for the eSIM-only models: iPhone 18 Pro at 4,288 mAh (+0.8% vs. 4,252 mAh for iPhone 17 Pro) and iPhone 18 Pro Max at 5,567 mAh (+9.4% vs. 5,088 mAh for iPhone 17 Pro Max). eSIM-only models of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait; devices include a SIM card tray in all other countries. Battery capacities for iPhone 18 Pro models with SIM card trays surfaced previously.
Internal design changes and repairability
The teardown provides an in-depth look at the new variable aperture system present on both models and documents a larger vapor chamber intended for improved cooling. NAND storage now sits inside the dual-layer logic board, a change the teardown notes makes storage-related repairs less convenient. In addition, the screen’s plastic frame cracked or broke away on three of the four iPhone 18 Pro units opened—an issue not encountered with previous models; the teardown states that further testing is needed to evaluate this problem fully.
