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Ladies and gentlemen, the time is nigh. Today, we stand among a select few in the shadow of a colossus, the iPhone 6 Plus. But what makes this enormous phone special? We're glad you asked:
Apple A8 processor with 64-bit architecture
M8 second-generation motion coprocessor
16, 64, or 128 GB onboard storage capacity
5.5-inch 1920x1080 pixels (401 ppi) Retina HD display
8 MP iSight camera (with 1.5µ pixels, phase-detection autofocus, and optical image stabilization) and a 1.2 MP FaceTime camera
Touch ID home button fingerprint sensor, barometer, 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, ambient light sensor
802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi + Bluetooth 4.0 + NFC + 20-band LTE
Great Phone!!
https://capturenext.com/blogs/
News flash from the Land Down Under:
The line was already 50 people strong yesterday around 1 PM local Aussie time.
By 7 AM there were close to a thousand people in line.
Our teardown team was #53 in line, and the Apple Store only had 40 iPhone 6 Plus models in stock.
But hey, no worries-we got our hands on an iPhone 6 Plus, all thanks to a wonderful Australian iFixit fan named Ricky. Thanks Ricky!
It turns out Ricky is not related to this Ricky.
After our little Apple Store adventure, we skedaddled back to MacFixit Australia, where the teardown's taking place. We want to send out a big thanks to our good friends at MacFixit for letting us use their office. They stock Mac and iPhone upgrades/accessories, and also carry our iFixit toolkits. Thanks MacFixit Australia!
Coming soon to a supermarket near you, the iPhone 6 Plus Pop-Tarts Bluetooth/NFC speaker.
The iPhone 6 Plus measures in at 158.1 mm long, 77.8 mm wide, and 7.1 mm thick. Quite literally bigger than a Pop-Tart.
At 7.1 mm, it's the thicker of the new crop of iPhones-but thickness is the one dimension in which it undercuts last year's iPhone 5s, which measured 7.6 mm.
Just like the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 Plus is available in three different colors: Silver, Gold, and Space Gray. Of course we went for the Gold.
The iPhone 6 Plus is identified by its model number: A1524.
Much to the distress of some reviewers, both iPhone 6 models feature a noticable camera "bump". It seems that Apple was unable to shave enough thickness off of the camera sensor to keep it flush with the rest of the chassis. The lens cover may be made out of sapphire glass, but we're still concerned about what this design choice might mean for durability.
Much like the HTC One M8, the iPhone 6 Plus features two plastic antenna stripes on the outer case. These stripes help with wireless reception that would otherwise be blocked by an all-metal outer case.
I'm pretty sure the lens cover is no longer made of sapphire. Can you guys confirm that?
Apple's technical specification explicitly states that it IS sapphire.
https://www.apple.com/iphone-6/specs/
It seems Apple is reluctant to switch from Pentalobe screws to good ol' regular Phillips screws. Luckily, we brought our Pro Tech Screwdriver Set to remove those pesky Pentalobe screws.
While proprietary screws are not our favorite, we are happy that we don't have to go straight to heat.
Tools used on this step: iSclack $24.99 It's iSclack time! This handy tool allows us to easily shuck the display assembly from the rear enclosure.
We proceed cautiously, remembering the surprise from last time.
With no noticeable booby traps, we proceed to open our little gold treasure chest.
Apple's rerouting of the Touch ID sensor cable recalls the cleaner design (and safer opening procedure) of the iPhone 5-the iPhone with the highest repairability score to date.
Much like iPhones of the past, the display assembly cables are held securely to the logic board by a metal bracket.
With the display assembly removed, we get our first look at the innards of the iPhone 6 Plus.
The internal layout of the iPhone 6 Plus appears to be similar to the 5s, but we immediately notice the sheer size of the battery. Based on its volume alone, we suspect the iPhone 6 Plus will be no slouch when it comes to battery life.
any word on the display maker/materials?
The home button assembly is secured by a metal bracket. Removing the bracket allows us to simply pop the home button off the front panel assembly.
This design is on-par with last year's home button-modular, if a bit time-consuming to get to in the event of a repair.
If this has 1GB of RAM, it's going to be bricked like iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 with 3GS specs and 4x pixels can't run iOS7, like iPhone 4S can't handle iOS8, like iPad 1's 256MB of RAM, like iPad 3 with 4x pixels on iPad 2 specs. iPhone 5 will run iOS11 fine with 1GB and iPhone 6 Plus will lag with less available memory, it need a iphone cleanup tool.
