iPhone 6 Plus Teardown

Introduction

Over the years, we've seen the iPhone evolve and grow. It started as just the iPhone. Then it learned to connect to 3G, gained an 'S' (which it would lose and regain every other year), and even learned to read fingerprints. Years of hard work and development have made the iPhone what it is today: the iPhone 6 Plus. Explore this giant smartphone with us.

We are covering this live in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, and Chinese.

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Tools Required:

• iSclack (1)
• Jimmy (1)
• iFixit Opening Tools (1)
• Precision Tweezers Set (1)
• Spudger (1)
• 64 Bit Driver Kit (1)

Step 1 - iPhone 6 Plus Teardown

Ladies and gentlemen, the fateful moment is approaching. Today, we are among the few chosen ones already able to shield ourselves from the sun by wearing an iPhone 6 Plus. But what makes this colossal phone special? Let's find out:

• Apple A8 microprocessor with 64-bit architecture
• Second-generation M8 motion coprocessor
• Internal storage of 16, 64, or 128 GB
• 5.5-inch Retina HD display with 1920x1080 resolution (401 ppi)
• 8 MP iSight camera (1.5µ pixel pitch, optical stabilization, phase detection autofocus) and 1.2 MP front-facing camera
• Home button with Touch ID fingerprint sensor, barometer, three-axis gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light sensor
• 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0 + NFC + 20-band LTE

Step 2

Flash News from Around the Globe:

• The line already had 50 people yesterday around 1 PM local time.
• By 7 AM, the waiting crowd approached a thousand.
• Our teardown team was 53rd in line, and the Apple Store only had 40 iPhone 6 Plus units in stock.
• Don't worry, we managed to get our hands on an iPhone 6 Plus, all thanks to a wonderful Australian iFixit fan named Ricky. Thanks, Ricky!
• It seems this Ricky is unrelated to the other Ricky.
• After our little adventure at the Apple Store, we rushed to MacFixit Australia, where the teardown is beginning. We'd like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our friends at MacFixit for letting us use their office. They handle Mac and iPhone accessories and upgrades, as well as our iFixit tool kits.

Step 3

• Soon in select retail locations, both Chinese and otherwise, the glass-shaped cookie Bluetooth/NFC speaker will be available.
• The iPhone 6 Plus is 158.1 mm tall, 77.8 mm wide, and 7.1 mm thick. Practically larger than the Pop-Tart pictured here, which is unfortunately (???) unavailable in Italy.
• At 7.1 mm, it's the thickest of the new breed of iPhones, but it's precisely this thickness that improves upon last year's iPhone 5s, which measured 7.6 mm.

Step 4

• Just like the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 Plus is available in three different colors: Silver, Gold, and Space Gray. Naturally, we chose Gold.
• The iPhone 6 Plus is identified by model number: A1524. The A1524 is the global iPhone 6 Plus model. Americans will receive the A1522, which offers support for 4G LTE bands.
• To the dismay of some journalists, both iPhone 6 models feature a visible camera "hump." It's as if Apple couldn't flatten the camera module sufficiently. And while the protection is sapphire crystal, we wonder if this stylistic choice compromises the device's durability.
• Much like the HTC One M8, the iPhone 6 Plus features two plastic antenna strips on its outer casing. These strips improve wireless reception, which is hindered by the metal chassis.

Step 5

• Apple seems reluctant to switch from Pentalobe screws with a five-point slot to the good old Phillips cross. Fortunately, we had our Pro Tech screwdriver set with us, so we unscrewed the dreaded Pentalobes!
• We don't like custom screws, but we're glad we don't have to resort to heat right away.

Step 6

• It's iSclack's moment of glory! This handy device allows us to easily detach the display assembly from the rest of the phone.
• Let's proceed cautiously, remembering the surprise from last time. ✔️
• Given the apparent absence of minefields, we proceed with opening our small, golden treasure chest.
• The removal of the cable between the Touch ID sensor and the Lightning port module reminds us of the clean design (and safer opening procedure) of the iPhone 5, the iPhone that so far boasts the highest repairability score.
• Like previous iPhones, the cables for the display assembly are securely attached to the logic board with a metal plate.

