iFixit has completed a teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, finding that repairability remains problematic despite incremental improvements. The new variable aperture camera mechanism and a potentially fragile plastic screen frame create significant repair challenges that undermine any durability gains, making the phones uncomfortable choices for users concerned about long-term maintenance costs.

The iPhone 18 Pro's main camera features six blades—each as thin as a human hair—making the mechanism extremely delicate; iFixit suggests that camera damage will likely necessitate replacing the entire assembly at an estimated cost exceeding £200, given the iPhone 17 Pro's camera costs $249. The teardown revealed concerns with the plastic frame holding the screen in place, which iFixit damaged in three of four teardowns; if this proves structurally fragile, users attempting repairs might inadvertently require full display replacement. The phones received a 7 out of 10 repairability score—unchanged from the iPhone 17 Pro—though iFixit notes the new model seems generally less repairable. Notably, the variable aperture provides minimal photographic benefit, and Samsung previously abandoned a similar feature for offering "limited functional benefit at smartphone camera levels."