iFixit Teardown Reveals Surprisingly Repairable Battery in iPhone 17 Pro [Video]

iFixit has published its teardown of the new iPhone 17 Pro, giving us a closer look at the engineering behind Apple's redesigned aluminum unibody and updated thermal system. Inside, the team found a new screwed-in battery tray, a custom vapor chamber, and Apple's use of electrically releasing adhesive. Those changes helped the device earn a provisional repairability score of 7 out of 10.

A key change with the new unibody design is that the device must now be opened from the front by removing the display, a departure from the back-glass entry of recent Pro models and the new iPhone Air. Once inside, iFixit took a close look at the aluminum unibody. The anodized finish holds up well on flat areas, but the sharp, unchamfered edges around the camera plateau may be more vulnerable to chipping.


The biggest change is the battery. Instead of being glued directly to the frame, it now sits in a metal tray secured by 14 Torx screws. By applying 12 volts of power, iFixit was able to trigger Apple's electrically de-bonding adhesive and remove the battery cleanly — a big improvement over past glued-in designs.

Beneath the tray, the teardown revealed the long-rumored vapor chamber cooling system. It's mounted above the A19 Pro chip, spreading heat across the tray and into the chassis to help the phone sustain performance under heavy load. The compact, stacked logic board and other internal parts were also on display.

iFixit says the improved battery design is the main reason for the 7/10 score, though the continued mix of screw types — pentalobe, tri-point, and now Torx — still complicates things. The integrated charging port assembly remains another tough repair.

Check out the full teardown video below. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more iPhone videos.