Step 7

With the display assembly removed, we can get our first look inside the iPhone 6 Plus.

? The internal layout of the iPhone 6 Plus seems similar to the 5s, but we are immediately struck by the battery's size. The iPhone 6 Plus truly seems serious about battery life.

Step 8

• The home button assembly is secured by a metal bracket. Removing the bracket allows us to simply slide the button out of the front chassis.
• This setup is in line with last year's home button: a modular solution, though it adds a bit of time to repairs.

Step 9

The front camera is part of a larger flex cable assembly, which also includes the speaker. Both are located in the front chassis of the iPhone 6 Plus.

Step 10

• We then remove the metal bracket from the front panel.
• Great news for repairability: Apple has completely redesigned the connection between the home button and the main board. Gone is the unpleasantly short and fragile cable from the iPhone 5s era. Apple has instead made an effort to route the home button cable to the opposite end of the phone. This is an improvement that makes us very happy!
• Aside from improving repairability, we see no other valid reasons for extending the cable in this manner. Thank you, Apple.

Step 11

• The next logical step is to remove the battery from the iPhone 6 Plus.
• The battery connector is covered by a metal plate, which we easily remove with our metal tweezers.
• Near the base of the battery, we find some adhesive pull tabs. ✔️
• This is what we know about iPhone battery adhesive pull tabs: if you pull them correctly, it's all super easy; otherwise, it's the end of the world.
• The adhesive is similar to that used for 3M Command products; pulling the tab correctly allows the entire strip to be removed easily.

Step 12

• After uttering some magic words, the battery lifts out of the rear chassis.
• According to rumors, the battery has a declared energy of 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh, totaling 2915 mAh. This is almost double the capacity of the iPhone 5s (1560 mAh) and slightly more than the Galaxy S5's 2800 mAh.
• Combining the larger battery with better overall efficiency, Apple claims a talk time of up to 24 hours on 3G and 384 hours (16 days) in standby.
• The battery we found in the Plus is larger than the one in the iPhone 6 (1810 mAh and 6.91 Wh). This explains the longer battery life, despite the much larger screen.

Step 13

• New! Something new! The vibration assembly is located to the right of the battery, beneath the logic board.
• Do you remember Jimmy? Of course, you do. Everyone remembers Jimmy. With his help, we force open the vibration module.
• Thanks, Jimmy! Inside, we find a delicate tangle of copper windings paired with a vibration motor.

Step 14

• The rear camera can be easily detached with tweezers.
• The back of the iSight camera is labeled DNL432 70566F MKLAB.
• Like the iPhone 5S, the 6 Plus features an 8MP rear camera (with 1.5µ pixels) and an f/2.2 aperture lens. The 6 Plus brings two extra features: optical stabilization and "Focus Pixel" phase detection autofocus.
• Phase detection autofocus has been around for a while in DSLRs, but the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are not the first smartphones to adopt it; the Samsung Galaxy S5 was the first.

Step 15

Such wiggles. Much wiggles.

Step 16

• Apple loves to focus on their cameras, touting the iPhone as the world's most popular camera in their Keynote. So what's behind the lens? Let's take a peek...
• Using a plastic opening tool and steady fingers, we remove the camera housing.
• While it may not look like much here, the updates found in the iPhone 6 Plus's camera (along with the increased storage) have piqued the interest of amateur and indie filmmakers. We just hope this camera is ready for its closeup...

Step 17

• A closer look inside the rear camera reveals what we expected: a small lens.
• Behind the lens, we see the camera sensor.
• The main feature differentiating this camera from the standard iPhone 6 is "optical image stabilization," a technology we've seen before. The lens assembly on the left is nestled in a small metal cage, pushed back and forth by electromagnetic coils surrounding the sensor on the right.
• Constant analysis from the gyroscope and the M8 motion coprocessor provide the iPhone 6 Plus with detailed data on human hand tremors, allowing it to compensate with rapid adjustments. The result? Sharper, better-defined photos, especially in low light conditions.

