Introduction
Apple's gone and skipped its iPhone “S" update, so we followed suit and skipped ahead a couple timezones. We're here at Circuitwise headquarters in Sydney, Australia, bringing you the iPhone 8 teardown (and the 8 Plus too!) as early as you can get it. Time to find out if Apple's playing a game of mere numerical catch-up to Samsung’s Galaxy S8 line, or if glass backing and wireless charging warrants skipping ahead a grade. Let’s crack the front and back open it up to see!
Come for the teardowns, stay for the repair goodness! Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all things repair!
What you need
Video Overview
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The 8 has some slick new tech, but is it enough to warrant the upgraded digit? You be the judge:
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A11 Bionic chip with embedded M11 motion coprocessor
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64 or 256 GB onboard storage capacity
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4.7-inch IPS multitouch Retina HD display with 1334 × 750 resolution (326 ppi)
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12 MP camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization, and 5x digital zoom
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7 MP FaceTime HD camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture and 1080p HD recording capability
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Support for fast-charge and Qi wireless charging
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802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi w/MIMO + Bluetooth 5.0 + NFC
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As we start our teardownunder we're greeted by a now-familiar face. Features include:
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Solid-state home "button" with Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
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A (still) IPS display similar to the one we found in the iPhone 7 (but now featuring True Tone).
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On the backside, we spy the iPhone's snazzy new glass backing with its seven-layer color finish.
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Apple assures everyone that this rear panel is reinforced with "an internal laser-welded steel and copper structure," but time and durability tests will tell if this phone will suffer from a snap, crackle, pop—or yet another Bendgate.
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Finally, before getting to work, we take a second to line up our new gold iPhone 8 and yesteryear's rose gold 6s. Apple has certainly refined (and re-refined) this design, in addition to stripping a little pink from the finish.
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Before we excavate, we X-ray!
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Our pals at Creative Electron came down under to Circuitwise and snagged some stellar sneak peek imagery.
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The seamless back gives way to some intricate insides. The first thing we spy is the brand new wireless charging coil!
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More on that later. For now, we put down the X-ray goggles to plan our attack.
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Turns out you don't need X-ray vision to see the model number on this blank-backed phone—it's here on the rosy gold box—A1863!
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It seems that when Apple set out to clean up the back of the iPhone, it decided to follow all the way through. We're guessing we won't find a cute ID card in the SIM tray, though.
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Tool used on this step:iOpener$12.99
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Time to get this teardown underway. After twirling away the pentalobe screws, we need some heat as an antidote to the waterproof display seals.
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iOpener—bam! Seals softened. Next we pull the iSclack out of our tool bag for some pulling power, and slice through the adhesive with a little help from
our friendsopening picks. -
... and we're in! A first glance reveals nothing new—yet. But we've only just scratched the glassy surface.
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Tool used on this step:Phillips #000 Screwdriver$5.49
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As we crack open this
bookdisplay, we are greeted by the familiar display cable bracket. But instead of the cursed tri-point screws, we're happy to report that we're met with friendly Phillips #000 screws! -
We quickly decouple a few cables—the battery, display, and home button cables to be exact—and the display is free!
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We note a lack of gaskets on the display's pentalobe tabs, which was previously seen in the iPhone 7.
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We make a grab for the battery's stretch-release adhesive strips, and find there are two more of these guys than we're used to.
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But that's okay—we just ask for a hand (or two), and remove all four at once!
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We easily throw back the
mozzarella stickspull tabs as the battery springs free effortlessly.
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Now that this juicy battery pack is out, we can see how it compares to its competitors!
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Fully topped off, this 3.82 V, 1821 mAh cell will deliver up to 6.96 Wh of power.
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Before you get hopping mad about battery news: despite the drop in capacity, Apple claims battery life will be comparable to last year’s unit.
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Tool used on this step:Precision Tweezers Set$9.95
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We pluck the main camera in pursuit of the logic board.
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The iPhone 8 has the same ƒ/1.8, 6-element lens that we saw on the iPhone 7, but everything else about the camera is new and improved.
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The 8's sensor is bigger than the 7's, but specs the same 12 MP resolution. This means the individual pixels are larger—letting in more light, improving colors, and decreasing noise.
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But wait, there's more! Improved image processing software shows Apple still has a few clever tricks up its sleeve.
