iFixit Shares iPhone 12 Pro Max Teardown Revealing L-Shaped Battery and Bigger Camera Module

[MacRumors]

In the last of its iPhone 12 series teardowns, iFixit has published its iPhone 12 Pro Max disassembly, which reveals some unique differences in the design of the internals, including the full extent of the larger camera system responsible for the improved low-light performance on Apple's largest iPhone to date.

On opening the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the first obvious difference compared to the iPhone 12 Pro is the presence of an L-shaped battery, which Apple first used in the iPhone 11 Pro Max. That's in contrast to the iPhone 12 Pro's more rectangular-shaped battery, which rumors suggest Apple used to offset increased costs owing to 5G technology.

The battery in the iPhone 12 Pro Max is still the most capacious in the iPhone 12 series, providing 14.13Wh, compared to the 10.78Wh used in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, but still short of the 15.04Wh battery used in the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Moving on, iFixit was most impressed camera package, which is a lot bigger than the one in the iPhone 12 because of Apple's sensor choice.

Sorry to break it to you, but size does matter—at least when it comes to camera sensors. To achieve their alleged 87% improvement in low-light performance, the 12 Pro Max uses the biggest sensor in an iPhone yet.

As the below x-ray of the camera package shows, the standard wide camera (bottom left in the group of three) has a 47% larger 12-megapixel sensor than the iPhone 12, which allows more light to enter, resulting in better photos.

The four magnets surrounding it also underline the presence of Apple's brand-new sensor-shift image stabilization system, which moves the sensor thousands of times a second to compensate for hand shake.

As iFixit notes, most smartphones use lens-based optical image stabilization (OIS) to smooth out jitters, so Apple either decided its own system was a better solution, or it couldn't adequately stabilize the larger version of its new f/1.6 lens.

Elsewhere, iFixit highlights the more compact design of the logic board compared to the iPhone 12, as well as the modular SIM card reader, which is "excellent for repair, if a little oddly placed," and rubber gaskets instead of adhesive to affix the speakers, which makes for a "much easier removal and replacement procedure than in years past."

The ‌iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro earned a repairability score of 6 out of 10, and the iPhone 12 Max gets the same, thanks to Apple's continued use of proprietary screws, the devices' increases in waterproofing that can complicate repairs, and the increased chance of breakage due to glass on the front and back of the two devices‌.

Article Link: iFixit Shares iPhone 12 Pro Max Teardown Revealing L-Shaped Battery and Bigger Camera Module

 

[farewelwilliams]

i've been ending the day with 45% left on pro max. and that's after forgetting to charge the night before

 

[TechGod]

My 12 pro max battery is already quite nuts but man would it have been cool to keep the 11 Pro Max battery size

 

[TechGod]

i've been ending the day with 45% left on pro max. and that's after forgetting to charge the night before

This is the second two day battery phone I’ve owned. It’s nuts.

 

[miniyou64]

Still no mention of PWM problems with OLED screens by Macrumors. The whole iPhone lineup is OLED now and it causes major problems including health effects for a subset of affected users. And nothing. For some reason Macrumors refuses to do any news about this, despite several threads right here on this site with thousands of comments.

 

[The Game 161]

Been ending day no lower than 35%. Think was on 6 hours screen time with 36% left

 

[adamw]

Seems to be a great battery and a great phone with a very good camera system.

 

[nexusrule]

Still no mention of PWM problems with OLED screens by Macrumors. The whole iPhone lineup is OLED now and it causes major problems including health effects for a subset of affected users. And nothing. For some reason Macrumors refuses to do any news about this, despite several threads right here on this site with thousands of comments.

Thousands of comments from a few dozens people at most is still a few dozens people at most out of several thousands. And this is without taking into account that:

• Some people say is from PWM OLED
• Some people say is from Face ID
• Some people say is from all last generation liquid retina regardless of them being OLED or not
• Some people that have the problem also say they use their handled tiny screen device to watch movies or play games for hours on end, something that would probably cause headaches and eye strain on itself

I would also add that looking for info about the issue online, only a few quite dubious websites come up, some of them refers to "many studies proving..." without linking to any of these studies, and when searching for these studies on Google Scholar or elsewhere there is no trace of them. The only one article on Medium that apparently gives some more technical information about this issue, is from a software company that sells an app to avoid the issue. Honestly this look like a few people with eye issues and headaches trying to find online a reason for this issue, instead of going to an ophthalmologist and have it solved.

 

[Skika]

Love my 12 PM, low light photography is waaay better then the 11 PM i had before.

