iPhone X Teardown: TrueDepth Camera System, Stacked Logic Board With 3GB RAM, and 2,716 mAh Battery

[MacRumors]

iFixit has completed an iPhone X teardown, providing a closer look inside the device, including its new TrueDepth camera system, stacked logic board, L-shaped two-cell battery pack, and Qi-based inductive charging coil.

Like every other model since the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone X is a sideways-opening device. A single bracket covers every logic board connector.

iFixit said the miniaturized logic board design is incredibly space efficient, with an unprecedented density of connectors and components. It noted the iPhone X logic board is about 70 percent of the size of the iPhone 8 Plus logic board.

The extra room allows for a new L-shaped two-cell battery pack rated for 2,716 mAh, which is slightly larger than the iPhone 8 Plus battery.

iFixit's teardown includes some high-resolution photos of the iPhone X's new TrueDepth camera system that powers Face ID and Animoji.

For those unfamiliar, a flood illuminator covers your face with infrared light. Next, the front-facing camera confirms a face. Then the IR dot projector projects a grid of dots over your face to create a three-dimensional map. Last, the infrared camera reads this map and sends the data to the iPhone X for authentication.

Like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the inside of the iPhone X's rear shell is affixed with an inductive charging coil based on the Qi standard.

Other components in this iPhone X include Apple's custom A11 Bionic chip, 3GB of LPDDR4x RAM from SK Hynix, 64GB of flash storage supplied by Toshiba, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, and a Cirrus Logic audio amplifier.

Some minor changes: Apple's Taptic Engine continues to be a linear oscillator vibration motor, the earpiece speaker has been shifted down, and the Lighting connector is said to be more greatly reinforced with a wider bracket that screws into the sidewall of the iPhone X's stainless steel frame.

iFixit gave the iPhone X a so-called repairability score of six out of a possible 10 points. It said a cracked display can be replaced without removing Face ID's biometric hardware, but it added that fussy cables tie unrelated components together into complex assemblies that are expensive and troublesome to replace.

Article Link: iPhone X Teardown: TrueDepth Camera System, Stacked Logic Board With 3GB RAM, and 2,716 mAh Battery

 

[MrGimper]

It noted the iPhone X logic board is about 70 percent of the size of the iPhone 8 Plus logic board.

Assuming the Plus logic board is the same size as the non-Plus logic board (why would it not be), then saying the iPhone X logic board is 70 percent the size of the iPhone 8 logic board would sound more dramatic. Saying a smaller phone has a smaller logic board than a bigger phone doesn't really sound like a big deal....

 

[MacManiac1]

iFixit has completed an iPhone X teardown, providing a closer look inside the device, including its new TrueDepth camera system, stacked logic board, L-shaped two-cell battery pack, and Qi-based inductive charging coil.

Like every other model since the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone X is a sideways-opening device. A single bracket covers every logic board connector.

iFixit said the miniaturized logic board design is incredibly space efficient, with an unprecedented density of connectors and components. It noted the iPhone X logic board is about 70 percent of the size of the iPhone 8 Plus logic board.

The extra room allows for a new L-shaped two-cell battery pack rated for 2,716 mAh, which is slightly larger than the iPhone 8 Plus battery.

iFixit's teardown includes some high-resolution photos of the iPhone X's new TrueDepth camera system that powers Face ID and Animoji.

To recap, the flood illuminator covers your face with infrared light. Next, the front-facing camera, marked in red, confirms a face. Then the IR dot projector, far right, projects a grid of dots over your face to create a three-dimensional map. Last, the infrared camera on the left reads this map and sends the data to the iPhone X.

Like the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the inside of the iPhone X's rear shell is affixed with an inductive charging coil based on the Qi standard.

Other components in this iPhone X include Apple's custom A11 Bionic chip, 3GB of LPDDR4x RAM from SK Hynix, 64GB of flash storage supplied by Toshiba, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, and a Cirrus Logic audio amplifier.

Some minor changes: Apple's Taptic Engine continues to be a linear oscillator vibration motor, the earpiece speaker has been shifted down, and the Lighting connector is said to be more greatly reinforced with a wider bracket that screws into the sidewall of the iPhone X's stainless steel frame.

iFixit gave the iPhone X a so-called repairability score of six out of a possible 10 points. It said a cracked display can be replaced without removing Face ID's biometric hardware, but it added that fussy cables tie unrelated components together into complex assemblies that are expensive and troublesome to replace.