The front-facing camera is part of a larger cable assembly, which includes the earpiece speaker, microphone, and ambient light sensor. Both reside on the front panel assembly.
I'm a little confused… Shouldn't there be mroe of a teardown on the screen? Seems the backplate on the LCD would have some ribboncable hidden beneath it?
Can the front camera b removed without interupting the function of the earpiece speaker?
My iphone 6 plus has a webbed screen however everything works 100%. I bought a replacement "glass front screen" off ebay and attempted to replace it yesterday. It appears that the front glass screen is glued onto the backplate. Can you confirm? I can provide an image of the screen I bought on ebay if that helps. Thanks
Next we decide to remove the metal plate from the front panel assembly.
In a big win for repairability, Apple has completely redesigned how the home button connects to the main board. Gone is the awkwardly short and fragile cable of the iPhone 5s days. Instead, Apple has made the effort to run the home button cable all the way to the opposite end of the phone. We're quite happy to see this improvement!
We can't think of a reason to extend the cable this way except to improve repairability. Thank you, Apple.
Apple is most likely primarily focused on the ease of assembly rather than ease of repair.
Exactly. A short cable that has to be attached like the iPhone 5S means a time-robbing assembly step that's done in tight situations.
Making the cable long may cost 10 cents more in materials costs, but if it saves the worker 20 seconds of time, it increases manufacturing throughput of that worker and thus makes up for the extra cost.
The next logical step is to remove the battery from the iPhone 6 Plus.
The battery connector is covered by a metal bracket, which we dispose of using our metal tweezers.
Near the bottom of the battery, we locate some sticky pull tabs.
Here's what we know about sticky iPhone battery pull tabs: pull it right, and it is super easy; pull it wrong, and it is the end of the world.
This adhesive is similar to a 3M Command adhesive, and when you pull the tab correctly it shears the entire strip off.
Is it Possible to remove the Logic Board right after removing the screen without having to remove the battery or anything else?
After saying the magic words, the 43-gram, 4.7" x 1.9" x 0.13" battery mystically lifts off the rear case enclosure.
In line with rumors, the battery is rated at 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh of energy, for a total of 2915 mAh-nearly double the capacity of the 1560 mAh unit in the iPhone 5s, and slightly larger than the 2800 mAh burner in the Galaxy S5.
Between the larger battery and improvements in power efficiency, Apple touts a talk time of up to 24 hours on 3G, and 384 hours of standby time.
The battery found in the Plus is larger than the standard iPhone 6's 6.91 Wh, 1810 mAh battery-which explains the longer life, despite the much larger screen.
How much does the battery weigh ? Is the mA density per gram higher than previous generations ?
Correct me if I am wrong - at 3.82 V and 11.1 Wh, isn't the battery more like 2905 mAh?
Can anyone tell me what the minimum A or mA will be to charge the phones? Curious if some 3rd party power banks I have will still work.
Tools used on this step: Jimmy $7.99 This is new! We have something new! The vibrator assembly is located to the right of the battery, below the logic board.
Do you remember Jimmy? Of course you do. Everyone remembers Jimmy. With the help of Jimmy, we pry open the vibrator assembly.
Thanks Jimmy! Inside we find a delicate array of copper coils. They create alternating magnetic fields that shake a permanent magnet mass, which rides on a couple of springs.
What kinds of vibrator? Looks different from the conventional. What are the dimensions of the vibrator?
i think its new apple made and we will see some similar in the apple watch (taptic engine)
The vibrator isn't the common motor/counterweight type. It seems like a linear see-saw motor, using the magnets themselves as the moving masses.
Annoyingly loud, this new vibrator. Calling it "silent" mode is now pushing it.
The rear-facing camera is easily dispatched with a pair of tweezers.
The back of the iSight camera is labeled DNL432 70566F MKLAB.
Just like the iPhone 5s, the 6 Plus features an 8 MP (with 1.5µ pixels) ƒ/2.2 aperture rear-facing camera. The 6 Plus brings two new additions to the table: optical image stabilization, and "Focus Pixel" phase-detection autofocus.
Phase-detection autofocus has been around for awhile in DSLRs, but is relatively new to smartphones. However, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus aren't the first to feature it - the Samsung Galaxy S5 had it first.
Invensense OIS in rear camera?
it does not seem so
invensense in rear facing camera???????
INVN in the cam?
sony sensor or no? Which?
Is it possible to put 8MP camera of iPhone 6 plus in iPhone 6 ?