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We've seen this before, but not with the naked eye! Neat X-rays reveal magnets in the four corners of the camera—giving this camera some advanced vision of its own through OIS.
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Tool used on this step:Mako Driver Kit - 64 Precision Bits$39.95
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As our quest continues, we find some quirky cables and brackets!
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First out: a new Lightning port bracket that seems to reinforce the new peach-colored port and trap the Taptic engine.
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Up to now, we've gleefully plugged along with our Phillips screwdriver—but alas, all good things must come to an end. In removing this bracket, we encountered our first tri-point screw. Still, it's no match for our 64 Bit Driver Kit!
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Next: a strange interconnect/antenna cable over the speaker.
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Finally: the Taptic Engine nestled in a series of tiny fiddly connectors.
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Drumroll please—it's chip time! Special thanks to the folks at TechInsights for helping scope out this silicon:
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Apple 339S00434 A11 Bionic SoC layered over SK Hynix H9HKNNNBRMMUUR 2 GB LPDDR4x RAM
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Qualcomm MDM9655 Snapdragon X16 LTE modem
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Skyworks SkyOne SKY78140
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Avago 8072JD130
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P215 730N71T - likely an envelope tracking IC
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Skyworks 77366-17 quad-band GSM power amplifier module
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NXP 80V18 secure NFC module
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And on the back side:
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Apple/USI 170804 339S00397 WiFi/Bluetooth module
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Apple 338S00248, 338S00309 PMIC, and S3830028
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Toshiba TSBL227VC3759 64 GB NAND flash storage
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Qualcomm WTR5975 Gigabit LTE RF transceiver and PMD9655 PMIC
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Broadcom 59355—Likely an iteration of BCM59350 wireless charging IC
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NXP 1612A1—Likely an iteration of the 1610 tristar IC
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Skyworks 3760 3576 1732 RF Switch and SKY762-21 247296 1734 RF Switch
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Logic board dispatched, we get down to
brass tacksplastic bits. Today's bits feature the speaker and barometric vent. -
Another small spec bump: Apple touts that the speakers are 25% louder in the iPhone 8—although there is some debate as to whether it is noticeable.
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The same dozen
donutspeaker holes line the bottom of this iPhone as the 7. -
We also find familiar signs of waterproofing in the form of seals and little rubber gaskets.
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The rear case is looking a little thin on components, but we still find a few pieces that invite inquiry.
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The peach-colored Lightning connector looks like it has changed a li'l since the iPhone 7. Without getting distracted by the desert camo, we notice a new form factor. Better ingress protection, mayhaps?
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We dig through some black tape that covers some copper tape that covers some
black tape... wait a second ... -
That ain't just black tape, it's the elusive Apple-branded, Qi (pronounced "chee")-enabled wireless charging coil!
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Tool used on this step:Curved Razor Blade$9.99
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We take a stab at separating the rear glass, but after a lot of heat and wetwork, we've instead shivved our way under the reinforcement panel.
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After more arduous stabbing, we finally get the seven-layer
burritoglass sandwich off of the midframe. -
The process left the backing plate a bit bent out of shape—we have no idea how Apple plans to do this, but they seem to be keeping the secret squirreled away...
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And no, we didn't let snails figure-skate on the back—that's glue. Lots of it.
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We finally turn back to the well-known display and pluck the final features away.
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Goodbye home button.
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Goodbye front-facing sensor cable.
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Goodbye LCD shield.
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Oh, but hey li'l chip we can't identify.
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That's all she wrote! Well, at least for now—we've got a few more words and photos in store for you in the next few days!
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Thanks heaps to Circuitwise for hosting us at their sweet facility in Sydney. (Seriously, check out that sweeet soldering video.)
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And big thanks to the Creative Electron team for providing some serious X-ray support!
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- The two most commonly replaced components, display and battery, remain straightforward to access with the proper knowledge and tools.
- The addition of wireless charging means less strain on your Lightning port, a common point of failure.
- Water and dust seals complicate repair, but make the need for difficult liquid damage repairs less likely.
- The battery connector once again sports common Phillips/JIS fasteners—but you’ll still need up to four different driver types for many repairs.
- The durability of the glass back remains to be seen—but replacements are likely to be very difficult.
- The iPhone’s lower components, once readily removed, now lie trapped under a fussy combination of brackets and delicately folded flex cables.
Final Thoughts
Repairability Score
(10 is easiest to repair)