iPhone 14 Max in teardown: Small and larger secrets revealed

Apple’s new top model was subjected to a teardown for the first time. Details about the display, camera, and battery are revealed.

From afar, the iPhone 14 Pro Max doesn’t look much different than its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Pro Max from 2021. A closer look at the hardware reveals a whole series of changes – from Dynamic Island to enlarged and optimized camera equipment. A first teardown now shows what Apple has changed internally.

Heat dissipation and new sensor

The disassembly done by PBKreviews on YouTube shows that the iPhone maker has tweaked a few things on the 14 Pro Max. According to Apple, the devices should be able to dissipate heat better. While there don’t appear to be any fundamental design changes to the overall build, the Super Retina XDR display sports a new thin film of graphite on the back that appears to serve just that purpose. The spare part then changes accordingly.

The new iPhone 14 models all have a new proximity sensor on the back. This helps to adjust the display brightness or the True Tone color adjustment more precisely (and also faster) and to automatically switch off the always-on screen when the device is in your pocket. The front proximity sensor has meanwhile moved under the screen. The structure of the selfie camera and face ID module (aka TrueDepth), which is now called Dynamic Island, is also exciting. It physically consists of two areas with a display segment in the middle.

Repairs may become easier

The change makes it possible – at least theoretically – to repair the selfie camera and Face ID module individually and no longer replace the entire TrueDepth module, as Apple usually does. It remains to be seen which components Apple will offer for replacement as part of its repair program for amateurs. The battery has also changed – although it is still L-shaped like the iPhone 13 Pro Max, it comes with a slightly smaller capacity (4323 mAh instead of 4352 mAh). That’s amazing because system areas like the always-on display are actually drawing more power than before. Apple is apparently focusing on optimizing its display control technology, which is said to be a direct part of the new A16 Bionic SoC.