Step 17:
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Constant readings from the gyroscope and the M8 motion coprocessor give the iPhone 6 Plus detailed data on the movements of your shaky human hands, allowing it to compensate by rapidly moving the lens assembly. Result: sharper, clearer photos, even in low-light environments.
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I am still puzzled by the fact that both models have the M8 and MP67B chips. So, why do you say that OIS is only in the 6+ model?
Is there a small strap by the rear facing camera that is necessary for functionality? if so what is the part number or id? Thanks
Such wiggles. Much wiggles.
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 some 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…
Metal shield, 6 pins. What is is Captain!
A deeper look at the inside of the rear-facing camera reveals just what we expect: a small lens.
Beneath the lens we see the camera's sensor.
The key feature differentiating this camera from that of the standard iPhone 6 is optical image stabilization-a technology we've seen before. The lens element on the left is nested into a tiny metal cage, nudged to and fro by the electromagnetic coils surrounding the sensor on the right.
Constant readings from the gyroscope and the M8 motion coprocessor give the iPhone 6 Plus detailed data on the movements of your shaky human hands, allowing it to compensate by rapidly moving the lens assembly. Result: sharper, clearer photos, even in low-light environments.
It's about time we remove the logic board, secured tightly to the rear case enclosure by a few screws.
But before we finish, we're reminded to spudger away an antenna connector from the back of the logic board.
Let's identify some ICs on the front side of the logic board:
Apple A8 APL1011 SoC + Elpida 1 GB LPDDR3 RAM (as denoted by the markings EDF8164A3PM-GD-F)
Qualcomm MDM9625M LTE Modem
Skyworks 77802-23 Low Band LTE PAD
Avago ACPM-8020 High Band PAD
Avago ACPM-8010 Ultra High Band PA + FBARs
TriQuint TQF6410 3G EDGE Power Amplifier Module
InvenSense MP67B 6-axis Gyroscope and Accelerometer Combo
Can you tell if the A8 was manufactured by Samsung or TSMC?
The A8 was definitely manufactured by TSMC in TAIWAN!~
who won the gyro/accelerometer???
Invensense !
It looks like there is another accelerometer right next to the IMU… Might be that they are having problems with Invensense?
Can you open the rear facing camera to see if Invensense is in it?
Love you Invensense gyroscope :))= :)
Is there a small Qualcomm IC next to the Avago and Skyworks parts with a QFE 11xx number?
You're correct Chris! It's a Qualcomm QFE1100.
Where is the barometer? Is it from Bosch?
yeah, the bosch sensor is missing in the teardown: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.p…
More ICs on the front of the logic board:
Qualcomm QFE1100 Envelope Tracking IC
RF Micro Devices RF5159 Antenna Switch Module
Skyworks SKY77356-8 Mid Band PAD
Bosch Sensortec BMA280 3-Axis Accelerometer
Back of the logic board.
SK Hynix H2JTDG8UD1BMS 128 Gb (16 GB) NAND Flash
Murata 339S0228 Wi-Fi Module
Apple/Dialog 338S1251-AZ Power Management IC
Broadcom BCM5976 Touchscreen Controller
NXP LPC18B1UK ARM Cortex-M3 Microcontroller (also known as the M8 motion coprocessor)
NXP 65V10 NFC module + Secure Element (likely contains an NXP PN544 NFC controller inside)
Qualcomm WTR1625L RF Transceiver
NFC is not connected to the battery right? It could never be used to wirelessly charge correct?
That's correct.
holy crap you guys getting nerd hard ons… where the F#$ is my pocket protector %#*@ IT ALL!!!
Big business. For instance Invensense in iPhones for first time ever. If they are in the 6 also, that is 200+million chips sold over the next year. Revenues/Cash Flow up. Buy some stock(hopefully you already owned some or atleast some calls)! This teardown represents billions of dollars… the question is who's making it. Its not all about iPhones and pocket protectors… its more about making stacks and stacks of money. One day you will figure it out.
Any chance you could remove the cover of the Murata 339S0228 Wi-Fi Module to see what's inside?
Can you confirm the M8 part no. LPC18B1UK isn't in the NXP manual; LPC185x is.
OK, looks like M8 is an LPC18B1UK as stated… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_M7
any view of the NFC antenna?
any fix for tactil bug?
More ICs on the back of the logic board:
Qualcomm WFR1620 receive-only companion chip. Qualcomm states that the WFR1620 is "required for implementation of carrier aggregation with WTR1625L."
