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Repair website iFixit today published a detailed teardown of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, providing a closer look at the innards of the device. The teardown also includes a photo of the plastic spacer that replaces the SIM card tray on the US model.
All four iPhone 14 models sold in the US no longer have a physical SIM card tray and use only digital eSIMs. The teardown confirms that Apple did not use the space freed up by removing the card tray for other components or additional features, but instead filled the gap with a square piece of plastic. Outside the US, all iPhone 14 models continue to come with a SIM card tray in this area.
iPhone 14 Pro models: No design changes on the back
As with previous teardowns, iFixit Close-up images of the iPhone 14 Pro Max's logic board, which features a faster A16 Bionic chip and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 modem that offers both 5G and satellite connectivity.
While the regular iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus open from the back and have an easier-to-repair design with an easily removable display and glass back, these design changes do not apply to the Pro models. The teardown shows that the iPhone 14 Pro Max still opens from the front and does not have a removable back glass. The internal design of the device is largely unchanged from the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The lack of a removable back glass on the iPhone 14 Pro models makes repairs more expensive. Without AppleCare+, Apple Stores charge €599 to €668.99 to repair a cracked back glass on the iPhone 14 Pro models, compared to €199 to €229 for the regular iPhone 14 models. (Image: Apple)
