News

Step 13

The shields are down! The logic board is clear and ready for inspection. Let's see what this puppy is packing!

• Apple A10 Fusion APL1W24 SoC + Samsung 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM (as denoted by the markings K3RG4G40MM-YGCH)

• Qualcomm MDM9645M LTE Cat. 12 Modem

• Skyworks 78100-20

• Avago AFEM-8065 Power Amplifier Module

• Avago AFEM-8055 Power Amplifier Module

• Universal Scientific Industrial O1 X4

• Bosch Sensortec BMP280 Barometric Pressure Sensor

Step 14

Round the back now: another field of ICs!

• Toshiba THGBX6T0T8LLFXF 128 GB NAND Flash

• Murata 339S00199 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Module

• NXP 67V04 NFC Controller

• Dialog 338S00225 Power Management IC

• Qualcomm PMD9645 Power Management IC

• Qualcomm WTR4905 Multimode LTE Transceiver

• Qualcomm WTR3925 RF Transceiver

Step 15

But wait, there are even more ICs on the back!

• Apple/Cirrus Logic 338S00105 Audio Codec

• Cirrus Logic 338S00220 Audio Amplifier(x2)

• Lattice Semiconductor ICE5LP4K

• Skyworks 13702-20 Diversity Receive Module

• Skyworks 13703-21 Diversity Receive Module

• Avago LFI630 183439

• NXP 610A38

Step 16

• Just a few last ICs on the back of the logic board:

• TDK EPCOS D5315

• Texas Instruments 64W0Y5P

• Texas Instruments 65730A0P Power Management IC

• And as always, thanks to our silicon experts at Chipworks for helping identify the key ICs at play! Head over to their teardown page for an in-depth analysis of the iPhone 7 control hardware.

Step 17

• Raising the roof loudspeaker out of the phone, we find some nice spring contacts and some mesh with ingress-protection!

• Sharing design similarities with the speakers in the 6 Plus and 6S Plus, the speaker in the 7 Plus also bears a familiar antenna appendage.

Step 18

• Tiny ribbon cables attach the Lightning connector assembly to the microphones, which are firmly adhered to the speaker grilles.

• As predicted, the speaker grilles have ingress protection to keep the internals nice and dry.

• And in case you haven't noticed, this Lightning connector assembly is huge! Like previous generations, it is moderately adhered and readily removed from the rear case.

• This cable assembly also features the most substantial gasketing we've seen on a Lightning connector. While last year's models used foam adhesive to keep out water and dust, this one features a full-on rubber gasket, capable of holding back a 50 meter column of water.

Step 19

• Water resistance has been touted as a big new feature in the iPhone 7 Plus—but what actually makes it water resistant? The evidence is everywhere:

• Figures 1 and 2: a plastic SIM eject plug with a rubber gasket.

• Figure 3: a rubber gasket on the SIM tray.

• Rubber gaskets and plugs aren't new technology, but they are effective at keeping liquids and dust out of your phone. But there's a cost—when you replace a component you'll need to make sure you get the gasket in place and that it creates a good seal, which tends to be an extra, finicky step.

Step 20

• Pausing our rear case excavation, we take a moment to examine the display assembly and its respective bits.

• From the front face, it looks identical to the 1920-by-1080 displays we've popped off the iPhones 6 and 6s, but there are some notable changes: This guy supports a wider P3 color gamut than its older siblings, and is 25% brighter.

• We also notice a water damage indicator hanging out on the left edge of the display EMI shield. This gadget may be water resistant, but it looks like Apple won't be on the hook when you take your phone for a swim.

Step 21

• After we free a few standard Phillips screws, the earpiece speaker practically falls out from under the front-facing camera.

• This new earpiece speaker does double duty—for the first time, it also serves as a loudspeaker, giving the iPhone stereo sound for those times when you need to rock out and you might not have any place to plug in your headphones.

• The front-facing camera cable assembly is a little more of a handful. Normally when we're served something this tangled up, it comes with meatballs.

• All told, the upper components number:

• Front-facing camera

• Microphone

• Stereo-enabling speaker

• Proximity sensor and ambient light sensor

Step 22

• More tri-point screws secure the home button and LCD shield plate.

• But luckily, there's no adhesive on the LCD shield plate—and the cables are nicely managed.

• There's not much to see here, so we quickly remove the shield plate and head for home, i.e. the home button.

Step 23

• Last to leave the display assembly: the home button.

• It's more like the home touch sensor really. No buttons about it.

• Analog Devices AD7149 Capacitance Sensor Controller

• For those of you waiting with bated breath, it appears that the new solid state home button is removable. It won't be a simple procedure, with tiny tri-points and light adhesive on the cable—but there is no longer a delicate gasket to replace. Overall, it is a step in the right direction.

• A replaceable home button is great news for consumers. The mechanical home button has been a point of failure on past iPhones. While our data shows that the reliability of the home button is better in the 6 and 6s compared to the 5 and 5s, we’ve still had close to 100,000 people use our iPhone 6 home button repair procedure.

• Additionally, the move to a non-mechanical button should improve overall reliability and reduce the need for replacement. Not to mention, it looks great under an X-ray.

Step 24

• We're able to pull out the ring/silent switch, complete with gasket, and the rest of the button cable.

• However, the volume and power buttons are nestled snugly in the case, defying conventional removal.

• The design looks somewhat reminiscent of past Apple patent filings for waterproof buttons, and requires some deft disassembly technique.

Step 25

• The grand finale! With the iPhone 7 Plus torn to bits, we line up our prizes for inspection.

• But not for long—we have another cutting edge gadget from Cupertino coming your way soon. Stay tuned for more!

• Special thanks to our friends at Nikkei for lending us their office space in Tokyo to do what we do best!

Products Sort