A teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro shows how Apple made the Dynamic Island smaller: the infrared camera used for Face ID has been moved beneath the display. REWA Technology’s video provides an early look at the phone’s internal layout and highlights several other hardware changes.

The infrared camera now sits under the display in the top-left corner of the Dynamic Island area. The screen above it uses a special pixel pattern that allows infrared light to pass through while keeping the display looking normal from typical viewing angles.

How the smaller Dynamic Island works

Moving the infrared camera below the screen reduces the amount of visible hardware required at the top of the display. The teardown confirms the camera’s new position and shows how the display has been designed to work with it.

Apple uses the infrared camera as part of the Face ID system. In the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, placing that component beneath the display allows the Dynamic Island to occupy less visible space without removing the Face ID hardware.

iPhone 18 Pro camera and battery changes

The teardown also reveals a larger 48-megapixel main camera with variable aperture. The video does not provide additional details about how the variable-aperture system works, but its presence marks another internal change in the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

The model shown has a physical SIM card tray. That configuration requires a slightly smaller battery than the eSIM-only versions sold in the United States, Canada, Japan, and select other countries. The battery in the physical-SIM model has a capacity of 4,056 mAh.

Modem differences by region

A teardown of the United States version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max has not yet been shared. That model is expected to use a Qualcomm cellular modem, potentially the Snapdragon X80 or Snapdragon X85.

According to Apple, the smaller iPhone 18 Pro uses the company’s C2 modem worldwide. The iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the C2 modem in countries outside the United States, while the U.S. model is expected to use Qualcomm hardware instead.

That regional difference means internal components will not be identical across every iPhone 18 Pro Max model. A U.S. teardown could confirm which Qualcomm modem Apple selected and whether the component affects the phone’s internal arrangement or battery capacity.

What the teardown confirms

  • The iPhone 18 Pro’s infrared Face ID camera sits beneath the display.
  • A specialized pixel pattern allows infrared light to pass through the screen.
  • The lineup includes a larger 48-megapixel main camera with variable aperture.
  • The physical-SIM version shown has a 4,056 mAh battery.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro Max may use different modem hardware depending on region.