iPhone 12 Pro Max teardown reveals a truly huge main camera

It’s no secret that Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max boasts a larger main camera, but it’s now clear just how enormous that sensor really is. iFixit has posted a teardown of the iPhone 12 Pro Max that illustrates the camera size in vivid detail. While the cam itself is visibly larger, it’s the sensor-shift stabilization that puts it over the top — the full unit makes the regular 12 Pro’s main shooter look dainty by comparison. Apple might have needed to make “compromises” to stuff that camera into the smaller phone, iFixit said.

Many other parts are larger, too. It’s not surprising that the battery is the largest for any current iPhone at 14.13Wh (albeit smaller than the 15.04Wh from the 11 Pro Max). However, the speaker and Taptic Engine are also huge, at least compared to the compact parts inside the 12 mini. Apple knew it had room to breathe with the 12 Pro Max and took advantage of it, in other words.

The Pro Max is about as easy to repair as other iPhone 12 models, with the glass back and waterproofing representing the only major wrinkles.

iFixit’s teardown reinforces the dilemma facing many iPhone buyers. After a brief lull, it’s once again clear that you need to buy the largest iPhone to get the best camera tech in the lineup. This doesn’t rule out upgrades to smaller models in the future, but the physical limitations are hard to ignore for the 2020 models.