 

[Sammio2]

Phone known to contain big camera and big battery revealed to contain big camera and big battery...

 

[orbital~debris]

Phone known to contain big camera and big battery revealed to contain big camera and big battery...

MacRumors should consider an annual 'give every news item an honest headline' event.

 

[otternonsense]

I don't know what to think about this one. I tried it at the store and it is impossibly massive.

 

[Wide opeN]

The battery is definitely INSANE!!!

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

Still no mention of PWM problems with OLED screens by Macrumors. The whole iPhone lineup is OLED now and it causes major problems including health effects for a subset of affected users. And nothing. For some reason Macrumors refuses to do any news about this, despite several threads right here on this site with thousands of comments.

Just dont buy an iPhone if you cant stand it.

 

[newyorksole]

I don't know what to think about this one. I tried it at the store and it is impossibly massive.

Nah you get used to it. Seriously. Unless you have smaller-than-average hands, it is fine to wield. I couldn’t imagine using anything smaller.

 

[Doc Evils]

What is the reason Apple is using three different sensor sizes?

 

[5105973]

Still no mention of PWM problems with OLED screens by Macrumors. The whole iPhone lineup is OLED now and it causes major problems including health effects for a subset of affected users. And nothing. For some reason Macrumors refuses to do any news about this, despite several threads right here on this site with thousands of comments.

I have a problem with some of the displays myself and agree with the need for an article on the subject. But in fairness to MR, that’s not a discussion that would flow organically from an i-fixit tear down.

(Addressing the other post: it’s a neurologist one would need to consult, not an ophthalmologist. The problem/reaction is a form of migraine. My ophthalmologist and I discussed it.)

 

[Toratek]

It’s a very nice tablet. Anything that can’t fit a pocket is more tablet than phone, fo me. I got off the huge iPhone train after the 7 Plus, after finding that it offered no utility over the X size for my needs. X, 11 Pro, and now 12 Pro are in a good “sweet spot” for size and portability, again, for how I use a phone.

Choices are great and now, more than ever from Apple, with premium phones at each size factor. That’s a great thing.

 

[5105973]

I wonder if that L shaped battery is helping with making the 12 Pro Max feel a little better balanced than the 12 Pro.

I had a 12 Pro and returned it because the weight in combination with a feeling of top heaviness was contributing to hand strain. There was just something about the weight distribution that made it a constant extra level of effort to keep a grip.

I don’t own the 12 Pro Max yet but I’ve had several opportunities to try my husband’s phone, and despite the larger camera and increased weight, I could get a more comfortable grip on the phone that was less strain to sustain. My 11 Pro always feels heavy, but it’s better balanced so the odd weight distribution of the 12 Pro surprised me. I was expecting it to feel like my 11 Pro but it doesn’t.

 

[Dizzy714]

I bought the 12 Pro Max specifically for the camera, returned it - could not get used to the big phone. Bought the 12 Pro and feel right at home.

 

[Freeangel1]

The Phone to Get! I Love mine! The Gold is Awesome!

 

[Wackery]

My 12 pro max battery is already quite nuts but man would it have been cool to keep the 11 Pro Max battery size

More battery is almost always better, regardless of the situation

 

[maktaba]

That battery looks so ugly.

 

[x-evil-x]

I don't know what to think about this one. I tried it at the store and it is impossibly massive.

I can fit my iPad mini in my shorts.
The phone Is manageable

 

[Cosmosent]

Disagree with their Analysis !

1.7 um / 1.4 um = 1.21x, OR in other words, a 21% increase in size.

Thus, 47% - 21% = 26% is due to something else !

In other words, the Resolution is actually ~15.4 Mpx !

That means there is a Border around the 12.2 Mpx center !

What would that be used for ?

Image Stabilization, & more-specifically, LOW-light Image Stabilization !!!

The "Border" would NOT be used for Sensor Shift color-sampling.

It's simply NOT needed for that, EXCEPT when accounting for Jitter, just like legacy / traditional color sampling.

Ask yourself one simple question, if there was NO Border, what would the pixel size be in ALL OTHER Flagship iPhones ?

A simple equation answers that:

1.7 / 1.47 = 1.16 um pixels !

Does anyone who visits this site on a Regular basis really believe Apple has been selling us Flagship iPhones with a Back Wide Camera Image Sensor with ONLY 1.16 um pixels, when the industry norm the past 3-4 years has been 1.4 um pixels ???

BTW, I got banned from MR.com for a few days a few days back, for bringing this exact thing up !

Expect the same to happen again now !

For some UN-known, a Lack of Basic Common Sense has run rampant over the internet the past few years !