Step 18

• It's time to remove the logic board, which is securely attached to the rear chassis with several screws.
• But before proceeding, we must remember to disconnect an antenna connector from the bottom of the logic board.

Step 19

Let's identify some ICs on the front of the logic board:

• Apple A8 APL1011 SoC
• Qualcomm MDM9625M LTE Modem
• Skyworks 77802-23
• Avago A8020 KA1428 JR159
• Avago A8010 KA1422 JNO27
• TriQuint TQF6410 1425 KORE ATO315
• InvenSense MP67B six-axis gyroscope and accelerometer

Step 20

Other ICs on the front of the logic board:

• Qualcomm QFE1000 envelope tracking technology IC
• RF Micro Devices RF5159 ASM Antenna Switch Module
• Skyworks 77356-8 Mid Band PAD
• SkyWorks 77356-8 Media Band PAD

Step 21

Back of the logic board:

• SK Hynix H2JTDG8UD1BMS 128 Gb (16 GB) NAND Flash
• Murata 339S0228 WiFi Module
• Apple / Dialog PMIC 338S1251-AZ
• Broadcom BCM5976 Touchscreen Controller
• NXP LPC18B1UK M8 Motion Coprocessor
• NXP 65V10 NFC Module + Secure Element. Likely contains an NXP PN544 NFC controller internally.
• Qualcomm WTR1625L RF Transceiver Chip

Step 22

Other ICs on the back of the logic board:

• Qualcomm WFR1620 receiver auxiliary chip. Qualcomm states the WFR1620 is necessary for Carrier Aggregation implementation with WTR 1625L.
• Qualcomm PM8019 Power Management IC
• Texas Instruments 343S0694 Touch Transmitter
• AMS AS3923 NFC Tag Front End
• We believe this is a minor revision of the AMS AS3922, which enables "payment functionality in ultra-small form factors like SIM and µSD".
• Cirrus Logic 338S1201 Audio Codec

A big thank you to our friends at Chipworks for their help identifying these technologies. We couldn't have done it without them.

Step 23

Next out is the lone speaker of the iPhone 6 Plus.

The speaker's modular design is appreciable, but its labeling is inscrutable. The production origins of this component remain shrouded in mystery, at least for now.

Step 24

The Lightning connector assembly includes the headphone jack, Lightning port, and several antenna connectors.

? Integrated cabling systems like this are great for reducing bulk, but a bit critical when your headphone jack decides it doesn't like being pulled out every day.

Step 25

Now we turn our attention to the top of the rear case, where a plethora of antennas await. These antennas offer little resistance to our trusty tweezers.

Step 26

As we approach the end of the teardown, we encounter the power button and volume control flex cable assemblies.

Both assemblies consist of tiny components laid out on thin, fragile cables like Christmas lights.

Step 27

We're big button pushers, so we found these curious new rubber gaskets surrounding the power button very interesting.

Similar gaskets surround the volume buttons. These solutions seem to indicate a focus on superior water and dust resistance, and thus a longer device lifespan.

Step 28

We've taken down the giant. The iPhone 6 Plus has earned a respectable score of seven out of ten, an improvement over the iPhone 5s. Here's why:

• Following the trend introduced with the iPhone 5 series, the display assembly is the first to come out of the phone, simplifying screen repairs.
• The battery is simple to reach. Its removal requires a special five-lobe screwdriver and knowledge of the adhesive removal technique, but it's not difficult to perform.
• The fingerprint sensor cable follows a completely different path, eliminating a significant repairability flaw of the iPhone 5s, making the phone much easier to open. (With the 5s, the cable breaks easily if the user doesn't open the phone carefully).
• The iPhone 6 Plus still uses Pentalobe screws on the exterior, requiring a special screwdriver.
• Apple does not share repair information for the iPhone 6 Plus with independent service centers or its customers.