O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: Take Apart

  • Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max component costs broken down, unit is about eight percent more expensive to make than the iPhone 14 Pro Max

    Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max component costs broken down, unit is about eight percent more expensive to make than the iPhone 14 Pro Max

    When the component cost, of “blended bill of materials,” of Apple’s new iPhone 15 Pro Max is calculated, the handset costs about eight percent more to manufacture than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

    Per Counterpoint Research’s report, which was published yesterday, Apple spends around $502 to make the base model iPhone 15 Pro Max with 256GB storage. This is about $37.7 (or eight percent) more than the BoM cost for the 256GB iPhone 14 Pro Max when it was launched last year. For comparison, the BoM cost of the 14 Pro Max was only three percent more expensive than that of the 13 Pro Max.

    The report cites that the most expensive elements of the handset are the 3-nanometer A17 Pro chip, the new tetraprism lens for 5x optical zoom, and the titanium frame.

    The A17 Pro is the first chip built using 3 nanometer process technology, making it more powerful and energy efficient. TSMC was only expected to deliver the first 3 nanometer chips in 2024. Still, Apple has reached an exclusive deal with the semiconductor company to get the new 3 nanometer chips for the iPhone 15 Pro this year.

    As expected, the new camera components add up, and the 5x optical zoom uses an advanced tetra prism system that costs about $25.10 more than the zoom lens on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

    The new titanium alloy frame retails for about $7 more than the previous generation’s frame, although Apple was able to save some money on RAM, NAND flash, and display, as these components have become cheaper this year.

    Even with these increased costs, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is still the model with the highest profit margin for this year’s iPhone lineup. Apple decided to eliminate the 128GB version, pushing the starting price to $1,199 with the 256GB version. The report also points out that Apple has reached a level with “significant control” over its products’ design, scalability, costs, and profits, which many other companies don’t have.

    You can find the full report on the Counterpoint Research website.

    Via 9to5Mac and Counterpoint Research

  • White House policy may push Apple to widen its self-repair program in the near future

    White House policy may push Apple to widen its self-repair program in the near future

    The White House on Tuesday stated that Apple is set to widen its support for hardware repair.

    The news comes courtesy of the US National Economic Council Director, Lael Brainard, in prepared remarks for a White House event on Tuesday night. Citing previous legislation in California and other states, the director said that “whether you are in California, Maine or Michigan, Apple will make the parts, tools, and documentation needed to repair your Apple products available to you at reasonable prices, as outlined in the California law.”

    It’s currently unknown what all of this implies, and while Apple’s current self-repair program already covers a significant slice of the existing product line, it’s not clear how far the expansion will go.

    At present, Apple’s current program features two aspects, with the first being geared towards independent repair shops and the second being towards self-repair.

    Apple first announced the Self Service Repair program in November 2021, surprising regular consumers, repair advocates, and the broader tech industry alike. The program actually launched on April 27, 2022.

    Through Apple’s repair portal, users can order parts for a number of iPhone models to carry out repairs such as battery swaps, speaker replacements, and display fixes. The portal also offers access to tool kits that can be rented or purchased for a specific period of time. Apple has also offered access to assorted repair manuals and technical documentation for use at home.

    Apple expanded parts and manual access to third-party repair shops in 2019. There were and are notable limitations on that expansion, however.

    Given the current restrictions, home-based businesses are not approved, and Apple can reject applications for any reason. Apple also requires that business documentation be provided upon application and reserves the right to inspect those documents at any time.

    Both programs are limited to full assembly swaps, like replacing an entire motherboard versus component-level repair. At present, it isn’t clear what Apple will charge for parts or the larger and more expensive equipment that Apple says is needed for repairs.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and Yahoo Finance

  • Some users complain of screen burn-in issues on iPhone 15 Pro Max displays

    Some users complain of screen burn-in issues on iPhone 15 Pro Max displays

    This is never a good thing.

    An unknown number of iPhone 15 Pro Max owners have reported that the image of their home screen apps is being burnt-in to their displays, although the issue doesn’t seem to be worse than that of any other year.

    Burn-in used to be a prevalent issue from the days of CRT screens and has since become something of an issue with OLED displays. The issue typically occurs after the same images have been shown on a screen for a considerable amount of time.

