Recently, an organization conducted an in-depth teardown and analysis of the iPhone 17 Pro. According to CNMO, this teardown not only revealed innovative breakthroughs in heat dissipation technology, but also exposed design issues such as scratch-prone body.
The iPhone 17 Pro utilizes a vapor chamber cooling system for the first time, improving heat dissipation performance. The teardown reveals that the vapor chamber directly covers the A19 Pro chip, dissipating heat through an internal liquid evaporation-condensation cycle. Thermal imaging comparison confirms that the iPhone 17 Pro avoids the frequency throttling issue seen in previous models during prolonged high-load operation.
Many users have previously complained about the iPhone 17 Pro's easily scratched back cover. Teardown technicians identified the root cause of the problem. Using a microscope, they discovered that the oxide layer is prone to peeling at sharp, unchamfered corners (i.e., the edges of the platform) of the anodized surface, lacking sufficient support from the underlying aluminum. This peeling not only exposes the underlying metal color, affecting the phone's aesthetics, but unlike scratches on flat surfaces, which remain superficial, the oxide layer on raised edges can completely peel off, further exacerbating damage.
For repairability, the iPhone 17 Pro features a newly designed battery tray secured with 14 Torx Plus screws and an electrolytic adhesive release. This innovative design greatly improves battery replacement efficiency. However, the dual-port design has been eliminated, and the 22-screw structure securing the USB-C port also complicates repairs.