Qualcomm PM8019 Power Management IC
Texas Instruments 343S0694 Touch Transmitter
AMS AS3923 NFC Booster IC
Cirrus Logic 338S1201 Audio Codec
Bosch Sensortec BMP280
A big and hearty mega-thanks to our pals at Chipworks for helping us ID all of this tech. We definitely couldn't have done it without them!
What's a "touch transmitter"?
- Texas Instruments 343S0694 Touch Transmitter
I can't believe they use two controllers for the touch screen?!?
in step 21: Broadcom BCM5976 Touchscreen Controller
Does anyone know how much the AMS chip costs (ballpark)?
The guys from NFCworld found the ams chip now: http://www.ams.com/eng/Products/NFC-HF-R…
Seems you cannot find it Googling for it.
From the block diagram it seems the AS3923 is connecting to the antenna not the NFC controller.
Fits to the description saying that the chip is replacing the drivers of the controller.
They also mention to support peer to peer and other modes so we can hope for more than just payment it seems ;) Cant wait to get one…
There is the Barometer below the SanDisk NAND Flash. Looks like a BMP from Bosch Sensortec
yeah, the bosch sensor is missing in the teardown: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.p…
Do other phone manufacturers use an NFC booster or is this unique to IP6?
The iPhone 6 Plus's solitary speaker comes out next.
The modularity of the speaker design is appreciated, even if its markings are inscrutable. The manufacturing origins of this speaker remain shrouded in secrecy, for now.
On the lower-left corner of the front of the speaker (second image, can't tell if front or back, guessing front), you can see what looks like a QR code and a serial number, but that's just out of focus enough so it's impossible to make out.
The barcode reads DXY43443115G34YAU dun think you can decipher anything from it.
The Lightning connector assembly is comprised of the headphone jack, Lightning connector, and a few antenna connectors.
Cable packages like this are great in terms of space-saving, but not-so-great when your headphone jack decides it doesn't like being pulled on every day.
Is the 6 plus completely Samsung free ?
At first blush, it appears so! Taking inventory of all the components, I noticed that as well.
Who got microphones? Some users have issues with it. There should be 3 mics in total. Anybody know who supply it and is it possible to replace it with anything else? Thank you
Wondering the same thing as Laimo. Thx!
Do you have pictures of the other side of the power cable?
We turn our focus to the top of the rear case enclosure, where a plethora of antennas await. These antennas prove to be no match for our trusty tweezers though.
Hello. What is that cable (821-2294-05)?
As we near the end of the teardown, we come across both the power button ribbon cable assembly and the volume button ribbon cable assembly.
Both assemblies consist of tiny components strung on thin, fragile cables like twinkle lights.
re: SYX2 - get it? the industrial design team name for the case is SYX 2 i.e. the 6.2 inches in length of the case.
I really don't get it still…
Wow, that took me an embarrassingly longtime to get syx (six) 2 (two).
We're button-pushers around here, so we took particular interest in this fancy new rubber gasket surrounding the power button.
Similar gaskets surround the volume buttons. Altogether, this seems to represent a move toward increased water/dust resistance, and therefore improved durability.
Those ugly plastic stripes / inlays / antenna break-throughs - are the replaceable? Any chance anybody will offer a replacement for them which better meet the metal colors?
Does either iPhone 6 actually feature official water resistance to any degree?
We have slain the giant. The iPhone 6 Plus earned a respectable seven out of ten, an improvement over the iPhone 5s. Here's why:
Continuing the trend from the iPhone 5 series, the display assembly comes out of the phone first, simplifying screen repairs.
The battery is straightforward to access. Removing it requires a proprietary pentalobe screwdriver and knowledge of the adhesive removal technique, but is not difficult.
The fingerprint sensor cable has been re-routed, fixing a significant repairability issue with the iPhone 5s and making the phone much safer to open. (On the 5s, the cable is easily torn if a user is not careful while opening the phone.)
The iPhone 6 Plus still uses proprietary Pentalobe screws on the exterior, requiring a specialty screwdriver to remove.
Apple does not share repair information for the iPhone 6 Plus with independent repair shops or consumers.
5s? Pretty sure this was a 6 plus? =)
Whoops… fixed! :)
OK, using pentalobe screws is kind of annoying, but you guys sell the driver for $8. Given how smoothly the disassembly went it doesn't seem fair to give a red dot (and maybe a drop from 8 to 7) for the requirement of an $8 part when repairing an $800 device.
The battery though…
But can you put it back together?
WiFi-Direct