A Chinese hardware researcher claims Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models contain 128GB NAND flash storage despite being marketed with only 64GB capacity. Apple may be reserving the additional storage for sensor data or durability purposes, similar to how M4 iPad Pro models contained more physical RAM than advertised.
iFixit's teardown reveals Apple's iPhone 18 Pro features a magnetically-controlled variable aperture lens with six hair-thin blades that improve light control, though the mechanism is effectively unrepairable and would require replacing the entire camera assembly if damaged. While praised as precision engineering, the feature delivers only marginal photographic improvements for most users.
iFixit published a teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, revealing battery capacity increases of 0.8% and 9.4% respectively, along with details on the new variable aperture system and larger vapor chamber. The teardown noted that NAND storage is now integrated into the dual-layer logic board, complicating repairs, and identified potential screen durability concerns.
iFixit's teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro reveals a new variable aperture mechanism controlled by electromagnets and an under-display Face ID infrared camera, but also identifies a concerning issue where plastic display frames were damaged on three of four test units. The company notes that component-level repairs would be impractical, particularly for the camera assembly and USB-C port, though it's unclear if the frame damage represents a broader repairability concern.
A teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max reveals it uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon SDX80M 5G modem instead of Apple's advertised C2 modem, but only in the US market. Apple's specification pages confirm the C2 is listed for the iPhone 18 Pro but omitted for the Pro Max in the US, while other markets show the C2 in both models. The discrepancy likely stems from Apple's 2023 agreement with Qualcomm.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the U.S. uniquely uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem, while all other regions and smaller Pro models use Apple's custom C2 modem. The U.S. variant also features a new mmWave 5G antenna module from Apple, though the reason for the regional modem difference remains unexplained.