Article Link: iPhone X Teardown: TrueDepth Camera System, Stacked Logic Board With 3GB RAM, and 2,716 mAh Battery

Amazing work. I’m impressed how they get one on the other side of the world, totally tear it down and document the process, before most people in the USA are out of bed! Great job!

 

[Applebot1]

Incredible engineering.

 

[TimeSquareDesi]

Can you please put the phone back together and send it over to me...? Thanks in advance.

 

[Shalev]

man.. apple hardware engineers are wizards non the less

 

[elhungarian]

Why do the faceID parts have to be so far apart? At first glance it looks like they could become more compact in the future. I’m sure there are specific reasons, but found it interesting.

 

[alleggerita]

The amount of tech packed into it is amazing!

 

[44267547]

Incredible engineering.

From where the iPhone was 10 years ago, yes indeed it is.

 

[Roller]

I just looked at the iFixit article, which provides more pics of the internals. Pretty cool how Apple crammed components in.

I replaced the battery in an iPhone a few years ago, and even then, dealing with the ribbon cables and connectors was horrible. This seems even harder. I wouldn't want to try to repair one of these.

 

[Mike MA]

You have to admit they truly know how get their hands on the new products from day one. Regularly.

 

[willmtaylor]

They gave it a 6? Wow! Either Apple is really getting better or iFixIt has started grading on a curve!

 

[iPhysicist]

That motherboard-design is pure art. Chapeau Apple Engineers.

 

[diamond.g]

Why do the faceID parts have to be so far apart? At first glance it looks like they could become more compact in the future. I’m sure there are specific reasons, but found it interesting.

Ear piece is in between them.

 

[jasonsmith_88]

Why do the faceID parts have to be so far apart? At first glance it looks like they could become more compact in the future. I’m sure there are specific reasons, but found it interesting.

It might also have something to do with building a 3-dimensional model of your face.

 

[69Mustang]

Assuming the Plus logic board is the same size as the non-Plus logic board (why would it not be), then saying the iPhone X logic board is 70 percent the size of the iPhone 8 logic board would sound more dramatic. Saying a smaller phone has a smaller logic board than a bigger phone doesn't really sound like a big deal....

It doesn't sound like a big deal because MR left out a key piece of information regarding the logic board. The logic board in the iPhone X is actually 35% larger than the board in the 8+. Larger. The way Apple engineered the X's logic board, essentially folding it in half with components on both sides, allow it to take up 70% of the space of the 8+'s board.

As with a lot of things, it's not what you say but how you say it.
The logic board on the iPhone X is 35% larger than the logic board on the iPhone 8+. Even though the board is larger, Apple managed to fit it into a space that only uses 70% of the space used by the 8+'s logic board. Even if the 8 and 8+ use the same logic board, the 8+ connotes larger board, thus more impressive.

 

[Aussi3]

Looks amazing inside and out

 

[Menel]

Why do the faceID parts have to be so far apart? At first glance it looks like they could become more compact in the future. I’m sure there are specific reasons, but found it interesting.

ear piece/speaker?

 

[69Mustang]

They gave it a 6? Wow! Either Apple is really getting better or iFixIt has started grading on a curve!

A 6 is actually on the lower side of iPhone repairability scores. iPhones aren't noted for being difficult repairs.

 

[skids929]

Made by the hand of man..Overall we're doomed as a species, but boy we are making some fascinating stuff while we're here.

 

[iapplelove]

Can you please put the phone back together and send it over to me...? Thanks in advance.

Would you really want that one? lol

 

[Madhava]

Just read iFixit's complete article.
Thanks to iFixit we actually get to see amazing internals of iPhone.

 

[Jack Delgado]

Anyone catch what the 'mystery chip' ended up being (located near the taptic engine, they said)? I re-read the article a couple times but my reading comprehension is apparently failing me.

 

[csurfr]

You have to give it to the level of detail on the parts though. The processor with Apple logo and A11 on it, and the same on the Taptic Engine.

How many other OEMs bother with that? Probably not many if at all.

 

[jonnysods]

This is a mind boggling piece of tech. Amazing what happens in 10 years.