iFixit Examines iPhone 15 Components Under a Microscope

Repair site iFixit last week shared a video teardown of Apple's new iPhone 15 Pro Max, and now iFixit is back with a deeper look inside the standard iPhone 15. iFixit's iPhone 15 teardown includes an examination of many of the components with a microscope, giving us a view of the device we don't typically get.


With the microscope, iFixit is able to provide a closer look at the iPhone's casing, adhesive, and display, showing off individual pixels. There are zoomed-in views of everything from the battery connector to the magnets inside the Taptic Engine.

Compared to the iPhone 14, the ‌iPhone 15‌ is remarkably similar, which makes sense because the design has not changed. There is a larger 48-megapixel camera, though, which iFixit confirms is not, in fact, the same 48-megapixel camera that's in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The quad pixel "buckets" in the ‌iPhone 15‌'s camera are around 22 percent smaller, which means that the camera is not able to perform as well in low lighting conditions as the camera in the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max.

iFixit's ‌iPhone 15‌ teardown isn't revealing anything that we didn't already know, but it is a fun read thanks to the closer look at multiple components.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 15 (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. New 'Slim' Design Rumors have taken to referring to the new iPhone 17...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Crowbot Avatar
11 months ago

they should examine their relevancy under a microscope.
Their relevancy is that they are the premier group that does disassemblies of all Apple devices. What's inside very often is more important than how nice the outside looks. These people know what they are doing and have quality info.

They also give detailed disassembly (and re-assembly) instructions so we can service our stuff. Their guide for taking apart the iMac was instrumental in my being able to open and clean my 27" iMac successfully.

Check them out. iFixit.com
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bmustaf Avatar
11 months ago
Yes, if you want to just throw away stuff as soon as it breaks or buy brand new stuff and trust the Reality Distortion Field for all your advice, they're irrelevant, I guess, but I know a lot of people (smart, successful, and just outright good people) who use their goods & services to fix their devices and buy parts. Hell, I buy parts from them all the time to repair things that the only economical and ecologically tenable thing to do is repair (which Apple may do for a very high price or may not even offer).

For example, my wife has an iPod her father gave her with some very personal, thoughtful recordings from him on it so she had certain things to keep once he dies, in his voice, and she has a connection that iPod (not just the data on it, which is backed up, of course). So we bought a few batteries and a repair kit for it, even though Apple doesn't support it and doesn't even offer that stuff any more, let alone a repair for it).

That's really relevant and meaningful, and they've built a big enough, successful enough business around it that they can fund these kind of teardowns & things, and I really love seeing it, if for nothing else, for geekery that I don't have to destroy a $1500 phone, a bunch of my time, etc.

iFixIt's guides and parts have also saved many of my company's computers, helped me repurpose my old ones for family (my niece uses one of my old MBPs that I was able to repair, when Apple's "official" solution was to trade in my old machine for a brand new MBP/MBA for her, which actually she didn't need at all, would have cost me $1000 more than just the parts and 45 min, and actually would have been way worse ecologically, too), and the like.

They've saved me from tons of unnecessary "upgrades".

Incredibly relevant, no matter how rich or busy you are, IMO. Unless you enjoy throwing away money and screwing up the environment completely unnecessarily...then, ok, yeah, they're irrelevant.

they should examine their relevancy under a microscope.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
11 months ago
"Compared to the iPhone 14, the iPhone 15 is remarkably similar"

Thank you....


Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lkrupp Avatar
11 months ago

Their relevancy is that they are the premier group that does disassemblies of all Apple devices. What's inside very often is more important than how nice the outside looks. These people know what they are doing and have quality info.

They also give detailed disassembly (and re-assembly) instructions so we can service our stuff. Their guide for taking apart the iMac was instrumental in my being able to open and clean my 27" iMac successfully.

Check them out. iFixit.com
iFixit are extreme self-repair radicals who want nothing less than to return to discrete component days with everything socketed and screwed together with Phillips head fasteners (just like Woz used to build ‘em), no glue either. Notice that they don't offer ANY repair services themselves, only tools and user submitted articles for how to disassemble stuff.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakeuten Avatar
11 months ago

Typical of Apple. Incremental upgrades and presenting them to AppleHeads as something profound, unique and worth shelling out your hard earned cash. Nothing more than bragging rights and accessory status. However, there are the few outliers who use their phones to the absolute max.
Again, different strokes for different folks.
Oof, that username clocked you
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
indychris Avatar
11 months ago

Do they do this with all smartphones? What is the point other than anything Apple brings them page views?
Ahhh…so they get clicks which indicates that they create interest and therein you just found your answer.

People are curious about apple stuff. They dissect and often explain apple stuff. They’ve been around forever. I’ve used them countless times to help disassemble and reassemble Mac’s over the years. It’s an invaluable service at times. They started off just as guys who were curious and turned it into a great business. It’s wonderful when people who could never do what they’ve done are critical of how they’ve done it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)