    Given that the iPhone 15 models went on sale approximately one month ago, the issue is somewhat worrying. While not a widescreen problem, it does offer its challenges.

    “Most cases of burn-in in televisions is a result of static images or on-screen elements displaying on the screen uninterrupted for many hours or days at a time – with brightness typically at peak levels,” OLED manufacturer LG says, “So, it is possible to create image retention in almost any display if one tries hard enough.”

    If you’ve seen this issue on your end, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via AppleInsider, Reddit, and support.apple.com

  • Consumer Reports testing highlights iPhone 15 Pro Max’s durability

    Consumer Reports testing highlights iPhone 15 Pro Max’s durability

    Following last week’s event wherein the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything noted that the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s back component could be cracked by bending it with your hands, some speculation has been raised as to the durability of the new titanium frame. It was also noted that the smaller 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro did not crack in the same way.

    Following up on this, the reliable humans at Consumer Reports performed a battery of tests on the new iPhone 15 Pro Max handset, and determined that it did not crack under the pressure. Consumer Reports was one of the leading critics of the iPhone design back when the iPhone 6 ‘#Bendgate’ was a thing.

    Prior to testing, it should be noted that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max design sandwiches the display and the frosted rear glass with a titanium frame around the sides. The titanium is fused to an internal aluminum chassis. Titanium is a strong material, but people have wondered whether the rounded edges where the titanium meets the glass make the glass more prone to breaking or cracking, than the 14 Pro flat edge design.

    Per the Consumer Reports video, the new handset was subjected to compression tests wherein a machine applied 100 pounds of pressure across the length of the device. The phone flexed and then recovered after the pressure was released, but there were no cracks to be seen.

    @consumerreports

    Viral videos claim Apple’s new flagship phone cracks easily. That’s not what our labs found. Learn more through the link in our bio. #bendgate #iphone15promax #techtok #newphone

    ♬ original sound – Consumer Reports

    Consumer Reports also tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max handset in a drop test machine, wherein a tumbler drops the handset onto a stone base 100 times in succession. The handset survived with no damage.

    Still, if you’re able to get your hands on the new iPhone 15 Pro Max at this early stage of the game, please be careful with it, maybe buy it a nice protective case, and enjoy your cool new iPhone.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac, Consumer Reports, YouTube, and TikTok

  • iFixit posts teardown of iPhone 15 Pro Max, highlights new finds, but dings repairability

    iFixit posts teardown of iPhone 15 Pro Max, highlights new finds, but dings repairability

    The cool cats at iFixit have once again come through with a teardown of this year’s iPhone, this time focusing on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

    True to form, the teardown video takes apart the iPhone 15 Pro Max quite systematically, with pentalobe screws and the need for a suction cup blocking the removal of the display. Once inside, attempts to remove the battery are thwarted by failing tabs, which triggered complaints about removing another ten screws.

    Once isopropyl alcohol has been applied, the battery is loosened from the frame. The new battery offers 17.1 watt-hours, an improvement of 2.5 percent over the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s battery.

    The camera assembly requires the removal of several disconnected cables as well as a trio of Philips-head screws. Aside from the tetraprism assembly for the Telephoto camera, the sensors for the Main and Wide cameras are seemingly the same size as the iPhone 14 Pro Max versions.

    iFixit cited the new logic board as the most interesting find of the teardown and pointed out that the Pro Max’s logic board is almost identical to the Pro model. The company highlighted several Qualcomm chips which are visible on the board, handling modem duties while Apple’s own efforts continue to be developed.

    iFixit also praised Apple for changes to the back cover, which bring it more in line with the iPhone 15 base model, and allow for easier removal for back glass repairs to be performed.

    During the teardown, iFixit made assorted digs at the eco-unfriendliness of producing the titanium elements over stainless steel or aluminum, as well as the easily scratched coating. It also noted that the rear LiDAR assembly is now “completely locked” to the device, and offered a “repairability” score of four out of a possible ten for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The score is provisional as it includes credit for “anticipated service manual availability and selling repair parts,” but it is weighed down by the inability to swap components due to software limitations.

    Via AppleInsider and iFixit